Has anyone ever told you that your period, ovulation and things concerning your cycle are unique to you? Yes, it’s true. While many women may share similar experiences, you may never meet someone else with your exact same experience—cycle length, period days length, flow patters, ovulation timing, PMS symptoms etc. That’s why it’s important to know what is considered normal, and to know your own body well enough that you can tell if your experiences are normal or not.
Of course, no woman wants the surprise of getting her period in public, but tracking is necessary for more reasons that just being prepared.
– Knowing Your Body
Tracking allows you to know your cycle patterns. That way, you can know some important things like: when you’re ovulating/most fertile; when to expect your period; how long to expect it for; how light or heavy your flow is, and any body changes or discomforts that come with it. Some women have ‘special’ needs during periods. Some experience mood swings before their menstruation, or react a certain way to certain foods or have worse cramps because of certain things. Tracking your cycle is the how you know what your body needs or does not need during the ovulation, Pre-menstrual window, and your period.
This information will help you plan your month and activities.
– Your reproductive health
Tracking your cycle is a primary way of knowing if you are in good reproductive health. A change in menstrual cycle is often the first obvious symptom for a number of women’s health issues Many women only detect medical conditions like hormonal imbalance because they track their cycles and can tell when something is off.
– Pregnancy
Some women track their cycles because they are trying to get pregnant and want to know the best time to do so, others track it because they are trying to avoid getting pregnant. No matter the reason, tracking when Aunt Flo comes is important in figuring out pregnancy. It’s also the best way to detect pregnancy early and start preparing for the baby.
What to Track
- You should know the first day of your period and the last day of your period each month
- The number of days your period lasts for (This is called your period length)
- The number of days between the first day of your period in the previous month and the first day in the current month (this is called your Cycle length)
- The type of blood flow you have
- The type of sanitary products you feel most comfortable using
- The factors that affect your blood flow
- Your moods right before and during your period
- Your energy level and your appetite
There, now you know why you should track your period and what to track! The great thing is there are so many apps that make it easy for you to do so, including a Nigerian one called Sofy MyCycle.
