How do you track your period?

Do you want to learn how to track your period but are not sure where to start? Well here is a step-by-step guide to tracking your cycle!

Tracking your period can help you be in touch with your menstrual cycle and enable you to better understand your body. 

There are many health benefits to regularly tracking your period and plenty of period tracking tools available for you to do this. 

Let's start by understanding why you should track your cycle. 

What are the benefits of tracking your period?

There are many benefits to tracking your period. 

1. Measuring your menstrual cycle length  

Keeping a period log helps you understand the length of your menstrual cycle. An average menstrual cycle is 28 days, but anywhere between 23 to 35 days is considered normal. 

By tracking your period, you can keep a close record of your menstrual cycle length and notice any irregularities. 

If your menstrual cycle falls outside of the 23-35 days window for more than 3 months in a row, it’s recommended to consult a medical professional. 

Read this blog to learn more about what happens during your menstrual cycle

2. Menstrual flow monitoring

Tracking your period is a great way to monitor your menstrual flow. 

Changes in menstrual flow can include experiencing heavier or lighter flow, thicker bleeding, or lumps and clots in period flow. 

While for many people changes in period flow are completely normal and can occur due to a change in environment or lifestyle, these changes can also be signs of existing health conditions which require medical conditions. 

So it’s great to track your period flow while you menstruate to better understand the changes in your body. 

3. Tracking contraception 

Tracking your period is a great way to ensure that your contraceptive method is working if you are sexually active.

If you are on contraceptive pills, tracking your period will also help you understand when you need to take the inactive pill to activate your withdrawal bleed. 

To learn more about how birth control pills, read this blog on how birth control pills affect your period

4. Fertility tracking 
If you and your partner are trying to get pregnant, tracking your period is a great way to understand ovulation prediction. 

Ovulation is when your ovaries release an egg and it travels down your fallopian tubes to be released. In this phase of your menstrual cycle you are most fertile and likely to conceive. It usually occurs around day 14-15 of your menstrual cycle - but it can vary from person to person. 

Tracking your period is a great way to understand exactly when you are ovulating. By maintaining an ovulation calendar you can try to conceive when you are most fertile to help increase your chances of getting pregnant. 

How do you track your period? 

There are two ways to track your period. So let’s learn about these!

1. Using a calendar  

If you are new to tracking periods, using a physical calendar is a great way to get started! 

You can either use an existing annual calendar or dedicate a printed calendar to menstruation cycle tracking

2. Using a period tracker app 

There are many period tracking applications available to maintain a digital period tracking journal. 

One of the key benefits of using a menstrual health app is getting period reminders. 

Many period tracker apps have an inbuilt period calculator - so the app will notify you when your period is due. Some apps even have a menstrual cycle alarm to ensure that you never miss tracking your period! 

If you’re wondering which menstrual cycle tracker to use, a few great options that are used by women globally include Flo and Clue. They are available for both iOS and Android phones.

how can a menstrual cup help you track your period?

A menstrual cup is a great way to manage your period. A menstrual cup works by collecting your period flow, and can be used for up to 12 hours at a time. 

Using a menstrual cup helps you better understand your flow as you can visually see the colour, quantity and consistency of your period flow. These characteristics can be logged into period cycle monitoring apps to help you understand whether your period flow is healthy. 

If you’re looking to make the switch to a menstrual cup to track your period flow more closely, the Asan cup is the perfect fit for you! 

Designed at the Harvard Innovation Lab, the Asan cup is a patented menstrual cup with a unique removal ring. It’s made with Class VI medical grade silicone - which is the same material used in breast implants and heart stents. So rest assured, it’s super safe for you! 

The Asan cup comes in two sizes - Light/medium flow and Heavy flow cup. It’s designed to help you accurately measure your period flow throughout menstruation. 

The Asan cup combined with a menstruation tracking app is all you’ll ever need for healthy periods! 

So what are you waiting for? Shop here now to start taking care of your menstrual health.