Some women's menstrual cycle is precise every month. Others have a sporadic cycle that comes and goes without warning. This can be difficult to plan for, making a woman insecure about indulging in activities like swimming and sports. Even going to bed without protection can be risky. You can learn to predict the coming of your menstrual cycle without a calendar. Reading the signs of your body provides some indication.
Pain and Mood Changes
A telltale sign of menstruation is pain. Some women experience abdominal cramping, while others have lower back discomfort prior to their menstrual cycle. In addition, swollen breasts can cause discomfort around a cycle. Some women also notice mood changes like irritability or sadness. Extreme changes in mood might be a symptom of PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), a disorder characterized by anger, sadness, anxiousness, fatigue and headache pain or pain in the muscles and joints. Difficulty sleeping and strong cravings can also occur with PMDD. All of these symptoms may arrive 10 to 14 days before your period and decrease upon menstruation.
Body Temperature
Basal body temperature is your morning temperature. To help identify the start of your period, a true reading can be taken before rising from bed, eating or drinking. A basal thermometer can spot slight changes in your temperature and will help you pinpoint your period due to changes that occur with hormone fluctuations. An elevated temperature (0.2 degrees C higher than a typical reading) occurs after ovulation and remains elevated until your next menstrual period. This method of tracking menstruation is tricky, as slight changes in your sleep schedule, prescription drugs or illness can alter temperature. In addition, the reading should be taken at the same time each morning, making Saturday sleep-ins a struggle. If you do decide to use this method, keep a log of your normal temperatures and note the changes with menstruation. You may begin to see a pattern.
Discharge
Changes occur in a woman's mucus at her most fertile time, just before menstruation. Mucus becomes slippery, clear and stringy to accommodate the sperm that travels through a woman's body in search of an egg to fertilize. When ovulation ends, the mucus becomes milky and thick. Some women have a visible discharge, while others will need to search her vaginal opening for clues. This sign may be the simplest in distinguishing your menstrual cycle. Vaginal infections can alter the mucus, however.
