7 Tips on Making a Menstruation Calendar ...

Jennifer Oct 29, 2009

You’re planning a vacation, or even your honeymoon, so you want to know when you’ll get your period. That’s when a period calendar comes in handy. How do you make one? Here’s how…

1. Get a Special Notebook or Calendar

You’ll have better success if you find a calendar or notebook that you will use just for your period calendar.

2. Consider the Pill

One of the best ways to become regular enough in your cycle to make a calendar is to use birth control pills.

3. Know Your Cycle

Whether you’re on the Pill or not, you ought to still have some idea of how long your cycle is. For most women, a cycle is between 21 and 28 days long.

4. Adjust for Changes

Do you delay your period when you’re feeling stressed? Look ahead to mid-term and final exams, and count in an extra couple of days for those.

5. Record in Pencil

Don’t use pen! If you use ink, and your cycle changes a little, you’ll have to start over!

6. Leave Some Room for Error

No-one’s cycle is completely dead-on perfect, so leave a little wiggle room when planning a big vacation or your honeymoon. Instead of making it the last or first week of your cycle, plan your event in the middle.

7. Don’t Forget That Week!

When making and projecting your calendar, don’t forget to record the week OFF, your period week! I did that once and it messed up my entire calendar for the year!

A menstruation calendar can be a great tool, but only if you do it right! Do you have any tips or ideas on how to make it accurate and effective? What works best for you?

Photo Credit: flickr.com

Feedback Junction

Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

Great concept - women use charting all of the time to track not only their cycles but changes in their behaviors - a wonderful heads up for the men in their lives. Word of caution about using the pill to "regulate" your cycle. They pill is an artificial hormone suppressant and although it may appear to get your cycle to be normal...there is nothing normal about it. The pill inhibits ovulation and the little bit of bleeding that occurs is known as a "synthetic" bleed and not a true period. Women need to chart their menstrual cycle for at least 3 to 6 months to establish their own regular pattern. And the more women live with that cycle - the more regular it becomes. Women experience too many problems on the pill to take it just to regulate their cycles. Understanding and living with your own natural menstrual cycle is a wonderful experience and a part of the journey of getting to know yourself as a woman.

I used to take the pill and my doctor advised against it only because I was a smoker! This Calendar Idea is a wonderful idea Jennifer! I'm surely going to use it :) Thanks alot.