Menstrual Cycle Calendar

Making a menstrual cycle calendar is a simple, and easy, way to record your reproductive health. As women, it is always important to know the first day of our last periods. And when things go wrong with our periods, having a record of past periods is a plus when we talk to our doctors.

It takes just a minute to keep this important information about our menstrual cycles up-to-date, and handy, for when questions arise about our periods. Here's how you can make your own menstrual cycle calendar.

Time Required: less than 5 minutesDecide what you will use to mark your period on your calendar. You can simply write, "1st day," "2cd day," and so on, or you can choose to use a symbol of some sort. Many women choose to circle the dates of the first and last days of their periods. Use a red marker to make the days you had your period easier to spot. Each day during your period, describe the flow of your menstruation on your calendar. Is the flow of your period heavy, medium, or light? Use your red marker to write "H" for heavy, "M" for medium, or "L" for light on your menstrual cycle calendar. If the flow of your period is extra heavy or light, you can simply make an "X" in front of the other letter you use to describe your period. Do you have the signs or symptoms of premenstrual syndrome -- PMS? Write on your calendar on each day of the month. Describe how you feel and what types of symptoms you're having on a particular day. Do you have a headache? Are you feeling bloated or retaining water? Are you happy, or has it been a bad day? Just a word or two about how you feel everyday will help you to see if there is a pattern emerging so that your doctor can help you if you have premenstrual syndrome or PMS. Use a calendar with big squares to write in so that you have plenty of room to describe how you feel on days when a small square might not be big enough. Start making your menstrual cycle calendar today, or wait until the first day of your next period.if(zSbL

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Relieve Menstrual Cramps

Most women experience some degree of menstrual cramps at some point. Cramps can be mild to severe. Endometriosis, fibroid tumors, ovarian cysts, and other conditions may be a contributing factor.OTC pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen used around the clock at the first sign of your period helps to reduce the severity of cramps in many women by inhibiting the release of prostaglandins.Regular exercise such as walking helps to prevent or at least reduce the severity of menstrual cramps for some women.Oral contraceptives may effectively reduce or eliminate menstrual cramps for some women; however you should consider the side effects of oral contraceptives before using them to prevent cramps.Zinc, calcium, and B vitamins obtained in food and supplements have been found to reduce cramps, bloating and other symptoms.Herbal remedies such as Viburnum prunifolium, Scutellaria spp., and Cimicifuga raemosa have an antispasmodic effect that may reduce some menstrual cramps.A warm bath filled with aromatherapy or a heating pad on your lower abdomen and back is often helpful for relieving menstrual cramping.Always take painkillers with food to prevent stomach discomfort.If you don't have a heating pad, you can make one by filling a sock (a men's tube sock works best) with rice and heating it in a microwave over for a few minutes.Talk to your physician if these tips do not help, there may be an underlying cause. Severe sudden cramps, vomiting, or fever may be a sign of a medical emergency, contact your physician immediately.if(zSbL

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