Menstruation cycle
As a girl grows up, her body goes through different changes. One of those changes is getting her period, which happens when her body is preparing for a possible pregnancy.
The menstrual cycle is the process that happens inside a girl's body every month. It usually lasts around 28 days, but it can be more or less than that for some girls.
During the cycle, the uterus (the organ where a baby grows) builds up a lining of blood and tissue. If there's no baby to grow, the uterus doesn't need that lining, so it sheds it through the vagina. This is what causes a period.
The cycle has four main phases:
1. Menstruation: This is when the uterus sheds the lining it built up during the last cycle. It's normal for a girl to bleed for 3 to 7 days.
2. Follicular phase: After the period is over, the body starts preparing for a possible pregnancy again. The pituitary gland in the brain releases hormones that stimulate the ovaries (the organs that produce eggs) to grow follicles. Each follicle contains an egg.
3. Ovulation: One of the follicles grows bigger and releases an egg into the fallopian tube. This usually happens around day 14 of the cycle, but it can vary. If a sperm meets the egg and fertilizes it, it can implant in the uterus and grow into a baby.
4. Luteal phase: If the egg isn't fertilized, it dissolves and the body prepares to start the cycle over again. The follicle that released the egg turns into something called the corpus luteum, which produces hormones to thicken the uterus lining.
And then the cycle starts all over again! It's important for girls to track their periods and understand their cycles so they can manage their menstrual symptoms and know when they're most likely to get pregnant.
The menstrual cycle is the process that happens inside a girl's body every month. It usually lasts around 28 days, but it can be more or less than that for some girls.
During the cycle, the uterus (the organ where a baby grows) builds up a lining of blood and tissue. If there's no baby to grow, the uterus doesn't need that lining, so it sheds it through the vagina. This is what causes a period.
The cycle has four main phases:
1. Menstruation: This is when the uterus sheds the lining it built up during the last cycle. It's normal for a girl to bleed for 3 to 7 days.
2. Follicular phase: After the period is over, the body starts preparing for a possible pregnancy again. The pituitary gland in the brain releases hormones that stimulate the ovaries (the organs that produce eggs) to grow follicles. Each follicle contains an egg.
3. Ovulation: One of the follicles grows bigger and releases an egg into the fallopian tube. This usually happens around day 14 of the cycle, but it can vary. If a sperm meets the egg and fertilizes it, it can implant in the uterus and grow into a baby.
4. Luteal phase: If the egg isn't fertilized, it dissolves and the body prepares to start the cycle over again. The follicle that released the egg turns into something called the corpus luteum, which produces hormones to thicken the uterus lining.
And then the cycle starts all over again! It's important for girls to track their periods and understand their cycles so they can manage their menstrual symptoms and know when they're most likely to get pregnant.