The ovaries are what are in charge of controlling the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone; so they are what cause the changes in the body throughout the menstrual cycle and a woman’s life from puberty to the menopause.
A usual cycle is 28 days but each woman may vary slightly and should notice a regular pattern within her own body’s monthly cycle.
The cycle starts with menstruation (having a period) where the lining of the uterus leaves the body through the cervix and out of the vagina. This lasts a few days.
In a typical cycle the next stage begins on day 5. The bleeding stops and new uterus lining grows and thickens.
Around about day 14 of the cycle ovulation takes place. This is when one of the ovaries releases an egg (ovum) which travels to the fallopian tube.
From days 16 to 21 of a typical cycle the uterus is ready to receive the egg if it is fertilized by a male’s sperm after sex takes place. If this were to happen the fertilized egg would settle into the uterus lining and pregnancy would happen.
However usually this doesn’t happen. So from days 21 to 28 the uterus lining begins to break up. This is the pre-menstrual phase. Some women get PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) at this time of their cycle because of the change in hormones in the body which can make them feel irritable.
Then after these 28 days the menstrual blood is finally released, completing the cycle.
The Menopause:
Usually, between the ages of 45 and 55 a women stops having periods. This is when she stops releasing eggs each month and levels of hormones change. It is called the menopause. This means the woman is no longer fertile so is unable to have children once she has gone through this change.