I just listened to a great podcast about this! Inner Rhythms podcast by @cycleseeds on IG who is neurodivergent / ADHD! She shares some great insights about ND pregnancy and birth too!
Yes! Same! App data can be sold, subpoenaed, or hacked. Do you want the creepy preggo-kink fascists to know if your cycle is good for using you as an incubator like that tragic dead woman they’re using right now?
If someone in the US wants to track cycles, just start tracking your morning temp on paper. It’s really not so hard at all as long as you remember to track your temp. It’s less convenient than an app but the world is crazy right now.
exactly! I wasn’t even sure if I should post this comment, but shit is so real for folks living in red states and we should really take any and all precautions to protect ourselves. that poor woman they’re keeping alive for a fetus against her family’s wishes, the women being prosecuted for miscarriages; it isn’t at all far-fetched that they would use something like a period tracker against someone who was being accused of having an “illegal” abortion done, etc.
I use clue which although keeps asking you to update to paid subscription nowadays is quite good and appears to be based in germany, emphasising data privacy. would that be any help to those in USA? so sorry to hear what people are going through there
while that sounds like a better option than some of the apps created by US tech companies I personally still wouldn’t risk it and would go classic pen n paper~ I do understand that that isn’t realistic for some folks due to time/ability/spoons though, so having an alternative is important!
I’m with you on this, storing cycle data that can be used for harm vs writing on a physical calendar is a no brainer. Sometimes a little convenience isn’t worth it.
Agreed, and can also report that if you start with the first day of your period and take notes each day for a cycle or two you'll pretty quickly notice how you feel in each phase. The tells are there! Recommended resource: "Period Queen" by Lucy Peach.
I live in the USA and love my period app. Any country, anyone using online data can be hacked. The benefits, IMO, far outweigh the cons. And as a mom who has girls all under the same roof, the tracking app has been a household mental lifesaver.
I also learnt that this whole cycle can be flipped if you have endometriosis! For me, ovulation caused the biggest crash until I got my hormones working! Not many people know this (and took me 32 years to figure out 🙄)
Oh I was the same as you!! I'm on a lot of supplements and it's specific to each person so you need a good provider to help but Vitex, NAC, and olive leaf extract have really made a difference! But also cutting coffee back and minimising gluten help me
Now this is interesting! I suspect there's something wrong with body in a holistic sense, and follicular/ovulation makes me want to die. Luteal is lucky dip month on month, no idea how it'll go. And my period is the easiest week of all, emotionally speaking.
Happens to me also, I don’t have endo or anything else and i also have a very easy period. But im super sensitive to any big swings in hormones, so ovulation is when I feel my most horrible.
PCOS makes this extra frustrating, especially when TTC. You try for years to figure out how to get your body doing what it should again. I've tried every supplement studied for multiple months at a time. I already eat extremely healthy (never ultra-processed, very Mediterranean diet, appropriate calorie intake).
It's taken years to find out that for me specifically, it's 3-4 cups spearmint tea a day & maitake extract. But even that alone won't help unless I'm also weightlifting 2-3x a week and getting 7 hours of sleep every night. If I don't do all these things, I will gain weight and lose my cycle completely. Even these things don't always work though & it's hard to tell why, since there are so many variables. It feels like my body is extra sensitive & takes it out on my reproductive system.
It's terrible to go to multiple doctors and find none can/will help. I especially expected more from the fertility doctors who specialize in hormones. They told me I have high androgens, to "lose weight," and that was it (easier said than done when you don't know what's going on).
You‘re not alone Ariel! I have the same story and totally feel you! Our advantage is that we definitely learn how to listen to our bodies in a way other women probably never will 💪🏼
That's true! I never thought about my cycle much until my PCOS got really bad. It's empowering when I can figure it out, but extra helpless when I can't.
Also…women need 2x the recommended daily intake of Iron during menstrual years, hence dark chocolate craving….it's what the body needs…as well as spinach, some red meat….
Thank you for this - I wish I had all this knowledge when I was younger! I live with PMDD and every month I step into the unknown, mindfulness + tracking via app has been massively helpful as I continue to befriend my mind & body.
The note about seeking help if your periods are regularly painful or heavy is so important. We're taught to expect pain with our periods from such a young age that we don't question it. It wasn't until I got an IUD and my periods stopped that I realised how debilitating my period pain had actually been, because I could control it "well enough" with high doses of painkillers. I wish I had gone to a doctor about it earlier! If you deal with period pain and you're wondering whether you should talk to a medical professional about it, take this as your sign to do it! Ditto with pain when ovulating.
I began studying the menstrual cycle a few years ago, and it has changed my life! I started making small changes to my nutrition and work outs and periods are barely painful now. It’s mind-boggling and has helped me have so much more grace with myself throughout the different phases!
Do you have any advice or information for women who don't have their period? I've had hypothalamic amenorrhea for 8+ years and I'm trying to get my cycle. I had a period once when I was 15 and hadn't had another one since.
Great post, thank you. I definitely need to start a journal for this, so I don't briefly panic that I've lost my mind at the same time every single month.
great article! but i’ve a question, what is actually happening when you always have your period a week earlier than it supposed to be. for example, last month i had my period on the 23rd, but for this month i got it around 16-17th. is something wrong with the cycle?
Great post! Also - if you have ADHD, your symptoms may increase in your luteal phase. Estrogen drop = dopamine drop!
Oh my god, thank you for this. This makes so much sense 🥲
all the dots connected when i found out and i'm like WHY ISN'T THIS TALKED ABOUT MORE??
Honestly I know I should be more connected with my body but there's just SO MUCH going on in there
an enigma wrapped in a mystery
I just listened to a great podcast about this! Inner Rhythms podcast by @cycleseeds on IG who is neurodivergent / ADHD! She shares some great insights about ND pregnancy and birth too!
Sweet mother of applesauce how have I never noticed this?!
Maybe it's because I'm too busy being suicidally depressed 😂🫠
Oh my god this makes so much sense rn thank youu
Thank you for enlightening me more about women. As a family man with 5 of them in his life !
I see that you are not in the US, but with the current state of affairs I wouldn’t recommend tracking apps to folks who menstruate in the US.
Yes! Same! App data can be sold, subpoenaed, or hacked. Do you want the creepy preggo-kink fascists to know if your cycle is good for using you as an incubator like that tragic dead woman they’re using right now?
If someone in the US wants to track cycles, just start tracking your morning temp on paper. It’s really not so hard at all as long as you remember to track your temp. It’s less convenient than an app but the world is crazy right now.
exactly! I wasn’t even sure if I should post this comment, but shit is so real for folks living in red states and we should really take any and all precautions to protect ourselves. that poor woman they’re keeping alive for a fetus against her family’s wishes, the women being prosecuted for miscarriages; it isn’t at all far-fetched that they would use something like a period tracker against someone who was being accused of having an “illegal” abortion done, etc.
I use clue which although keeps asking you to update to paid subscription nowadays is quite good and appears to be based in germany, emphasising data privacy. would that be any help to those in USA? so sorry to hear what people are going through there
while that sounds like a better option than some of the apps created by US tech companies I personally still wouldn’t risk it and would go classic pen n paper~ I do understand that that isn’t realistic for some folks due to time/ability/spoons though, so having an alternative is important!
I’m with you on this, storing cycle data that can be used for harm vs writing on a physical calendar is a no brainer. Sometimes a little convenience isn’t worth it.
Was coming here to say this!
Agreed, and can also report that if you start with the first day of your period and take notes each day for a cycle or two you'll pretty quickly notice how you feel in each phase. The tells are there! Recommended resource: "Period Queen" by Lucy Peach.
The Stardust app is the best! Created by women (most apps are started by men which is wild to me) and they keep our data safe ✨
I live in the USA and love my period app. Any country, anyone using online data can be hacked. The benefits, IMO, far outweigh the cons. And as a mom who has girls all under the same roof, the tracking app has been a household mental lifesaver.
when the con is being incarcerated for having a miscarriage or abortion I’ll have to agree to disagree.
I also learnt that this whole cycle can be flipped if you have endometriosis! For me, ovulation caused the biggest crash until I got my hormones working! Not many people know this (and took me 32 years to figure out 🙄)
I need to hear more about this!! I have it (apparently) and the 2 weeks of “PMS” are hell on earth - bloating especially - I am so fed up
Oh I was the same as you!! I'm on a lot of supplements and it's specific to each person so you need a good provider to help but Vitex, NAC, and olive leaf extract have really made a difference! But also cutting coffee back and minimising gluten help me
Good to know, thanks so much!!
Now this is interesting! I suspect there's something wrong with body in a holistic sense, and follicular/ovulation makes me want to die. Luteal is lucky dip month on month, no idea how it'll go. And my period is the easiest week of all, emotionally speaking.
Happens to me also, I don’t have endo or anything else and i also have a very easy period. But im super sensitive to any big swings in hormones, so ovulation is when I feel my most horrible.
PCOS makes this extra frustrating, especially when TTC. You try for years to figure out how to get your body doing what it should again. I've tried every supplement studied for multiple months at a time. I already eat extremely healthy (never ultra-processed, very Mediterranean diet, appropriate calorie intake).
It's taken years to find out that for me specifically, it's 3-4 cups spearmint tea a day & maitake extract. But even that alone won't help unless I'm also weightlifting 2-3x a week and getting 7 hours of sleep every night. If I don't do all these things, I will gain weight and lose my cycle completely. Even these things don't always work though & it's hard to tell why, since there are so many variables. It feels like my body is extra sensitive & takes it out on my reproductive system.
It's terrible to go to multiple doctors and find none can/will help. I especially expected more from the fertility doctors who specialize in hormones. They told me I have high androgens, to "lose weight," and that was it (easier said than done when you don't know what's going on).
You‘re not alone Ariel! I have the same story and totally feel you! Our advantage is that we definitely learn how to listen to our bodies in a way other women probably never will 💪🏼
That's true! I never thought about my cycle much until my PCOS got really bad. It's empowering when I can figure it out, but extra helpless when I can't.
Also…women need 2x the recommended daily intake of Iron during menstrual years, hence dark chocolate craving….it's what the body needs…as well as spinach, some red meat….
I remember reading dark chocolate is a good source of magnesium and this makes a lot of sense as magnesium helps with pms symptoms!
Thank you for this - I wish I had all this knowledge when I was younger! I live with PMDD and every month I step into the unknown, mindfulness + tracking via app has been massively helpful as I continue to befriend my mind & body.
The note about seeking help if your periods are regularly painful or heavy is so important. We're taught to expect pain with our periods from such a young age that we don't question it. It wasn't until I got an IUD and my periods stopped that I realised how debilitating my period pain had actually been, because I could control it "well enough" with high doses of painkillers. I wish I had gone to a doctor about it earlier! If you deal with period pain and you're wondering whether you should talk to a medical professional about it, take this as your sign to do it! Ditto with pain when ovulating.
I began studying the menstrual cycle a few years ago, and it has changed my life! I started making small changes to my nutrition and work outs and periods are barely painful now. It’s mind-boggling and has helped me have so much more grace with myself throughout the different phases!
I love this! Learning about the menstrual cycle phases changed so much for me. It was a lightbulb moment!
I recently wrote a post about the way we talk about the cycle phases - maybe the next step in this conversation!
https://open.substack.com/pub/miranda26/p/sorry-for-what-i-said-when-i-was?r=56gjer&utm_medium=ios
Hi! What app do you use to track your cycle? Ty!!
I use stardust! It’s amazing - & women owned!
Yes love Stardust too!
I’ve been using Flo for years (mainly cause it’s free lol), they don’t bother me with promotion and it’s just one button which I love!
Great article!
Do you have any advice or information for women who don't have their period? I've had hypothalamic amenorrhea for 8+ years and I'm trying to get my cycle. I had a period once when I was 15 and hadn't had another one since.
This is so good! Sent to my girls. Thanks for taking the time to write all this!
Great post, thank you. I definitely need to start a journal for this, so I don't briefly panic that I've lost my mind at the same time every single month.
Journaling in general but especially for your cycle is such a good idea! (I still need to get myself to go and actually do it :/)
great article! but i’ve a question, what is actually happening when you always have your period a week earlier than it supposed to be. for example, last month i had my period on the 23rd, but for this month i got it around 16-17th. is something wrong with the cycle?
Thank you for this informative post!