A normal menstrual cycle is 28-35 days in length for most women. The length of the menstrual cycle depends on the hormones in the cycle and on what’s happening in the female reproductive system. The cycle begins with the shedding of the previous cycle’s uterine lining and estrogen, a female hormone, has begun to increase, ripening the egg or eggs in the ovaries. At the time of ovulation, the egg has ripened and is triggered to release itself from the follicle by a surge of luteinizing hormone. Then progesterone predominates the cycle and, at the end of the cycle, both estrogen and progesterone decrease and bleeding starts.
If you have a long menstrual cycle, you may believe that there is something wrong with your cycle, which is not necessarily the truth. A long menstrual cycle can be normal and is often due to heredity – running in families among the woman in the family. A short menstrual cycle occurs often in women who do not ovulate and who have cycle lengths of about 21 days.
You can count the length of your menstrual cycle by putting an X on the calendar the day your menstrual period starts. This is considered “day 1” of your cycle. Put another X when you get your next menstrual period. Count the days from the first X to the day before the second X and this is the length of your menstrual cycle. It can be the same from cycle to cycle or can be variable. Keep track for a few months so you can see the variability of your cycle.
While a long menstrual cycle may be normal, it can be a sign that something is going on. You may be pregnant and will need to take a pregnancy test to see if this is the case or not. You can have a day of spotting due to implantation of the embryo and then have no bleeding at all—indicative of a healthy pregnancy.
Type II diabetes can result in a long menstrual cycle. This is due to the interplay between the diabetic hormones and the reproductive hormones and is related to insulin resistance. A low thyroid condition can lead to a long menstrual cycle or skipped cycles and can be determined at your doctor’s office.
All women can have their menstrual cycle thrown off by something or another at some point in her menstrual life. Irregular cycles and a long menstrual cycle are actually more common than strictly regular ones. Fluctuations can occur due to illness, travel stresses, stress, significant weight loss or weight gain and a change in the exercise level. Adolescents can have a long menstrual cycle or irregular cycle as can breastfeeding women. If a woman was on birth control pills and then discontinued them, she will often have irregularities in their cycle.
If you are commonly irregular, you needn’t believe you’re pregnant every time your cycle gets long. Wait until it is longer than 35 days in length before checking a pregnancy test. If you have a long menstrual cycle and are interested in getting pregnant, you may want to consider an all natural formula called Bringforth Life. It is a 100% natural, safe and effective formula for fertility and conception. Click here to read more about it. You can also participate in basal body temperature evaluations to give you the best time for you to ovulate and get pregnant. Examine your cervical mucus to see if it is clear and stringy—another sign of ovulation. Ovulation predictor kits can help you determine when you are likely to get pregnant.
Obesity is likely to be a cause of a long menstrual period because fat produces female hormones and prolongs their effect on the length of the cycle. Weight loss often shortens the menstrual cycle and makes it more regular. On the other hand, exercising too much or being too thin can interfere with ovulation and can cause long menstrual cycles. Cutting back on exercise can help normalize the periods.
If you’re looking for a natural nemedy for long menstrual cycle, then check out Mens-Reduce. Mens-Reduce support healthy menstruation & maintain normal menstrual flow. Not only does it balance your hormones – which can have a significant effect on your menstrual cycle, but it also assissts the womans body in maintaining a regular menstrual cycle with normal menstrual flow. Read more here.
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