There are a whole host of reasons that you should track your period – and they’re not all about trying to get pregnant. Your period’s regularity or irregularity, lightness or heaviness, and any associated symptoms, like pain, can provide invaluable insights into your physical and emotional health. In this article, we will explore 5 reasons to track your period, beyond trying to conceive.
Tracking your period helps you understand your health
Menstrual cycle abnormalities – from length to colour – could be a symptom of a number of women’s health issues. Unfortunately, they often go unnoticed as there are many misconceptions around menstrual cycles. Many women learn to tolerate the debilitating pain, extreme heaviness or irregularity of their periods and think of these as normal when they could actually be caused by an underlying problem. The conditions that could be causing problems include hormonal imbalances, thyroid illness, endometriosis, PCOS, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), eating disorders, STDs, infections, blood clotting disorders and many more. As research in this area is growing, we are still learning about the value of the period as a sign of health. If you are worried, definitely speak to your doctor or experts on Parla as they may recommend doing some further investigations.
Understanding your hormones can aid productivity
Hormonal changes affect our mood not only during PMS. They could also have an effect on our brain function and energy throughout the cycle. Did you know that you could use hormones to your advantage? Some suggest that women could sync with their cycle to achieve great productivity. Research suggests that oestrogen and progesterone, two key players in our cycle, have an influence on neurochemistry and we are just starting to discover the potential benefits of different parts of our cycle. If you are interested in learning a bit more about the idea of utilising your own biochemistry, check the work of Alisa Vitti who is women’s Menstrual Health Expert, Functional Nutritionist, and a creator of The Cycle Synching Method.
3. Understand your sex drive and improve your relationship
You may have already noticed that in some parts of your cycle, your libido is significantly higher. There’s a biological explanation for that! During ovulation, your oestrogen levels are at the highest point. Oestrogen may be the reason why you are feeling more social than usual. Other hormones, such as testosterone may be also boosting your libido, so you may feel more confident, sexy and sensual. Why not take advantage of it! You also may also use knowledge about your cycle to manage your partner’s expectations.
Tracking your period after coming off contraception
Contraception affects us all differently. Tracking your cycle when coming off contraception, may be a useful way to understand when your body is back on track to its natural rhythm. As our understanding of contraception and its effects is not yet fully adequate, it’s important to observe how your body reacts to it – when you are on contraception and when you come off it. Although the hormonal contraception works by stopping your ovulation for all of us, its effects can be highly individual based on many personal factors, like our genetic predispositions and general health. If you are stopping them and are curious about your reproductive health, you may be interested in doing a health check, such as taking an ovulation test.
Knowledge is power
Wouldn’t it be great to understand your own health, be able to live in sync with your hormones and maybe even plan around it? As explained above, tracking your period can have various benefits, and can of course, help you know when you are fertile. Whether you are thinking about trying the natural fertility awareness method as a form of preventing pregnancy or actually hoping to conceive, tracking your cycle is your first step. The ‘fertile window’ lasts around 6 days on average (the 5 days leading up to ovulation and 24 hours after ovulation has occurred), however, this is highly variable. A good way to find out what’s true for you is to track your fertile signs. You can learn more about the signs and how to monitor them in our guide here.
What are some other benefits of tracking your cycle? Let us know! Luckily, alongside the rise of femtech, women empowerment and advancements in healthcare, we are all getting more comfortable with talking about menstruation and starting to understand what our bodies are trying to tell us through our period health. At Parla, we are committed to empowering women to learn more about their health so whether you are thinking about your fertility or just hoping to optimise your health and well-being, tracking your period is a great start! Head to our blog on how to track your cycle to get a step by step guide.
