The Menstrual Cycle

Puberty

When a girl is born, her ovaries hundred thousand eggs, which remain inactive until puberty . At puberty the pituitary gland, a hormone-producing gland inside the brain begin to produce hormones that stimulate the ovaries to produce the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. The secretion of these hormones means that a girl gradually evolves to become a sexually mature woman.

Menstruation

Towards the end of puberty the girls begin to release eggs from the ovaries. This is done about once a month in the middle of the period called the menstrual cycle.

Once a month, during ovulation, the one ovary release a small egg, which is captured in one of the fallopian tubes. If the egg is not fertilized by a sperm while in the fallopian tube, the egg will perish and be expelled from the uterus along with menstruation.

From ovulation and 2 weeks later grows lining of the uterus and gets ready to receive the fertilized egg. In case of no fertilization of the egg, the mucous membrane is dissolved and expelled from the uterus through the cervix. This process is called menstruation .

Menstrual blood is made up of blood and mucosal tissues, which are lined inside of the uterus. Menstruation lasts for most girls 3 to 5 days. A girl’s first menstruation is called menarken.

Menstrual

It is common for women and girls experience some discomfort in the days before menstruation.

Some feel so much pain and so many genes, it is called premenstrual syndrome (PMS) . The condition includes both physical and emotional symptoms that many girls and women get right before menstruation. The symptoms disappear when your period comes.

Many girls can also get stomach cramps the first day of menstruation ( dysmenorrhea ). This is due to the secretion of chemical substances (the prostaglandins), which causes the smooth muscle of the uterus to contract. These contractions, we can not control, can be either weak or strong. Symptoms can range from mild discomfort to severe pain downwards in the abdomen radiating to the lower back and thighs.

Duration

It can take up to two years from first menstruation to a girl’s body develops regular menstrual periods. During this period the body will adapt to the hormones.

On average, an adult woman’s menstrual cycle is 28 days. This means that there are 28 days from the first day of menstruation to the first day of your next period. A menstrual cycle of between 23 days and 35 days is normal.