Changing hormone levels in your monthly cycle bring with them a whole range of body changes. These include:
To stay on top of the symptoms like pain and cramps, it's a good idea to chart your menstrual cycle and period symptoms on a monthly cycle calendar or period calendar. This helps you predict your periods, note changes in your body and track possible premenstrual or other period symptoms. Plus, when you visit your doctor, they will probably ask you the date of your last period – so you’ll be prepared to answer their questions.
Another good reason to chart your cycle is that you generally don't want to visit the doctor when you’re having your period. Certain tests, like Pap smears, must be done when you're not bleeding, so it's important to know where you are in your cycle. Ultimately, charting gives you more control over your reproductive health and helps you understand your own body rhythms.
Keeping track of your period symptoms on a monthly cycle calendar is simple, but you do need to remember to do it. Make sure you note down the first day of your period. Also think about writing down when you get cramps, if you have mood changes, changes in your vaginal discharge, experience pain when you don’t expect it, or other changes you think might be unusual. Soon a cyclical pattern may emerge and you can match certain symptoms to your periods.
If you want to identify the times when specific period symptoms occur, think about recording changes in your basal body temperature. Most gynecologists have a graph you can use for this. You’ll need to get ahold of a digital thermometer, which is easy to use. Just take your temperature first thing in the morning, after a good night's sleep, and before getting out of bed. Your basal body temperature increases from one-half to one degree Fahrenheit when you ovulate.
If you’re not pregnant, your body temperature will return to its pre-ovulatory level as estrogen and progesterone levels drop and you approach your next period. However, if you are pregnant, your basal body temperature will stay elevated for more than 16 days after you ovulate.
While keeping track of your periods, keep in mind the following questions – as your doctor may ask you these:
Mark down the days of your period on a calendar. The first day of your period is also 'Day One' of your monthly cycle. If you begin to chart your cycle each month, you'll see a pattern. A normal cycle is 21 to 35 days.
If you've been having periods for a while, you know what your flow looks like. So keep track of light or heavy bleeding and any changes in color and texture, such as blood clots. Tell your doctor if you notice anything unusual about the length of your period, amount of flow or the way it looks.
Note down any unusual vaginal secretions that occur during the month. You may notice a thicker or stickier discharge at mid-cycle – this is normal and means you’re ovulating. Other changes that give you and your doctor important information include:
If any symptoms don’t seem right, call your doctor right away.
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Charting your cycle
As you probably know, changing hormone levels in your monthly cycle bring with them a whole range of body changes. These include:
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