Did you know that you can have a menstrual-like bleed; without ovulation thus, not making it an actual period? This is called an anovulatory cycle. It is defined as a menstrual cycle in which ovulation did not occur, and progesterone was not made. If you did not know this, progesterone is in the second part of our cycle called the luteal phase (Briden, 15). After you ovulate you have a new dominate hormone called progesterone which helps keep the lining of your uterus in tact just in case that egg were to become fertilised. However, when you don't ovulate that hormone is never made so there is no need for the endometrium (the wall of the uterus) to thicken! Then you might still get a bleed that really wasn't an actual period.
What can cause an anovulatory cycle? They happen due to imbalance in hormones which are fairly common in women now a days. Below are a few of the listed causes for an anovulatory cycle by Natural Cycles:
Severe changes to diet or exercise
Prolonged Stress
Disruption in Routine
Medical conditions such as PCOS or Endometriosis
Menopause
Now, you are probably asking, how are you suppose to know if you had a anovulatory cycle especially if you are still bleeding? This typically will come down to going to a doctor and having ultrasounds that will be able to look at the follicles, the uterine lining, corpus lute formation, and obviously, ovulation. You may also be able to have blood tests done to see the development of hormones throughout your cycle (Flo Health). Another way is if you chart your cycle, it may be hard to tell what is exactly going on if you have just started doing this and are getting the hang of things. But there are instructors that are able to interpret your charts and will be able to tell you exactly whether or not you had an anovulatory cycle.
I have actually had anovulatory cycles: the first was when I came off birth control. This is extremely common as most of us have been on birth control for years which shut down our brain, reproductive organs, and our endocrine system. So when we finally come off of it, it is a huge adjustment and our bodies have to workout the kinks. For me, it took about 2 months to get a real menstrual cycle but I know for some that it can take anywhere between 2 months-12 months. I also had one back in July; I had begun working full-time at this health food store and didn't realise that I was allergic to majority of the products including most of the nuts and tree nuts. My body was constantly stressed and it took me ages to figure out why and during that cycle, I did not ovulate at all and I felt like absolute crap. Having an anovulatory cycle every once in a while is extremely common but not always normal and I would recommend talking to a healthcare professional about it especially if you can't think of anything that would cause you to not be ovulating.
Ovulation is great for our health, not just because we can get pregnant! But so that we are producing essential hormones for our health. For example, if you didn't ovulate you didn't produce progesterone which means that you are missing out on the benefits of balancing out your mood, metabolism, and benefiting the health of your bones (Briden, 16).
If you have had an anovulatory cycle, what did you do to deal with it? What helped?
Lots of love,
Moonli
Briden, Dr. L (2018) Period Repair Manual. Sydney, Australia: Macmillan.
https://www.naturalcycles.com/cyclematters/anovulatory-cycles-explained
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