Periods how do they work

The built-up lining is ready for a fertilized egg to attach to and start developing. If there is no fertilized egg, the lining breaks down and bleeds. Then the same process happens all over again.

It usually takes about a month for the lining to build up, then break down. That is why most girls and women get their periods around once a month. Ovulation pronounced: ov-yoo-LAY-shun is the release of an egg from the ovaries. The same hormones that cause the uterus lining to build up also cause an egg to leave one of the ovaries. The egg travels through a thin tube called a fallopian tube to the uterus.

If the egg is fertilized by a sperm cell, it attaches to the wall of the uterus, where over time it develops into a baby. If the egg is not fertilized, the uterus lining breaks down and bleeds, causing a period. For the first few years after a girl starts her period, it may not come regularly. This is normal at first. By about 2—3 years after her first period, a girl's periods should be coming around once every 4—5 weeks. Yes, a girl can get pregnant as soon as her period starts.

A girl can even get pregnant right before her very first period. This is because a girl's hormones might already be active. The hormones may have led to ovulation and the building of the uterine wall. If a girl has sex, she can get pregnant, even though she has never had a period. Your Friend's Email.

Your friend should get it any second. What is a period and why do we have them? What does a period feel like? Does having your period smell? Does having your period hurt? I got my period and I haven't told my mom yet. It's really hard for me to talk about things like this. I have a lot of questions. What should I do? Is it OK to have a bath or shower when I have my period?

Will anyone, like boys or my mom, notice when I have my period? How much blood do I lose during my period? On day 14 for most women , one of your ovaries will release an egg, which will make its way through a fallopian tube and will eventually make its way to your uterus called ovulation. On day 28 for most women , if you have not become pregnant, the lining of your uterus starts to shed.

This is your period. The blood you lose during your period is the lining of your uterus. The menstural cycle If you have sex during a cycle, and your egg meets a sperm, you can become pregnant. Is a cycle always 28 days? What does a period feel like? What to do when you get your period Before you start getting periods it is good to be prepared for when it eventually comes.

Use sanitary products like a pad, tampon or panty liner to absorb the bleeding. Pads and liners are longs strips of cotton that you stick to your underwear. Tampons are thin cylinders of dense cotton attached to a string that you put inside your vagina. Pads, liners and tampons come in different shapes and sizes but all of them need to be changed every four to six hours to stop leakage.

You can use a tampon whenever you want, you don't have to wait until you start having sex before a tampon will go in. Menstrual cups collect the blood rather than absorb it.

Unlike sanitary pads and tampons, which are thrown away after they've been used, you can wash menstrual cups and and use them again. Changes in your body's hormone levels before your period can cause physical and emotional changes. There are many possible symptoms of PMS , but typical symptoms include:.

These symptoms usually improve when your period starts and disappear a few days afterwards. Not all women who have periods get PMS. Working out when you can get pregnant — your fertile time — can be difficult.

It's around the time you ovulate, which is about 12 to 14 days before the start of your next period. But sperm can survive inside a woman's body for up to 7 days before ovulation occurs.

This means your fertile time extends back earlier in your cycle. You can calculate when your period will start and your peak ovulation times using an online period calendar.

You cannot get pregnant if you do not ovulate. Some hormonal methods of contraception, such as the contraceptive pill , contraceptive patch and contraceptive injection , work by preventing ovulation. Read more about the menstrual cycle , fertility , contraception and getting pregnant. Your periods can change — for example, they may last longer or get lighter. This does not necessarily mean there's a problem, but it does need to be investigated.

You can see your GP, or visit your nearest women's clinic or contraceptive clinic.