Menstrual cycle phases explained: what happens each week
Your menstrual cycle isn't just your period.
It's a hormonal rhythm your body moves through every month. These shifts influence your energy, mood, focus, appetite, sleep, and physical symptoms.
Understanding the phases of your cycle can help you:
- Make sense of changing symptoms
- Stop expecting your body to feel the same every day
- Feel less confused by mood or energy fluctuations
- Recognise patterns instead of reacting to isolated symptoms
If you've ever found yourself asking whether something is "normal," starting with understanding what's normal for your period can make the rest of your cycle easier to interpret.
Cycle-aware tools like Rhyva are built around this phase-based understanding, helping you see how symptoms connect to timing across your whole cycle.
The four phases of the menstrual cycle
Most menstrual cycles move through four distinct phases:
- Menstrual phase
- Follicular phase
- Ovulation
- Luteal phase
Each phase has its own hormonal patterns and its own physical and emotional shifts.
1. Menstrual Phase (Your Period)
When it happens: Day 1 of bleeding
Hormones: Oestrogen and progesterone are low
This is the start of a new cycle. The uterine lining sheds, and hormone levels reset.
You might notice:
- Lower energy
- Cramping
- Headaches
- Emotional sensitivity
- A desire to rest
Lower hormone levels can influence mood, pain sensitivity, and fatigue.
If bleeding feels unusually heavy, light, or unpredictable, or includes mid-cycle spotting, it can help to review spotting between periods or step back and revisit what's normal for your period.
If cramps feel intense, it's also worth knowing that discomfort can occur even when scans are normal, which is explored further in painful periods despite normal scans.
2. Follicular Phase
When it happens: After your period until ovulation
Hormones: Oestrogen rises gradually
During this phase, your body prepares to release an egg. As oestrogen rises, many people experience increased clarity and motivation.
You might notice:
- Clearer thinking
- More stable mood
- Higher motivation
- Rising energy
This phase often feels lighter or more productive.
If this part of your cycle feels unusually short or long, timing changes may reflect broader shifts such as irregular periods, especially if patterns repeat over time.
For a closer look at why energy, focus, and motivation shift during this phase, see follicular phase energy explained.
3. Ovulation
When it happens: Around the middle of your cycle
Hormones: Oestrogen peaks, luteinising hormone surges
Ovulation is when an egg is released.
You might notice:
- Increased confidence
- Higher social energy
- Subtle pelvic sensations
- Clear cervical discharge
Ovulation timing directly determines when your next period arrives.
If ovulation happens later than usual, you may start wondering why your period might be late. If it happens earlier, you may notice that your cycle shortens and question why it arrived sooner than expected. Understanding ovulation timing is key to understanding your entire cycle.
4. Luteal Phase
When it happens: After ovulation until your period starts
Hormones: Progesterone rises
This is the phase most commonly associated with PMS.
You might notice:
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Breast tenderness
- Mood shifts
- Headaches
- Increased emotional sensitivity
Progesterone can mimic early pregnancy symptoms, which is why many people experience period symptoms when they're not pregnant.
It's also common for pain sensitivity to increase during this phase. If cramps feel disproportionate or confusing, it may help to understand how painful periods despite normal scans can occur due to hormonal and nervous system factors.
For a deeper look at what happens during this phase and why PMS symptoms occur, see luteal phase symptoms explained.
Why symptoms change throughout the month
Hormones fluctuate continuously. These changes influence:
- Nervous system sensitivity
- Pain perception
- Emotional regulation
- Energy metabolism
- Sleep quality
This is why your body can feel completely different from one week to the next.
Expecting stability every day often leads to frustration. Recognising cyclical patterns creates clarity instead.
When phases don't feel predictable
Sometimes cycles don't follow a neat pattern.
If timing shifts frequently, or phases feel inconsistent, this may relate to:
- Stress
- Lifestyle changes
- Hormonal variability
- Broader irregular periods
If delays happen repeatedly, you may also relate to questions around why your period might be late.
Patterns over time matter more than one month.
Looking at your cycle as a rhythm
The menstrual cycle isn't something to fix — it's something to understand.
When you track:
- Timing
- Energy
- Mood
- Physical symptoms
patterns begin to emerge.
This is the philosophy behind Rhyva — helping you see your cycle as a rhythm rather than a series of unrelated problems.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a normal menstrual cycle?
A typical cycle ranges from about 21 to 35 days, though variation from month to month is common.
Do all women experience the same symptoms in each phase?
No. Symptoms vary significantly from person to person and can change over time.
Is it normal to feel very different across the month?
Yes. Hormonal shifts influence mood, focus, energy, and physical sensations throughout the cycle.
What if my cycle phases don't feel predictable?
Occasional variability is common. Ongoing unpredictability may be linked to irregular cycle patterns.