# Menstrual Cycle Phases ##### Menstrual Cycle Awareness for Perimenopause --- ![[Pasted image 20261024191525.png]] ![[Pasted image 20261024191530.png]] ![[Pasted image 20261024191535.png]] --- ## TL;DR - The menstrual cycle is a story of two halves: the follicular phase and the luteal phase, divided by ovulation. - Ovulation is the main event, not your period. - Oestrogen dominates the first half; progesterone dominates the second. - We only produce progesterone at these levels after ovulation, when the corpus luteum forms. --- ## Transcript So before we can understand what is happening during perimenopause, it is important to understand what happens in a normal menstrual cycle. OK, so what is a regular menstrual cycle? The menstrual cycle is a story of two halves. Now, if you’re going to learn or take anything from this training. Focus on this chart. OK, get to know this chart, So many of my clients have this chart on their desk next to them. They take it everywhere because it’s understanding what is going on with your hormones and where you are in your cycle. So, a story of two halves. You’ve got the first half of the menstrual cycle is your follicular phase and the second half is the luteal phase. Those two halves are divided by ovulation. OK, so ovulation is the main event. OK, not your period. Ovulation. Menstruation is part of the follicular phase. OK, have we got that so far? So this follicular phase, this is where oestrogen actually dominates during this first half. The second half, the luteal phase is where progesterone dominates. OK, you can see we’ve got testosterone there as well. Testosterone is also higher during the follicular phase and less during the luteal phase. So another thing you need to know is that progesterone is only created after ovulation has occurred. So when we ovulate, an egg is released from the sac and that sac then becomes what’s known as the corpus luteum. Luteum, as in luteal phase. And it’s this corpus luteum that actually produces progesterone. So let me say that again. We only produce progesterone, at least in these levels, when we have ovulated. OK, so let me show you this. Remember this image? Now let me show you this one. OK, so again, if there’s no ovulation, there is no corpus luteum. There’s no luteal phase, which means there’s no progesterone. OK, so that is what this image is showing. I’ve tried to put these two images side by side. It’s not the best, but you get the idea. OK, so this is what happens when we don’t ovulate. And this is what happens when we do ovulate. I wanted to go through the scientific terms—the follicular phase, luteal phase, oestrogen and progesterone—because this can help when we are talking to medical professionals about hormones, especially in perimenopause when things change or if you just notice that something isn’t right. It’s worth knowing these terms. And again, we’re going to go through these in a little bit more detail. So please get to know your cycle. This chart really does help to understand what is going on so much more with your hormones.