The Female Body

You’ve been living with it all your life but there’s never been a better time to re-familiarise yourself with your body’s biology.

Every woman is born with her lifetime supply of eggs stored in her ovaries – each ovary is no bigger than a small plum. Each month, an egg is released, ready for fertilisation. At this time, the lining of the uterus prepares for a possible pregnancy. If fertilisation does not occur, then the period (shedding of the lining) should occur within 10-16 days of ovulation.

This process is known as the ‘menstrual cycle’. An average menstrual cycle is 28 days in length and comprises two phases: the follicular phase (from the start of the period until ovulation) and the luteal phase (from ovulation to the next period).