The hormones of fertility and pregnancy have the power to effect women throughout their lives. It as often said that women are at the mercy of their hormones, suggesting women’s bodies and most significantly their emotions are slaves to the ever changing hormones flowing through their bodies. This popular view seems to demonise the hormones that in reality give women their essential womanliness. The more we understand how hormones affect the female body, mind and emotions the better equipped we will be to minimise the negative effects and embrace the positive ones. The interest in alternative therapy for PMT has been developing over many years. Using holistic therapy such as reflexology can help many women to manage the undesirable effects of their hormones and allow them to understand their menstrual cycle and maybe even enjoy the ride! Here is a snapshot of one month so why not grab your bikes and come with me for a cycle.
Day 0ne. 21/11/08
Ow ow ow ow, this hurts! I have woken up with horrible cramps in my lower abdomen and my period has begun. This month it is really painful and I am not happy at all. I feel angry because I do not have time for this! My body is not in the least bit considerate of the fact that I have a very busy day and being bent double with period pains is not going to help at all.
I also feel very unattractive and sort of grubby. I think this all stems from the fact that I am angry with my body for interfering with my plans. Not a very holistic and understanding start to this whole discussion on hormones and emotions, but honest.
Thought id try to be a bit kinder to my body and give myself a little reflexology treatment for the pain but the general discomfort was just mirrored by my feet.
So what are my hormones up to today? Well after researching the cycle it seems that until the bleeding stops there is not really a lot happening. The levels of hormones are generally low and it is just cleaning up from the last cycle before getting ready for the next egg.
I do not have pain with every period but regular painful menstruation, dysmenorrhoea, caused by the contraction of the uterine muscles can be very debilitating. Reflexology can help the pain, massaging the uterus reflex zone and trigger point release can help ease pain along with hip and pelvis relaxation to lower tension in that region. This symptomatic relief will not solve the underlying problem and a series of session would be advisable.
Day Three. 23/11/08
My period has finished, just three days which is relatively short as woman can bleed for many more days, averaging about 4-5 days. Physically I feel much better, the discomfort has passed and I have forgiven my body for the inconvenience as it was only three days.
I feel much calmer and happier. I no longer feel grubby and unattractive and generally my self esteem has risen. My body feels like my own again and my feet are less sensitive although the uterus reflex is still tender. My feet have a tendency towards a bluish hue but today they are a healthy pink colour.
Which hormones are influencing me now? At this point in the cycle the pituitary gland releases follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) which makes the immature eggs (follicles) grow in readiness for ovulation. FSH stimulates the ovaries to produce oestrogen which encourages the eggs to grow and stimulates the uterine lining to thicken. None of those effects however, are really influencing my mood, but the hormones are affecting my body in subtle ways which in turn are influencing my mood.
The hormones’ role during the stage between menstruation and ovulation is to prepare the egg and the uterus for pregnancy, but also to promote the possibility of fertilisation by influencing us to be more attractive and responsive to the other essential component…men! Pheromone production increases to enhance our attractiveness and our sense of smell increases to ensure we enjoy the full benefit of the male pheromones. So we are advertising our gorgeous selves and tuned into men also. The blood flow to our brains increases which improves our senses and communication skills. I definitely felt happier and calmer as I progressed from ovulation which may well have been due to a clearer livelier mind.
Day 4 24/11/08
I have been baking scones and its not even 8am yet! I am full of energy and excited about all the stereotypical “woman’s” tasks. I was wearing a floral piny at 7.30 am, this energy and enthusiasm may well be due to hormonal changes. I look at myself in the mirror, piny on and scones in the oven and can not help thinking..” what a woman”!
Day 7 27/11/08
I feel a little tired and lonely. I am generally happy that I do not live with a partner but today I feel that I miss having a man around and would love a hug. I do not generally feel that I need a man but today I do, and considering I may be close to ovulation there is a good chance the craving for a hug is actually my body trying to convince me that there is no point going to all the effort of preparing for pregnancy when I do not have a man available to provide the sperm. The length of time between the end of menstruation and ovulation varies between women and can last from 6 – 21 days. Physical changes prior to ovulation signal that it is soon to occur. At this point I do not have any noticeable changes, just the urge to find a man.
Day 9 29/11/08
The most obvious physical change today is my breasts have definitely grown. The proliferation of mammary tissue prior to ovulation can make woman feel sexier, and as I do not usually have much bust it is nice to feel like there is just a bit too much boob for my bra! Another physical change is the amount and consistency of cervical mucous. There is definitely more mucous and this increased stickier mucous indicates that I am moving into my most fertile phase. The mucous changes to promote sperms transit into the uterus. It is very useful to know that this is a fertile time for me. Driven by my need for a hug earlier in the week I have arranged a date with my boyfriend and I do not plan to become pregnant, so despite my bodies desire to fertilise the egg which is soon to be released I will have to take great care to prevent that from happening!!
Day 12 2/12/08
Today I have very low abdominal pain, almost in my groin and not quite the same as period pain. Some woman can feel pain on ovulation and considering the recent changes in my body that may explain the pain. My emotions are fairly static at the moment, I still feel energised and I am enthusiastic about sorting and organising things. There are no notable changes on my feet, but to be honest I feel too busy busy busy to take much time to consider them.
Assuming I am ovulating then that will be driven by a change in my hormones. Once the follicle has reached a certain point in development the rising levels of oestrogen trigger a surge in luteinising hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland. This causes the most mature egg to burst out of its sac, leave the ovary and travel down the fallopian tube. In the ovary the cluster of cells that formed the egg now become the corpus luteum and start to produce progesterone. There are many changes in hormones taking place which are all having profound affects on my body and may be expected to make me feel emotionally labile, but I don’t. I feel lively and happy and stable. This suggests that although hormones do influence our emotions throughout our cycle there is a tendency to ignore the positive affects and focus on the negative emotions. I should be thanking my hormones these last few days for my increased libido and energy and enthusiasm. I hope that I can gently and considerately convey these positive affects to clients who feel ruled by their hormones in a negative way.
Day 13 3/12/08
Wow, my lips are huge and red, I have never noticed this Angelina Jolie look before. I look like I am wearing vampish red lipstick. I am generally quite flushed, even my feet are pink and warm despite the cold weather. Basal body temperature rises around ovulation and remains high for a few days after ovulation. Tracking body temperature can help women to chart their cycle but there are many factors that can influence basal body temperature so it is not an easy task.
Day 15 5/12/08
I definitely feel less vampish and more sluggish. I have entered the second phase of my cycle. I think this stage feels like it will be a lot less fun than the last one. I am already feeling less attractive and definitely not sexy.
Progesterone is rising and its aim is to prepare the body for a fertilised egg. Cervical mucous changes and becomes thick and impenetrable. I definitely feel pretty impenetrable at the moment. The lining of the uterus becomes thick and spongy in readiness for the egg. FSH levels fall and eggs are no longer influenced to mature in the ovaries. I am not hoping to become pregnant but I can remember when I was and this phase was full of emotions. I was excited and hopeful that I would be pregnant and imagined the fertilised egg beginning its development into my baby. I was also nervous and anxious that I would not be pregnant and felt at the mercy of luck or fate. I became pregnant after six months and so although the anxiety levels rose each month I was always more positive than negative. After many months of trying to conceive the levels of anxiety can become unbearable. There are many reasons for sub fertility and reflexology has an excellent reputation for assisting couples in this position. Reflexology can proceed alongside medical investigation into the couple’s fertility. Holistic reflexology treatments can promote a balanced body and mind. Treatments also induce relaxation and lowers stress levels. This can improve overall health and wellbeing, hopefully increasing the likelihood of conception.
Day 18 8/12/08
I have spots and my once plump red lips are shrivelled and dry. My hair does not seem any cleaner after I wash it. I am hugely unattractive, well that’s how I feel anyway. Not a pretty sight.
After ovulation and before menstruation an increase in sebum produced by the sebaceous glands can lead to the formation of spots, which seems to be all too true for me this month. The hormonal changes are contributing to my general fall in self esteem and negative feelings about my body. I do not know which specific hormone is responsible. If the egg is not fertilised after ovulation then a few days later the corpus luteum begins to shrink and gradually gets reabsorbed in the ovary. The levels of progesterone and oestrogen begin to fall. The more unpleasant experiences in this phase seem to be due to the fall in hormone levels, so rather than the presence of hormones being responsible for my premenstrual woes it is actually the lack of them.
Day 19 9/12/08
My boobs are sore and uncomfortable, they do not feel like mine. When my little boys barges in for a cuddle I feel like turning away to protect myself, not very loving at all. I am not the same woman who craved cuddles just a few days ago.
Day 20 10/12/08
I am beginning to need chocolate. It starts with a general fancy for chocolate but before long I will be stealing it from the mouths of babes! That particular premenstrual emotion is incredibly powerful… chocolate-need is definitely an emotion !
Blood sugar levels are affected by hormonal changes. The lower levels in this phase cause carbohydrate cravings which are not easily satisfied. I know my cravings have not reached their peak yet, but I can sense the start of them. I am sure if I researched it further I could find ways to alter my diet at this time to help alleviate the cravings. Understanding that the drive to eat more food is hormone driven does help me to feel less greedy and guilty and this information alone could help clients to find new ways to cope with their cravings rather than blaming their lack of willpower or other perceived failings.
Day 21 11/12/ 08
Today I am feeling despondent. Yes, this is PMT. All the hard work feels a bit pointless. I may just be tired but I am much more negative than I have been about things. I assume that my feelings are down to the start of pre menstrual tension, but my period is probably days away so perhaps I am just being realistic about my life rather than stupidly optimistic.
Day 23 13/12/08
Everything is such an effort. It is hard to imagine that earlier in the month I was jumping out of bed and baking scones. Today it’s an effort to shuffle into the kitchen to throw together some breakfast. This diary is like the tale of two women. Ms. Preovulation, enthusiastic, positive and sociable. Ms. Post ovulation, exhausted, negative and hostile. I know who I prefer.
Pre menstrual syndrome (PMT) can be very debilitating and the most severe symptoms can include suicidal thoughts. This distressing syndrome can dominate women’s lives, and have profound affects on those around them. Reflexology and other alternative therapy can be helpful to reduce the number of symptoms and their severity. Full holistic reflexology sessions including the intention to balance any disordered reflex zones on a regular basis over a period of weeks or months would be recommended. The treatments would ideally include linking techniques for sense of self to the heart reflex zone.
Day 26 16/12/08
I have become Little Miss Clumsy! This inability to stop knocking coffee cups over does tend to come around every month. I usually find myself bumping into things as I am not quite sure what size gap I can walk through! I have no idea what this lack of spatial awareness does for my driving. I am also feeling quite fat and bloated. It is time for elasticated waist bands and comfy clothes. I struggle with my body image and the combination of chocolate cravings and general weight gain can cause me to feel very depressed and out of control . It has taken me many years to be kinder and more forgiving of myself at times like this.
Premenstrual clumsiness does seem to be experienced by some women. The exact causes are not pinpointed but it could be linked to the increased blood flow to the endometrium and reduced flow to the head in the premenstrual phase. The affects of female hormones on brain chemicals, such as serotonin and endorphins, appears complex. Many women experience mood changes, confusion and clumsiness. This can be exasperated by the physical changes like bloating. Fluid and salt retention can cause oedema, weight gain, constipation and headaches. Alternative therapy such as Holistic reflexology treatments as discussed above can help alleviate these symptoms and lessen the distress of PMT.
Day 28/ Day 1. 18/12/08
I have begun menstruating today, so it is day one again. The endometrium has become ischemic and now is shed along with the ovum. This diary has helped me to understand my menstrual cycle… what a ride!... And how the hormonal changes affect my body and my emotions.
The idea that women are at the mercy of their hormones and that their bodies and most significantly their emotions are slaves to the ever changing hormones emphasises a certain powerlessness which I believe is unhelpful. After writing this diary I feel that understanding my cycle enables me to embrace the changes rather than feel controlled by them.
learn more about reflexology, alternative therapy and PMT, and how the therapy can help with the more undesirable effects of our hormones.
