The four phases of menstruation: What happens in the body?
Imagine that every month your body goes through a precise hormonal choreography. Hormones rise and fall. An egg matures. The lining of the uterus builds up. And if pregnancy doesn't occur, it starts all over again.
It's called the menstrual cycle – and it consists of four phases:
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Menstruation
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Follicular phase
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Ovulation
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Luteal phase
In this article, we review what happens in the body during each phase, how they affect your mood and energy – and why understanding cycles is key to understanding yourself.
An average cycle lasts 28 days, but anything between 21–35 days can be perfectly normal. Below is a brief overview of the 4 phases of the cycle with approximate indications of typical days. The only way you can really find out when exactly you ovulate is by using biometric markers such as temperature, cervix and your vaginal discharge.
| Phase | Typical day | What's happening? |
|---|---|---|
| Menstruation | Day 1–5 | The uterine lining is expelled |
| Follicular phase | Day 1–14 | Eggs mature, estrogen rises |
| Ovulation | Approximately day 14 | Eggs are released |
| Luteal phase | Day 15–28 | Progesterone increases |
Everyone, everyone, everyone should have access to the knowledge you gain from this article, both women and men (if you're a man, read here how to support your girlfriend through her cycle ), menstruating or not. It should be on the school schedule.
What happens in a menstruating woman's body is deeply fascinating, it affects both the menstruating woman herself, those they have close relationships with and live with, and if you have just a little insight into this part of the body, there is also a huge power in the cyclical body, because it naturally invites both rest and full power. Something we all benefit from complying with. 
Phase 1: Menstruation
also called 'the inner winter'
So we are starting a new cycle.
Menstruation begins because the levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone fall . The body has built up the uterine lining during the previous cycle to be able to carry a pregnancy. When fertilization has not occurred, the body registers this – and the lining begins to be shed.
This is what we call menstruation.
Along with the lining, the unfertilized egg and a small amount of blood are expelled. Normal bleeding is typically 30–60 ml of blood in total throughout the entire menstrual period – although it can often feel like much more.
👉 64% of 2,525 respondents experience a decidedly better period with our menstrual panties - should you try it?
Bleeding can start as light spotting or as a heavier first day. This varies from person to person. Most people bleed for an average of 4–5 days , but anything from 3–7 days can be perfectly normal. Often the first few days are heavier, with days four and five easing off.
The color is typically fresh red at the beginning and may darken towards the end.
During this phase, many also experience classic menstrual symptoms such as:
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Pain in the abdomen or lower back
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Looser stools or “menstrual belly”
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Fatigue
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Mood changes
When should you react?
If you bleed so heavily that you have to change your pad, tampon or panties every hour or every two hours, or if your period lasts more than 7–8 days, it may be a sign of heavy menstruation (menorrhagia) .
👉 Read more about heavy menstruation and when to react here.
And remember: Your cycle is individual. Variation is normal – but if something feels significantly different to you, it's always a good idea to talk to your doctor.
Phase 2: Follicular phase
– called 'the inner spring'
The follicular phase actually starts at the same time as your period (on day 1), but it is often only when the bleeding subsides that you really notice it.
Hormonally, something pretty crucial happens here: The pituitary gland in the brain starts releasing FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) . That hormone sets off a group of small egg sacs in the ovaries – the so-called follicles. Each follicle contains an immature egg, and now a little race begins: Several eggs start to mature, but usually only one dominant follicle continues all the way.
At the same time, estrogen levels begin to rise. What some call the Beyoncé hormone.
Estrogen has many functions in the body:
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It rebuilds the uterine lining after menstruation
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It affects the brain's neurotransmitters
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It can increase energy and mental clarity
For many, this phase feels like an “inner spring.” Energy increases. Surplus returns. You may feel like being social, starting new projects, or making plans.
But – and this is important – not everyone experiences a significant difference. For some, the shift is more subtle.
The follicular phase typically lasts until ovulation, which in an average 28-day cycle occurs around day 14. However, the length of the follicular phase varies – and it is this phase that most often explains why cycle length can fluctuate from month to month, because the time between ovulation itself and the first day of your bleeding is always the same for you.
It is during this phase that your body gets ready to release a mature egg.
Phase 3: Ovulation
– called 'the inner summer'
Now the follicular phase is culminating - you may have made a thousand plans, feeling on top of the world, but in a relatively few days it's all over, and you're on your way to the next phase. But let's stay in that lovely 'inner summer' for a little while longer:
When estrogen reaches a high enough level, the brain sends a new signal: a sudden increase in LH (luteinizing hormone) – also called an LH surge . This is the signal that causes the dominant follicle to rupture and release a mature egg from the ovary.
It's ovulation. Some people feel ovulation physically – for example, as a brief pain on one side of the abdomen (also called mittelschmerz ). For some, this pain is experienced quite intensely – especially after pregnancies.
👉 Are you experiencing ovulation pain? Read more in the article here.
The egg then travels into the fallopian tube, where it can be fertilized. The egg itself only lives for about 12–24 hours , but you are fertile in the days leading up to ovulation because sperm can survive in the body for up to 5 days. This is called the fertile window.
Hormonally, estrogen remains high around ovulation, and many experience:
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Increased self-confidence
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Greater social desire
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More energy
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Increased sex drive
Your discharge typically changes during this phase, becoming clearer and more stretchy – often compared to raw egg white. This is your body’s way of creating optimal conditions for fertilization.
For many, this phase feels like “inner summer” – bright, outgoing, and powerful. But again: The experience is individual.
Phase 4: Luteal phase
– called 'the inner autumn'
After ovulation, the body moves into the luteal phase.
The follicle that released the egg now transforms into what is called the corpus luteum . It begins to produce the hormone progesterone .
Progesterone has one main task:
To prepare the uterus to hold a fertilized egg and to hold the egg. So the body is still working on the possibility of pregnancy - even if it is not.
In this phase:
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Increases progesterone
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Body temperature increases slightly
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The body enters a more “calm” state
If the egg is not fertilized, the corpus luteum begins to break down about 12–14 days after ovulation. This causes progesterone and estrogen levels to drop sharply – and this drop in hormones is what triggers menstruation again.
This is also where many people experience PMS (premenstrual syndrome).
Typical symptoms in the luteal phase can be:
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Bloating
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Sore breasts
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Fatigue
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Changed appetite
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Sleep disorders
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Mood swings
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Increased tendency to be irritable or cry
For some, the symptoms are mild. For others, they can be significant and significantly affect everyday life. If the symptoms are very severe and psychologically distressing, it may be a sign of PMDD – a more serious variant of PMS.
The luteal phase feels like “inner autumn” to many. The energy turns more inward. All the agreements you made in the follicular phase can feel completely overwhelming. The nervous system is more sensitive. The body is preparing for either pregnancy – or to start over.
Phases of the menstrual cycle and mood
If you're lucky, you learned about the biological changes your body goes through during your cycle in school. You may have learned about the different phases, but your menstrual cycle doesn't just affect your uterus. It affects your whole body.
That's why we're now going into the details of your emotions and moods during your cycle, because they are largely influenced by your hormones. The hormonal fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone have a direct impact on neurotransmitters in the brain – including serotonin and dopamine – which regulate mood, energy, sleep and motivation.
For some, the differences are obvious. For others, the shifts are more subtle. Both are normal.
The descriptions of the cycle as four inner seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn, make a lot of sense figuratively, and it's a great way to understand how energy can move up and down through the month, and what you can imagine the body is calling for.
Here is a typical – but not universal – pattern:
❄️ Winter – menstruation
You're bleeding. Your hormone levels are low. Your body is really working.
Many experience:
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Fatigue
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Need for more sleep (especially because your sleep quality is typically affected and worse during your period )
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Less social desire
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For some "menstrual fog" or slower thought process - for others more clarity
It can feel like you want to go to sleep. And it makes sense. Estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest levels, and your body is using energy to shed the lining of your uterus. This is where slowing down can be a blessing, if you have the opportunity.
But there is also a power in menstruation. We heard the author Ayoe Westh behind the book Superkraft say at last year's Period Walk: "Bloody on it."
If you have difficult or big decisions to make in your life, you may experience a form of clairvoyance during your period, because it is also a 'wise woman' period, when you are not governed by your hormones to the same extent as the next phases. Lean into it - and you have the answer.
🌱 Spring – follicular phase
The bleeding subsides. Estrogen begins to rise again.
Many experience:
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Clearer head
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Increasing energy
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More initiative
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Greater social desire
It feels like the winter fog is lifting. Creativity and drive are returning. It can be a good time to start new projects or make decisions.
If you have tasks that have been difficult to solve, return to them in this phase, because your creativity in this phase may have a new angle or solution.
☀️ Summer – ovulation
Estrogen peaks and you are in your most fertile phase. The Beyoncé phase - total IDGAF energy, you may feel “on top of the world”. You are oozing with the love hormone which makes you see the world through slightly more rose-colored glasses:
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Increased self-confidence
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More outgoing energy
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Greater sex drive
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Easier to communicate
It's not a rule – but many find that this phase is their most social and active.
Maybe this is where you need to pitch a project or now you're negotiating that salary increase.
🍂 Autumn – luteal phase
Progesterone rises after ovulation. If pregnancy does not occur, both progesterone and estrogen fall abruptly near the end of the phase.
This hormonal drop can affect both body and mind.
Typical symptoms in this phase may include:
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Bloating
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Sore breasts
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Headache
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Fatigue
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Sleep disorders
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Irritation
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Easy to cry
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Anxiety or inner turmoil
It's called PMS (premenstrual syndrome). It's not something anyone made up, and it's nothing to laugh about - it's real symptoms in the body of the rather dramatic drop in hormones that occurs during this phase.
For most people, the symptoms are mild. For some, they are significant and affect work and relationships. If the symptoms are very severe – especially psychological – they may be signs of PMDD, which requires medical evaluation.
In this phase, it can be helpful to have understanding from those around you – but also from yourself.
If you have ADHD, it is also during this phase that you may experience that your medication is not working quite as it should - talk to your psychiatrist about adjusting your medication during this phase. You can read more in the article about ADHD and the cycle here.
And so the cycle rolls on.
Hormones drop. Menstruation starts. A new cycle begins. And the body does it all again.
It's pretty incredible when you think about it.
Remember:
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A cycle can vary in length (21–35 days is normal)
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You can have your period without ovulation.
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Symptoms can change throughout life - some people experience that childbirth in particular changes the symptom picture.
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Your experience is individual.
If your cycle suddenly changes significantly or your symptoms become severe, it's always a good idea to talk to your doctor.
FAQ – Mood and Menstrual Cycle
Does the menstrual cycle really affect mood?
Yes. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone affect brain neurotransmitters, including serotonin, which plays a role in mood and well-being.
Why do I get more irritable before my period?
During the luteal phase, estrogen and progesterone levels drop. This hormonal drop can affect the nervous system and increase sensitivity to stress, which can be experienced as irritability or depression.
Is it normal to feel sad during menstruation?
Yes, many people experience lower energy and more introversion during the menstrual phase. However, if you experience persistent or severe depression, you should talk to a doctor.
What is the difference between PMS and PMDD?
PMS is mild to moderate symptoms before menstruation. PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) is a more serious condition with marked psychological symptoms that can significantly affect everyday life.
Does everyone have mood swings throughout the cycle?
No. Some people notice clear mental shifts, while others primarily experience physical symptoms. Both are normal.
