Cycle Charting

Charting your cycle allows you to see things your body is telling you. Each day noting down what you see and feel, to keep track and see the patterns of your own body.

Day 1- First day of your bleed, not pre-bleed spotting. Note what you see , your flow, mucus, your feelings, energy and thoughts. Even include things like sickness, stressors.

Continue each day to note simple words or drawings to signify all that you are noticing each day in your cycle. Energy, mood, flow, mucus.

Make sure to note any changes in blood colour, flow consistency, mucus colour and consistency, any pains you notice, headaches, acne.

Start tracking on a new chart at the start of each cycles bleed, day 1, all the way through to the last day of your cycle, the day prior to your next bleed.

Keep tracking!

Being consistent with this daily ritual will create a habit. Find which way of tracking and charting works best for you, whether it be in an app, written on a chart, or in journalling form. Repeating this daily will allow you to have documentation on how your womb flows. After a few months it is a great way to be able to just look back on your charting to read the differences your body has gone through.

You may see that your bleed was somewhat “late” and you’ll be able to look back and see that, maybe it was because over this previous cycle you had been quite stressed or unwell.

Your body knows how to do what it is meant to do. Instead of creating a fear around why your bleed is late, having charted you will be able to easily look back and have peace of mind in maybe realising for yourself what could have led to this. Also it could tell you there could be something that needs to be futher investigated, that you could then seek outside guidance from someone. Taking your charting with you to show them can be helpful to them!

The more of a habit charting becomes the better you will get from it. You’ll gain so much insight on yourself and the way you flow- literally!

I find using pen and paper a really good way for me gets down what I notice about myself, and easy for me to go back to re-read. I like to make short, one-word notes, straight to the point and easy to compare to other days or see a pattern.

Cycle charting can become part of a young girl's daily habit too! Before she even gets her period, why not help her to start her journey into her womb by introducing cycle charting. She will start to show signs of a cycle, minus the bleed, at early puberty. She may become aware of some changes going on within herself and body, (e.g.: moods, emotional highs and lows, cervical mucus etc.) and find comfort in writing these down. It will also help her to note any questions she may have about what's going on for her, and things she hasn't yet learnt.

Also, what a wonderful keep-sake she will have to her entry into menarche, for herself or to show her daughter!

Happy cycle charting!

Meg