Common signs that something is up
**Disclaimer**
These mechanisms are distinctly separate from structural irregularities, other causes of cycle issues such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids etc, or contraceptive methods.
Heavy Bleeds
Mechanism ⟶ When oestrogen runs unchecked and progesterone can't keep up, the uterine lining builds up more than it should — and when it finally lets go, your body sheds all of that excess at once, heavily.
Painful Periods
Mechanism ⟶ When progesterone is low, the uterine lining produces an excess of inflammatory chemicals called prostaglandins that cause the uterus to cramp and spasm aggressively as it tries to shed.
Light Bleeds
Mechanism ⟶ When oestrogen is even slightly too low, the uterine lining never gets enough of a signal to build up properly — so when it sheds, there simply isn't much there to release.
Short Cycles ( < 24 days )
Mechanism ⟶ When the follicular phase is too brief — meaning oestrogen rises and falls too quickly — ovulation happens earlier than it should, or the luteal phase is too short because the corpus luteum doesn't survive its full lifespan, leaving progesterone insufficient to hold the lining for a healthy length of time.
Long Cycles ( > 35 days )
Mechanism ⟶ A long cycle simply means ovulation is taking longer to arrive — the follicular phase is stretching out, often because the ovaries need more time and oestrogen stimulus to mature a follicle and trigger the LH surge that releases the egg, delaying everything that follows.
Missing Period
Mechanism ⟶ When the brain's signals to the ovaries are disrupted, the hypothalamus downregulates GnRH, ovulation never occurs, and without ovulation there is no progesterone and no lining built up properly to shed.
Spotting Around Period
Mechanism ⟶ When progesterone drops too early or was never high enough to begin with, the uterine lining begins to break down and shed in patches before the period officially arrives, rather than holding together and releasing all at once.
Brown Blood
Mechanism ⟶ When blood moves too slowly through the uterus, it oxidises before leaving the body, turning brown rather than the fresh red of blood that moves through promptly.
Clotting
Mechanism ⟶ When the flow is heavy enough or fast enough to outpace the body's natural anticoagulants, the blood pools and partially coagulates (clots) before it can be fully broken down and expelled smoothly.
If you want to investigate your cycle in more depth, book a consultation today.
