Within a month, changes occur in a woman's body, the combination of which is called the menstrual cycle. One of its phases is the so-called luteal phase, which is sometimes called secretory in the medical literature.
Phases of the menstrual cycle
The entire menstrual cycle is usually divided into three conditional phases corresponding to changes in the ovaries: follicular, ovulatory and luteal. If we call them according to the changes occurring in the endometrium, they are menstrual, proliferative and secretory phases.
The follicular or menstrual phase opens on the first day of menstruation. At this time, the dominant follicle is formed and finally matures. The duration of this period is individual for each woman. It lasts from 7 to 22 days, but on average about 14 days.
The ovulatory phase begins around the seventh day of the cycle and lasts for about 3 days. At this point, the dominant follicle is determined. It continues to grow and secretes the secret of estradiol, and the rest of the follicles undergo a reverse development. A mature follicle is called a graaf bubble. Under the influence of hormones, the wall of the bubble ruptures and a mature egg is released. This period is most favorable for conception.
After the end of ovulation, the luteal phase begins.
Luteal phase
The luteal phase is the time between ovulation and the onset of menstrual bleeding.
This phase is sometimes referred to as the corpus luteum phase. After rupture, the walls of the graafian vesicle rejoin, it accumulates lipids and luteal pigment, becoming yellow in color. At this stage, the transformed follicle is called the corpus luteum.
During the luteal phase in a woman's body, the corpus luteum is actively working in the follicle from which the egg came out. It is responsible for the production of progesterone, a hormone without which the normal development of pregnancy is impossible.
At the same time, the uterine lining grows in the uterus under the influence of hormones. By the time of the luteal phase, she is finally prepared and is able to receive a fertilized egg.
The female body in the luteal phase is waiting for pregnancy. If by about the 10th day of implantation of the egg into the uterine cavity, the corpus luteum dies off, and the menstrual phase begins again.
If pregnancy occurs, the corpus luteum begins to produce the hormone progesterone and does this until the placenta develops.
The duration of the luteal phase is usually 12 to 14 days. Sometimes there may be small changes in these terms from 10 to 16 days. If the duration of the luteal phase is shorter than 10 days, the doctor can diagnose its failure.
