Basic Info About Our Menses

During each cycle, the lining of the inside of your uterus (womb) gets thicker, so that if the egg (ovum), which is released from your ovary each cycle, is fertilised by a sperm, the uterus is ready to provide a place for the baby to grow.

A period is when the lining separates from the rest of the uterus because it is not needed for this egg to grow. The old lining is 'lost' and the uterus gets ready to make a new lining for the next egg.

The 'loss' is mostly blood, which can be bright red, dark red or dark brown, and sometimes has some clots (dark lumps of blood) in it.

It is a good idea to keep track of when your period is due, maybe on a calendar or in your diary.

On average, a cycle lasts about 28 days, but it’s quite normal to have a shorter or longer cycle. So your cycle will probably be normal for you even if it is 21 days long, or 35 days!

As soon as one period finishes, the lining of the uterus starts to grow again and becomes thicker ready for another egg (ovum). It continues to get thicker until a couple of days before the next period starts (unless the ovum has been fertilised and the woman is pregnant).

About 12-16 days before your next period, an egg is released from your ovary. This is called ovulation.

The loss is mostly blood, but also contains some mucus and other tissues from the lining of the uterus.

(info from cyh.com/healthtopics)