What is the Luteal Phase and why does it matter? When we think about our Menstrual Cycle we usually specifically think about the period. But right after you ovulate and just before your period is the Luteal Phase. The unsung hero of the menstrual cycle, which is usually seen more as the villain, is extremely important to your health and well-being.
What's happening in my body?
As soon as you ovulate you enter the Luteal Phase. The tissue that released the egg at ovulation forms a temporary organ called the corpus luteum. This is why it's called the luteal phase. The new job of this organ is to excrete a hormone called progesterone which encourages your uterus to build up the endometrial lining in your uterus, creating a nourishing environment for a fertilized egg to implant.
If a fertilized egg does implant in your uterus then your body goes to work nurturing and developing the baby until it's time for the child to be born. The corpus luteum will continue to admit progesterone until the placenta has been grown enough to take over creating progesterone and nurturing a healthy environment for the child.
If fertilization does not occur, the body realizes that it is not housing a baby in which case the corpus luteum becomes the Corpus Alibicans and the progesterone levels drop. Your temperature then drops and your body starts a new Menstrual Cycle.
More than baby’s
That's all well and good, but what's the point of going through this every month if you don’t plan on getting pregnant any time soon?
The Luteal Phase is extremely important for your overall health.
This is the time when your body reserves the most progesterone due to the corpus luteum.
Without this phase you will have a progesterone deficiency which affects the rest of your health.
Progesterone has a relaxing effect on your body, promoting good night sleep and decreasing stress levels. Progesterone also has the ability to keep certain cells from growing out of control which decreases your likelihood of developing certain cancers.It promotes a healthy metabolism, and promotes bone growth. Is essential for proper function in your thyroid gland. It prevents plaque in the arteries, prevents migraines, reduces inflammation, promotes a healthy libido. And even slows the overall aging process. NEED I SAY MORE?
A well functioning luteal phase is in many ways the medicine most of us are looking for, and without all of the side effects! Funny enough, when we experience symptoms that could be considered “side effects” they are actually warning us that something needs to be addressed in our health to get us back on track.
Your secret weapon in life
Not only is the luteal phase essential for a healthy, human, female body. It also poses benefits to your personal and work life. Maranda Gray, author of “The Optimized Woman” calls this phase the “Creative Phase” due to heightened levels of passionate and imaginative thinking. During this phase, it can feel like everything is completely connected and you can experience higher levels of understanding when attempting to grasp difficult topics, as well as a deeper connection with intuition.
With this heightened level of intuitive thinking, you may notice that negative issues are highlighted in the Luteal Phase. This is a great time to evaluate what needs to change in life. In an unhealthy luteal phase with PMS symptoms, this trait is often taken to extremes as it feels like every problem is the end of the world. However you can use this to your benefit to discover areas that need to change drastically by noting these issues that come up and saving them for a less emotionally charged phase such as the menstrual or follicular phase.
What about PMS?
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is extremely common, as many as 3 out of 4 of women have reported experiencing symptoms that fall under the umbrella of PMS. Unfortunately we do not have very much information about PMS. For many years menstruating women were excluded from most scientific studies due to our uniquely cyclical nature. The male body was simply easier to study. However, that has led to a large gap in the medical knowledge of the female body. Science is just now beginning to catch up.
What we do know is that Premenstrual Syndrome seems to be linked to the fluctuating hormones in your body. At this stage your body is supposed to produce far less estrogen and far more progesterone. Some research is being done on the possible benefits of adding progesterone in where it is lacking in the Luteal Phase. However, as mentioned before research has been very lacking in this.
Many women find that when they address underlying hormonal issues their larger symptoms which seem to follow a cyclical pattern such as PMS, are largely reduced or even disappear.
Supporting a healthy Luteal Phase
Start symple:
A great way to get started is to do the things that we all already know we should be focusing on. Nutrition, hydration, sleep quality, and exercise are all important key factors in our hormonal well-being. Alongside that is avoiding the things that we know are damaging our well-being.
Listen to what your body is telling you:
We learn from an early age not to listen to our bodies' cues; when we need to go to the bathroom, when we need to go to sleep, when we need to speak up for ourselves. Most of us have to be taught how to hear our bodies again. Your body is smart and she knows what she's talking about. If the issue is deep enough for example E.D., it may be important to bring in a professional to help you learn what your relationship with your body can and should look like.
Address stress:
As helpful as the luteal phase can be for lowering your stress levels, if your body doesn't feel safe enough to make a baby, it's not going to be able to produce enough of the important hormones that you need to cycle well. Developing healthy stress management tools, boundaries, and even walking away from certain stressful environments can be hugely helpful when your hormones are in recovery.
Learn more:
Your body is complex and each phase has unique attributes that we can learn to support and take advantage of in our daily lives. Soon, I will be opening the doors to the Youth, and Adult Menstrual Mentorship Program. In this program, I will work with you to deepen your understanding of your body and each phase of your cycle.
Hormonal testing:
If you feel like you've tried everything and still don't see the improvement you're looking for, it may be time to consider seeing a specialist and getting your hormones tested. This will give you a better understanding of what's going on specifically in your body and help you develop a roadmap for addressing your unique health needs.
Recap
The luteal phase begins when the egg is released and the corpus luteum begins to secrete progesterone telling the body to make a home for a possible baby. It ends when the body realizes that you are not pregnant and decides to start over with a new cykle.
Progesterone also serves other important functions such as reducing stress and promoting healthy body development and functions.
During the Luteal Phase your mental abilities are focused more on creativity and intuitive functions.
Premenstrual syndrome has been reported to affect the majority of menstruating Women.The medical community is still studying the symptoms but they are likely related to the fluctuation in hormones.
In addition to the common sense ways that we can care for our cycles, you can learn to listen to what your body is telling you, address stress, learn more about your cycle, and consider hormonal testing/help from a specialist who may be able to address any larger issues.
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