All About Mittelschmerz
3. The Uterine Cycle
The uterine cycle can be further divided into the menstruation, proliferative, and secretory phases. These phases describe the changes in the uterus throughout the menstrual cycle. It begins with the menstruation phase where menstrual bleeding occurs. This means that the uterine lining is shed. The presence of menstruation signifies that the woman is not pregnant. The proliferative phase involves the rising level of the hormone estrogen.
This helps the uterine lining to grow. Estrogen also helps stimulate the formation of crypts in the cervix so cervical mucus is secreted. This is crucial as the mucus enables sperm to swim toward the egg. The presence of the mucus means that the woman is in her fertile period. The last phase or secretory phase corresponds to the luteal phase of the ovarian cycle. The progesterone produced by the corpus luteum helps maintain the uterine lining so implantation of the fertilized egg becomes possible. During this phase, there is also increased uterine secretions and blood flow to the uterus.
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