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addition to the production of estrogen, the ovaries
serve as warehouses for another important female product,
egg cells (ova). A woman is born with a fixed number
of egg cells (400,000 to be exact!) that make up her
lifetime quota. Triggered by the body’s hormones,
these ova begin to mature and are released from the
ovaries. This process is called ovulation. Although
several egg cells can mature at a time, usually only
one ovum is released from the ovary during each menstrual
cycle. At the same time, the uterus prepares for the
possibility of pregnancy. The inner surface of the
uterine wall forms a lining that will serve to nourish
the potential fetus.
Once the ovum is released, it travels along the fallopian
tube. If the ovum is not fertilized (which means an
egg cell does not meet with a sperm cell), it travels
toward the uterus during the next several days. Two
weeks after ovulation, the dissolved ovum, along with
the lining of the uterus, is shed. This lining, consisting
of blood-tinged fluid, constitutes the menstrual flow.
The menstrual flow leaves the body through the vagina,
an opening between the woman’s legs that is also the
birth canal. The menstrual flow can last from two
or three days to as many as seven. The average is
three to five days. There is approximately just one
half-cup of blood lost, which the body replenishes
in its infinite wisdom. The flow is a slow, steady
trickle, as opposed to a sudden gush of fluid. The
menstrual flow sometimes also contains blood clots
and small pieces of tissue. The egg cell that was
not fertilized is also expelled during menstruation,
but because it is only the size of a pencil dot, it
is not perceptible.
The menstrual cycle is recorded from the first day
of the menstrual flow to the first day of the next
one. Menstruation occurs approximately every twenty-eight
to thirty-five days or, on the average, once a month.
For the first year or two after menarche though, many
girls’ menstrual cycles are irregular. This means
they may skip several months in a row or have a period
every two weeks, although the latter is less common.
Usually it takes an average of two to three years
for the menstrual cycle to regulate itself to a more
predictable schedule. Occasionally, it is not until
after childbearing that menstruation becomes regular.
Although
all of this may sound very complicated for a pre-teen
that is more concerned about when will her first period
start, its is important to help them understand the
amazing creation that their bodies are. Healthy Chats
for Girls (contained in “My First Period Kit &
DVD) provides mother with a sensitive age appropriate
format to speak to your daughter about the birds and
the bees and her first
period. May you continue to have Healthy Chats
with your daughter.
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