Welcome to the complete guide on the follicular phase. This phase contains the menstrual cycle, leading up to ovulation and the fertile phase in a woman’s cycle. I hope that this topic will be a part of a movement that normalizes menstrual cycle talk and gives honor to the beautiful things that a woman’s body does.
The follicular phase is a huge part of the innate feminine wisdom of the female body and deserves far more praise than it receives.
What is the Follicular Phase?
The follicular phase is a part of the menstrual cycle, which should probably be referred to as the ovulation cycle instead.
This is because all of the events of a woman’s monthly cycle are working towards and the result of the event of ovulation, which occurs once in every healthy cycle.
Simply put, the follicular phase refers to a time in the cycle when a growing follicle and maturing egg within the ovaries is dominant in the cycle. This growing follicle eventually leads to ovulation.
What is Happening During the Follicular Phase?
Several things are occurring during this part of a woman’s cycle.
Menstruation
First, menstruation occurs. This is because throughout a woman’s previous cycle, her endometrium, or uterine lining, builds up, under the influence of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
This lining builds up through the hormone estrogen in order to receive a fertilized egg to maintain a viable pregnancy.
After ovulation, progesterone maintains this enriched uterine lining to support the potential of an egg which has implanted in the uterus.
If egg fertilization and implantation do not occur, then this thickened uterine lining sheds in menstruation due to falling progesterone levels.
Stimulated Follicle
The other thing that occurs during this time in a woman’s cycle is that the ovaries are stimulated by the hormone FSH to grow a follicle which contains the egg that will be eventually released in ovulation.
As this follicle grows, estrogen is stimulated, which grows the uterine lining, as mentioned above. As this follicle fully matures, estrogen reaches its peak, which causes the hormone LH to be released.
Ovulation
LH is the hormone that stimulates the growing follicle to release its mature egg into the fallopian tube. This is called ovulation, and results in the end of follicular activity, therefore the end of the follicular phase in the cycle.
What Your Follicular Phase Can Tell You About Hormonal Health
The follicular phase is a vital sign of health. It can indicate a lot to a woman about the hormonal health of her previous cycle. You can read more about why that is here.
It is also the most variable time of the cycle, and can be greatly impacted by stress on the body.
What a Healthy Follicular Phase Looks Like
A Healthy Period
A healthy follicular phase begins with a healthy menstrual cycle.
A healthy period can vary in a few different factors, but in general should look like this:
- 3-7 days of bleeding without spotting
- At least 1 day of medium or heavy bleeding.
- 30-80 mL of blood loss
- Nearly or completely symptom free
Here is a good blog post on what your period can tell you about your health.
Healthy menstruation indicates that the body is in sync with its hormonal systems and is getting the support it needs.
A menses outside of this range can tell a woman a few different things out of her health:
A period that is too long or too short can reflect that estrogen was out of balance in the previous cycle.
Not enough bleeding can indicate that estrogen did not sufficiently build up the uterine wall.
Too heavy of bleeding can indicate too much estrogen, or other hormonal issues such as fibroids, PCOS, or Endometriosis.
Painful menstruation can indicate that hormones are imbalanced within the body, and that the body is not getting the support it needs and is under stress and inflammation.
Spotting can indicate insufficient progesterone levels.
A Healthy Rise in Estrogen
The other indicator of a healthy follicular phase involves a steady rise in estrogen levels that occur mid-cycle.
As can be seen in this post, rising estrogen can be determined through a rise in estrogenic mucus.
This mucus should gradually become more estrogenic over a period of 5 to 6 days, with extremely estrogenic mucus occurring for 2-3 days. If this is not observed, this can be a sign that estrogen levels are inadequate, as are FSH levels, potentially.
A healthy follicular phase should lead to a cycle that ultimately lasts 24 to 36 days between the follicular and luteal phases. This means that follicular growth does not begin during menses, but instead begins rising a few days following menses.
If a cycle is less than 24 days and estrogen rises early, this can mean that FSH is launched early.
If a cycle is longer than 36 days, this can mean that ovulation is delayed due to late follicular development and struggling estrogen levels.
Stress can greatly influence when the follicle develops, which is why follicular length can vary.
The Follicular Phase on Hormonal Birth Control
Often, women are prescribed birth control in order to regulate menses and minimize symptoms. However, there is a big problem with this line of thinking:
If a woman is on hormonal birth control, she is not having a period. Instead, she is having a withdrawal bleed due to estrogen levels.
Let’s think about it this way: Hormonal birth control’s job is to suppress ovulation. Menstruation can only occur if ovulation has occurred.
Therefore, bleeding on birth control is not a true menses. It is a withdrawal bleed due to the unnatural hormones being pumped into the body on a regular basis.
It also means that FSH levels are being inhibited, which leads to the suppression of ovulation and low-levels of estrogen. This can cause a myriad of health issues as hormones are prevented from doing the job they were designed to do within the body.
If you want to learn more about this, check out my complete guide to hormonal birth control here.
Staying Healthy in the Follicular Phase
Sometimes, follicular phases can be impacted for the better through lifestyle changes. Even with hormonal imbalances that may need more attention, by being proactive with her health, a woman can support her follicular development and high estrogen levels..
Lifestyle can play a huge role in hormonal health, and I have listed out changes below that can make a huge difference in how a woman’s body handles the follicular phase.
Removing Toxins for a Better Follicular Phase
Environmental toxins can play a large role in how in the stress placed on the body. This is because the toxins which women are exposed to are often endocrine disruptors that literally disrupt the way hormones communicate throughout the body.
When hormones are being interrupted, it can throw off a woman’s cycle pretty easily.
Making simple changes in makeup or cleaning products can make a huge difference in this arena. If you want to learn more about where to find the toxins in your home and how to begin removing them, check out this post.
Prioritizing Sleep on During Your Follicular Phase
With so many fluctuating hormones, it is important to get adequate rest so that minerals and energy can be replenished during this time in a woman’s cycle. Prioritize going to bed early enough that you will get at least 7 hours of sleep, though if you know your body needs more, aim for more. Listen to your own intuition.
Cut off screen time in the evenings and light exposure so that your circadian rhythm can work to raise melatonin levels.
By getting enough sleep, follicular development may be supported and the body will be able to better regulate hormones.
Try to prioritize rest during the day during this time as well. Take at least an hour to relax and do something you enjoy like reading a good book with your favorite cup of tea, or soaking in your glorious clawfoot tub.
What to Eat on During Your Follicular Phase
My main recommendation for this time of the month falls in line with what I recommend for your entire lifestyle. You can check out my top nutrition tips here.
While in your follicular phase, avoid processed foods and refined sugars. Try to prioritize proteins, fats, and healthy carbs. Prioritize nutrient dense foods and hydrate with mineral-rich liquids such as adrenal cocktails or bone broth.
Enjoy that dark chocolate as long as it does not have additives in it. You can turn it into something fun like bone broth hot chocolate or a gelatin-rich pudding.
Eat plenty of food and do not restrict calories. Your body needs nourishment and energy at this time in your cycle.
How to Exercise During Your Follicular Phase
Try to get gentle movement during this time of your cycle. In fact, movement can be a huge contributing component supporting the body’s internal communications. While cross-fit or intense cardio during this time could hinder hormonal production, other types of movement will enhance it. Here are some types of exercise that are great to do while in your follicular phase:
Yoga
Pilates
Strength Training
Bow String Yoga
Walking
Swimming
Recap
The follicular phase of a woman’s cycle is a time of new growth. Estrogen is the dominant hormone in this phase, and follicles are being stimulated in order to promote the growth of a new egg. The body is preparing for ovulation.
There are many different lifestyle choices an individual can make in order to optimize this time in her cycle.
Want to learn more about cycles and cycle health? Check out my other posts here!
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