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You know that week before your period when you’re inexplicably exhausted, yet somehow can’t stay asleep? When you’re snapping at everyone and can’t figure out why? Turns out, your hormones aren’t just messing with your mood—they’re quietly impacting your sleep, too.
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Not all women experience premenstrual syndrome, and PMS can be somewhat medically vague, with upward of a hundred different symptoms possible, all of which are unpleasant (headaches, bloating, cramping, and so on). Generally, experiencing three to five of the symptoms regularly, prior to menstruating, is considered PMS.
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Period cramps can be brutal, but there are several ways to reduce their severity and frequency. Keeping your body hydrated by sipping on drinks that contain anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic ingredients, such as magnesium drinks, beet juice, ginger tea, and chamomile tea, may be an effective way to reduce period cramp pain so you can get back to your normal routine. Certain supplements can also help ease painful symptoms—here are a few to look into.
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Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty & Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including skin care, women’s health, mental health, sustainability, social media trends, and more. She previously interned for Almost 30, a top-rated health and wellness podcast. In her current role, Hannah reports on the latest beauty trends and innovations, women’s health research, brain health news, and plenty more.
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Hannah Frye
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Alas, it’s true: “The gut and vaginal immune systems are interconnected,” says board-certified OB-GYN Karen Toubi, M.D.
“The gut microbiome helps educate and modulate the immune system, which can influence immune responses in other areas, including the vagina,” Toubi says.
So when your gut health is struggling, be it after you’ve been sick, had a long weekend of junk food and alcohol, etc., that may be reflected in your vaginal health, too.
What’s more, your gut and vagina actually share bacteria back and forth. “Microbes can migrate between the gut and vagina, establishing a dynamic relationship,” notes board-certified OB-GYN Renita White, M.D.
Your gut and vaginal microbiome profiles aren’t identical, but they do have shared characteristics. “The vaginal microbiome is made up of a mix of bacteria, but is dominated by Lactobacillus species,” White says. This specific bacteria is also found in the gut, she adds.
“This type of bacteria produces lactic acid1, which helps to keep vaginal pH more acidic in order to ward off infections,” White notes. In other words, you need this bacteria to be balanced if you want your vaginal microbiome to thrive without complications.
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Hannah Frye
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When I received the kit, I started the testing process by filling out the registration, which I accessed by scanning a QR code. Along with giving basic information about myself, I answered questions about my lifestyle and current health status. These were questions like:When was the start of your last period? What symptoms are you experiencing? How often do you exercise? Any dietary restrictions?
Once the registration was completed, I started the saliva sample. This required me to spit into a tube until I hit the designated sample collection line. Hitting this line took me about two minutes of spitting; I kept busy by scrolling through my phone. Pro tip: Make sure you’re hydrated to keep this process as smooth as possible.
When my sample was finished, I carefully screwed on the top to prevent leakage and packaged it up in the pre-paid shipping slip. I was sure to fill out the labels properly, including birthday and collection date, to ensure my results weren’t delayed.
The entire process was super easy—and I would know. I actually did it twice. The post office lost my first test, and the brand quickly sent over a replacement to redo my sample.
My test results were ready in about two weeks, which falls right into the brands two to three-week waiting period. I received an email notification, which led me to the Veracity portal. This portal sticks around long after your results are ready to go, so you can revisit it at any time.
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Hannah Frye
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Some folks prefer to use a cleanser for this step, but not just any cleanser will do. “I recommend people with vaginas avoid cleaners with artificial fragrances or chemicals,” White explains. “This can lead to irritation of the vulva or infections like yeast or bacterial vaginosis,” she adds.
White’s expert pick: “When using cleansers, stick to something gentle, like Honey Pot’s Sensitive Foaming Wash.”
You can use the cleanser with or without a wash rag, and only use this product once daily when you’re in the shower.
So while never cleansing this area can cause a buildup of dirt and sweat, over-cleansing is still possible—even if you have an infection. “Even if someone develops BV or yeast, there is no need to cleanse more often,” White notes.
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Hannah Frye
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So what exactly is the sexual phase, and when does it occur? Let’s go over some key points in the menstrual cycle: The period is an obvious phase that can last anywhere from three to seven days in a normal cycle. As you leave the period, you enter the mid-follicular phase. This is when you may notice an increase in cervical fluid, energy, and mood. As you near the end of your follicular phase, your estrogen and testosterone levels are at their highest levels during your cycle. Both of these hormones contribute to increased sexual desire, the tendency to fantasize more, and the ability to self-lubricate more easily.
About three days prior to ovulation, estrogen levels ramp up and spike once the egg is matured and ready for ovulation. In response to the surge of estrogen1, the brain releases luteinizing hormone, which triggers ovulation. It will take about one to two days for the egg to be released and for the corpus luteum to form—the temporary endocrine structure in the ovary that releases progesterone. This series of events take place in a five- to six-day window when thoughts of sex will be most likely to occupy your mind and orgasms will be easier to achieve.
But once that progesterone production is up and running during the luteal phase, your sexual desire, fantasy, and ability to get wet may leave you wondering where the magic of that sexual phase went. While estrogen is present in the luteal phase (the time between ovulation and menstruation), it stands little chance of overcoming the effects of progesterone. The result, as I share in my book, Is This Normal? is “you find yourself feeling that getting into a pair of sweatpants is much more appealing than getting into their pants.”
As a board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist and sex counselor, here are the tips I share with my patients to help amplify their sexual phase each month.
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Jolene Brighten, N.D.
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Not all women experience premenstrual syndrome, and PMS can be somewhat medically vague, with upward of a hundred different symptoms possible, all of which are unpleasant (headaches, bloating, cramping, and so on). Generally, experiencing three to five of the symptoms regularly, prior to menstruating, is considered PMS.
PMS is thought to be caused by a combination of imbalanced hormones and a sluggish liver. This sequence has an element of challenge to it and is a good way to shift into a place that is unhurried and to allow ourselves the time and space to dwell on our gratitudes, all that we appreciate, whether we suffer from PMS or not.
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Sierra Hollister, E-RYT 500
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