Decoding Your Cycle: What Your Hormones Are Saying
I think for most of us, our relationship with our menstrual cycle started off on the wrong foot.
I still remember that middle school “health class” — the grainy VHS video explaining what a period is, what products to use, and how to handle “that time of the month.” But no one ever explained why it happens or how deeply connected it is to our overall health.
Many of us were put on birth control to “regulate” things, told that cramps, PMS, and mood swings were normal, and never taught that our cycles are actually one of the clearest reflections of what’s happening inside our bodies.
Your body was designed with rhythm and wisdom. Every phase tells a story.
And when something’s off, your cycle is often the first place it shows up — and when healing begins, it’s one of the first places you’ll see progress.
What “Normal” Really Means
Most of us were told that a normal cycle is 28 days and ovulation happens on day 14.
But here’s the truth: there are exactly zero women who have 28-day cycles their entire reproductive lives.
Fluctuation is normal — it’s part of being female.
Back in 1967, Alan Treloar and colleagues published a landmark 30-year study in the International Journal of Fertility. They followed more than 2,700 women and found that cycles naturally change as we move through life — long and irregular in the early years, steady through our middle years, and more variable again as we approach perimenopause.
So “normal” isn’t one number; it’s a range.
I’ve seen women with unhealthy 28-day cycles — painful, heavy, and missing ovulation — and women with beautiful, healthy 33-day cycles. It’s not about perfection. It’s about patterns.
A normal cycle ranges from 24–35 days, averaging around 29.
A few days of variation month-to-month is perfectly fine. Your body isn’t failing — it’s responding.
When cycles regularly fall outside that range or fluctuate by more than 8 days every month, that’s when we start looking deeper.
But a one-off “weird” cycle after stress, illness, or travel? That’s just your body adapting.
And one key truth most women don’t realize: when your period is “late,” it’s usually because ovulation was delayed, not because your body forgot what day it is.
Why Stress and Life Shifts Matter
Your brain and ovaries are in constant communication through hormones like LH, FSH, and GnRH.
When stress levels rise, that communication gets interrupted.
It’s your body’s way of protecting you.
If your brain senses that life is too stressful, it’ll delay ovulation — because it doesn’t feel safe to sustain a pregnancy right now.
I see this all the time in women trying to conceive. They’re doing everything right — eating clean, tracking temps, taking supplements — and suddenly their cycle lengthens. They panic, thinking something’s wrong, but it’s not failure. It’s protection.
Your menstrual cycle is one of your body’s most reliable stress indicators.
If you start paying attention to it, it’ll tell you more about your health than any fitness tracker ever could.
When Your Cycle Points to a Deeper Issue
Sometimes, consistent irregularity points to an underlying issue that needs attention — and your cycle gives clues about what that might be.
Thyroid disorders can cause heavier or longer cycles when thyroid hormones are low, or shorter and lighter cycles when they’re high.
If you suspect thyroid issues, ask for a full panel — Free T3, Free T4, and antibodies — not just TSH.
PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is often a communication problem between your brain and ovaries. Ovulation becomes inconsistent, cycles stretch past 40 days, and other signs like acne, hair growth, or blood-sugar swings appear.
Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA) is your body’s stress response. When you’re under-eating, over-exercising, or constantly pushing, your body shuts down reproduction to conserve energy.
Healing from HA isn’t about more restriction — it’s about nourishment, rest, and rebuilding trust with your body.
The Four Phases of Your Cycle
- Menstrual Phase (Winter Reset)
Your hormones drop, energy dips, and your body releases the uterine lining. You’re not lazy — you’re detoxing and rebuilding.
Support this phase: rest, warm foods, magnesium, and reflection.
- Follicular Phase (Spring Renewal)
Estrogen rises, energy lifts, and creativity blooms.
Support this phase: fresh foods, movement, and planning.
- Ovulation (Summer Overflow)
This is your high-energy phase — estrogen peaks, testosterone boosts confidence, and communication flows.
Support this phase: lighter meals, hydration, collaboration, connection.
- Luteal Phase (Autumn Reflection)
Progesterone rises, inviting calm and reflection.
Support this phase: grounding foods, gentle exercise, finishing projects, and preparing for rest.
Cycle Tracking: Your Built-In Healing Data
Tracking your cycle is one of the most powerful ways to partner with your body.
Write down your period dates, energy, mood, and sleep. Over time, patterns will emerge — stress before ovulation, inflammation that causes heavier bleeds, or poor sleep that shortens your luteal phase.
For women in perimenopause, tracking helps you see whether you’re still ovulating and how to best support your changing hormones.
Your body is brilliant. You just have to give it a voice.
God created women to be cyclical on purpose.
Our shifting hormones aren’t flaws — they’re features.
Each phase reflects His design: renewal, growth, fruitfulness, and rest.
As Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To everything there is a season.”
Your cycle is one of those seasons.
When you honor that rhythm, you align with His design — and that’s where healing begins.
If this resonates with you, here are a few ways to connect:
- Join Our Faith Over Pharma Community: Find hope, healing and encouragement on Substack – where faith meets holistic wellness and women rediscover the way God designed their bodies to thrive.
- Tune Into the Faith Over Pharma Podcast: Listen to real stories and faith-filled conversations that challenge the mainstream narrative and empower you to heal naturally – body, mind, and spirit.
- Work With Me: Get personalized support to restore your hormones, balance your energy, and rebuild your health from the inside out – the way God intended.
