How to Chart Menstrual Cycles

Women chart their menstrual cycles for many different reasons. Some chart to know when their next period will begin and some chart to know when they are fertile to aid in getting pregnant. Whatever the reason, here are a few steps to take to be able to chart your menstrual cycle.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Calendar, journal or chart.

1. Pay attention to your body's signals each month. Feelings such as moodiness, irritability and tiredness are all signs you should pay attention to.
2. Understand that the length of your cycle is the time between the first day of bleeding to the next first day of bleeding. This can range from 28 to 39 days, and varies from woman to woman.
3. Begin charting by marking your calendar with the first day of bleeding and then marking with the first day of the next bleeding. This will tell you how long your cycle is.
4. Go outside and look at the moon. You will notice that each month you start to bleed, the moon is in the same phase. Pay attention to the phase of the moon (full, waning, dark or waxing) and you can determine if you are about to start to bleed or not.
5. Take your temperature at the same time everyday. This is another way to chart your menstrual cycle. Alcohol and prescription drugs can affect your temperature so it is wise to keep this in consideration.

Tips & Warnings

• You will find templates and charts on the Internet to help you chart your cycle.
• Charting your menstrual cycle as a method of birth control is an unreliable technique for birth control purposes.