Especially for those who are not on hormonal birth control, how does your cycle affect you, your mood, what you feel like doing/eating, how you see your life, sex drive, who your attracted to, etc? Basically any observations welcome. & if you change a lot through your cycle, do you shape your plans/schedule around it?
How do you change throughout your menstrual cycle?
r/AskWomen
Comments
i’m also curious about this because i don’t experience the physical or emotional changes that everyone talks about.
all i’ve noticed is that i’m more irritable right before and during the initial stages of my period.
I usually get pms symptoms before my period. Really depends but usually a week before. Most common thing so that I feel ugly and gross. I get tender breasts and very moody and teary. If it’s really bad I’ll start crying non stop. I also get l lower back pains sometimes. Once my period hit, my emotional problems magically disappear and I feel more normal. I still have cramps and low energy. Also I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO APPETITE on my period and I sleep longer hours. Once I’m done with my period, I have more energy, I sleep less and I eat a lot more. I’m happier and more smiley and have lots of energy. I’m also hornier and hornier and hornier and then I realise I’m ovulating. Also for some odd reason I think my ass gets bigger when I’m ovulating. And I generally feel confident and hot. I do want to say that my hormonal changes are pretty sudden. I can wake the next day and feel like shit.
[removed]
Week after period- happy, excited for life, energetic, can sleep well.
2 weeks after- get more contemplative, sleep is still fine, active but not energetic
3 weeks- pre period cramps begin, hungry, tired, can’t sleep, weird dreams, irritable, cry at everything
Period week- pain, crying, bad sleep, bloating, hungry, tired, backaches, depressed
I mean a lot! I think of the parts of my cycle like the seasons of the year.
In menstruation, I usually have less energy and am trying to conserve energy. My mood fluctuates a lot. This is my winter.
In follicular, I’m starting to get more energy and my appetite increases a lot. My mood improves and is more stable. This is my spring.
In ovulation, I have most of my energy (surprise). I like to go out and socialise and push myself when working out. Appetite is healthy and libido is high. This is my summer.
In luteal, my energy starts to decrease and appetite is not as strong. I start to want to try and rest a bit more and I’m not as sociable. My mood can dip but is generally quite good. This is my autumn.
I started tracking my mood for 6 months and after 15 years of being on my period..I have discovered I get very angry, hungry, sensitive, and achy 10-13 days before my period lol I had no idea my period pattern was so consistent
I usually realize I am often on my nerves during pms. Even more than when I actually have menstruations. I also become overly sensitive and I can have quite big mood swings.
While during the follicular phase I am usually high on energy and feel more confident and positive.
The rest is more or less the same, with exception for arousal: when I ovulate I am quite horny, logically. But one or two days right before menstruation I get super horny and it still doesn’t make any sense to me hahah.
I’m grouchy from ovulation to the bleeding time. Right around ovulation, I could get pretty horny, but not always. From the middle of the week of bleeding to the next ovulation, I would feel level and even and happy.
It doesn’t change my food habits any more, it used to. I’m definitely more depressed while menstruating, and then much happier when ovulating. Sex drive is practically none existent until I get to about 3 days out from ovulating and then practically everyone is attractive, the simplest of things turn me on…and oh my god, the fantasies. I cannot concentrate. I’d almost go as far as saying I’m hypersexual.
One day before my period starts I get iritated by everything. Last time, I told my mom to stop dragging her feet because the sound was driving me insane 😅
Up to 10 days before my period I am irritable, extremely moody, I always need to warn my boyfriend that I’m PMSing so he can be more understanding. Something that would just annoy me a little bit normally, will get me absolutely FUMING. But I’ve in my 28 years gotten pretty good at noticing when I’m being unreasonable. I get bad cramps, bloating, titties ache, I get anxious (more than normal), and I am very low energy. The few days before I can eat my body weight my appetite gets so big, I can always sleep much more if allowed, and I’m overall pretty miserable and depressed. It’s a good time to watch sad movies because I’ll get so much more emotional. Sometimes I’ll get horny the day or so before the period as well.
Around ovulation I tend to get a higher sex drive and I’m much happier.
[removed]
The week before if I’m moody cow it’s my husband knows before me….and happily states “your moons are on the way” and he’s always correct. I’m a pure torture have my husband tortured being a hornball all month long but don’t enjoy it on time of the month.
Each month the pms symptoms are different, some months my stomach swells. Or I CRAVE chocolate. Or I’m gurny and emotional. Or I’m cross at every little thing. I hate that feeling the most. Oddly some months I’m a delight with no sign lol.
My PMS is textbook. I wake up, I HATE life. Why is this happening to me, I want to die. Then during period I am horny but also angry, give me whatever food I crave or I will be mad. Lots of tea. More of it. Rest of it is pretty easy but periods are the lowest time I get. I just ride it out with painkillers and actually trying to get physical activity, such as walking or, if possible, doing more manual labour at work, as it helps a lot. Other weeks are happier so it’s just normal.
Honestly I don’t have any symptoms or changes. I am in my mid 40s so I am eagerly awaiting perimenopause but so far nope, blood keeps showing up when the app says it should and being normal.
And the app is the only way I know when it’s coming. I know what period cramps are like, I had them very occasionally when I was much younger, but yeah, without the app I would be surprised by the blood every month.
App says it’ll probably be here Friday and we’re going to a concert so I might wear my black pants to the concert just in case so any pad accidents or overflow won’t show.
Also I don’t like sex during the bleeding because messy and weird. Think I did it a few times when we were very young and long distance and only saw each other one weekend a month, but now? Nope.
A lot. But I go with the flow. Or lack of.
Right before I get my period:
Slight headache night before.
During my period:
Best sleep of my life. Heavy first two days. Low energy. Hard to get much done.
Period ends to Ovulation:
Motivated. Feeling good. Eating well. Staying on schedule with life.
One week before period (to the day)
Look out I’m on a rampage and can easily go off the handle. Just one day, but OMG.
Right after that:
PMS eating and craving things I do not need to have like snacks, ice cream, soda
Also, super organized and peak mental status. This is the week to get shit done that needs a lot of attention.
Then we start over at the top. Every single month. I’m in Peri right now and my cycle is only 23 days but it still follows the same schedule
Not much tbh. I only get more emotional (sad/prone to crying) right before my period
I try to prepare, yeah. Of I know I’m about to start I try to not do anything during then. And I don’t take anything for birth control.
Two days before my period starts is the absolute worst day for me emotionally. I’m throwing stuff and crying. Just about the only time I cry. I also get extremely fat.
One day before my period, I’m in bed all day extremely tired. I could sleep 20 hours, even nodding off as I’m standing.
The day my period starts is when the cramps kick in and the headaches. I feel it in my lower stomach and all of my muscles are very sore. I also get bad diarrhea during my period without fail. I’m afraid to go out of the home sometimes afraid I won’t make it.
Once my period is finally over, it’s important to take iron supplements from the blood loss. I get restless leg syndrome due to the lack of iron I’ve lost.
About a week after my period is over, I can feel so good that I question if I’m mentally stable. It can be harder to get to sleep, yet I feel it’s easier to pay attention and I’m overall smarter, and I’m extremely horny. This is about the only time throughout my cycle that I actually want to have sex for myself, rather than just to please my husband.
This sort of dies down after a few days and I feel just level with no symptoms for a week or so, before it starts again.
About 3-5 days prior to menstruation I get super sensitive and my mood dips quite a bit. I’m a big crier lol. Food cravings too, sometimes. When I’m actually bleeding, my mood will typically stabilize and the food cravings will cease, but my energy is completely drained and I just want to sleep. Follicular phase is pretty much normal; increased energy, mood, balanced eating. Ovulation horniness cannot be understated 😂. I typically feel and look my best during this phase – very optimistic, able to extend more grace to others, my energy shines much brighter. Luteal phase things start to dim again, I start to get more irritated…then (start from the top).
I don’t really experience PMS (at least not to the extent that people describe it).
In terms of horniness, as a young person I am pretty much aroused every day but it gets stronger DURING my period. Not sure why, it’s kind of weird.
I’ve been blessed with cycles that aren’t terrible: 32 days, very regular, 2 days of heavy flow, 2 days of medium flow, 1 day of buffer (I wear a cup so I’m not sure how much exactly comes out during that last day)
My biggest complaint would be that my vulva gets extremely sore during my period (especially the heavy flow days). Sometimes the pain is so bad it gives me headaches (or it might be caused by the period).
Never been on birth control
I get super horny when I ovulate. Other than that nothing really changes.
Maybe some months I’ll cry for sad songs easier if I’m alone, or maybe I’ll be more irritable the day before it starts… Other than that it’s pretty normal.
After my period, I usually feel extra energetic. During ovulation, my libido spikes.( and the medication I’m on actually intensifies that 🤷🏻♀️) The week before my period, I tend to get irritable and angry. I don’t typically feel sad without a reason, but when I do, it hits harder than usual. I’m usually relieved when my period starts. It’s short and light (I have a Mirena) and my biggest issue tends to be feeling like a balloon animal from the bloating.
I’m 27 and I’ve been blessed with a period that doesn’t really affect me or my life but I noticed that I do get irritated a little quicker and want chocolate when my period is on