I want to tell you about our monthly hormonal cycle, a miracle of nature that we experience every month between puberty and menopause, from which we draw our creativity and strength. We begin by acknowledging that we are very different from men and by getting to know ourselves.
The Hormonal Cycle
We menstruate every month, and this is a miraculous cycle. Many hormone-producing glands are active in each cycle. In the first half of our cycle, our pituitary gland, located beneath our brain, secretes FSH. This hormone stimulates the follicles in the ovaries to grow. These follicles contain eggs. On average, in the first 14 days, the eggs in the ovaries grow and mature. During this time, the ovaries increase estrogen production.
With the increase in estrogen, FSH decreases, and the pituitary gland begins to produce LH. This hormone instructs the ovaries to release the most mature egg. When the egg is released, the time of reproduction, which we call ovulation, begins. The released egg travels through the fallopian tubes towards the uterus. Meanwhile, the empty follicle begins to produce progesterone.
At the same time, if the egg, which is on its journey through the fallopian tubes, meets sperm, it passes into the uterus as an embryo. Progesterone continues to increase and keeps the embryo in the uterus until the placenta forms (up to 12 weeks). If fertilization does not occur, the uterine wall thins and bleeding begins. Progesterone and estrogen levels begin to decrease, and the body prepares for its next cycle. On the first day of bleeding, this miraculous hormonal cycle begins again.
Recently, I noticed from the comments under one of my Instagram posts about menstruation how many women are unhappy/uncomfortable with this cycle, and sadly, how uninformed they are. It’s not our fault because no one explained these things to us, no one informed us. We don’t know our own bodies. Women’s monthly cycles aren’t just for having children. Of course, that’s the main focus, but estrogen, which increases with puberty, keeps us alive, excited, every cell healthy, and every joint moist. You know that heartbeat, “daba dap, daba dap, daba dap”? Even that rhythm is maintained by estrogen in women. This cycle is that important. The goal shouldn’t be “I wish it would end so I could be free,” but rather “The longer I prolong it, the more it supports my physical and mental health.” If you’re experiencing a very difficult period, that’s not normal, as I’ve said before. Research it, pursue it, definitely improve your diet (the first condition, it’s essential), and incorporate stress management into your life.
Of course, we don’t die from this decrease. Around our 40s, as the number of eggs begins to decrease, estrogen production gradually declines, and menopause begins. Menopause is the period when there are no eggs left, when we haven’t had a period for a year. From this point on, the adrenal glands, not the ovaries, produce estrogen. So another organ takes over, but it has other jobs too. It’s like when you’re on leave and your colleague at the next desk does your work. The work still goes on, it doesn’t stop, but it just gets the day done 🙂 Because it has its own other jobs. I’ll explain this part more later. Since it does this as a side job, supporting our bodies is partly up to us. Eating better, completely avoiding processed foods, sugar, sweets, pastries, alcohol, and cigarettes, taking in fewer toxins, exercising more, and resting our minds more. There’s no other solution.
We are women, always remember that. We are different from men. These things are essential for fertility, for an easier puberty, for preparing for menopause, and for the menopausal period itself. They are not luxuries, they are necessities.
With love,
Sema
