The four phases of the menstrual cycle
What happens in the menstrual, follicular, ovulation and luteal phases, how long a normal cycle is, and how each phase can affect energy and mood.
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Health library
Plain-language answers to the questions people search most, from period cramps to hot flashes. Every guide has sources and a clear note on when to see a doctor.
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In short
What will I find in the Gyne health library?
Free, sourced guides on periods and cramps, discharge and infections, ovulation and getting pregnant, pregnancy, life after birth, PCOS, thyroid and menopause. Each one starts with a short answer, explains what helps in plain words, lists the signs that mean you should see a doctor, and links to sources such as ACOG, the NHS and the CDC.
Periods and your cycle
Cramps, PMS, heavy or late periods, spotting and what your cycle is telling you. · 8 guides
Why is my period late?
The common reasons a period is late, from stress and illness to PCOS, thyroid and pregnancy, when to take a test and when to see a doctor.
How to relieve period cramps
How to relieve period cramps fast with heat, movement and pain relievers, why cramps happen, and the signs that period pain needs a doctor.
What are PMS symptoms?
PMS symptoms explained: common mood and body signs before your period, what helps, how PMDD differs from PMS, and when to see a doctor.
Heavy periods: how much bleeding is too much?
Heavy periods explained: the signs your bleeding is too heavy, common causes like fibroids and bleeding disorders, what helps and when to get care.
What does period blood color mean?
Period blood color meaning, from bright red to brown, black and pink, what's normal at each stage of your period and which colors need a doctor.
Why am I spotting between periods?
Spotting between periods, before your period or after sex: the common causes, from ovulation and birth control to infection, and when to see a doctor.
What causes irregular periods?
Irregular periods explained: what counts as irregular, common causes from stress to PCOS and thyroid problems, and when to see a doctor.
Vaginal and urinary health
What normal discharge looks like, and how to tell a yeast infection, BV and a UTI apart. · 3 guides
Is vaginal discharge normal?
Is your vaginal discharge normal? What clear, white, yellow, green, gray and brown discharge can mean, and when a change needs a doctor.
Yeast infection vs BV: what's the difference?
Yeast infection vs BV: compare the discharge, smell and itching, learn how each is diagnosed and treated, and when to see a doctor.
What are the symptoms of a UTI in women?
UTI symptoms in women: how to tell if you have a UTI, how it differs from a yeast infection, and the signs of a kidney infection that need care.
Fertility and trying to conceive
Signs of ovulation, timing sex, when to test and when to ask for help. · 4 guides
What are the signs of ovulation?
Ovulation symptoms and signs explained: egg-white mucus, a temperature rise, a positive LH test and mild pain, plus when ovulation happens.
How to get pregnant: what actually helps
How to get pregnant, with tips that really help: the best time to have sex, folic acid, healthy habits and when to see a fertility specialist.
When should I take a pregnancy test?
When to take a pregnancy test, how soon a test can detect pregnancy, why false negatives happen and when to test again or call your doctor.
What is implantation bleeding?
Implantation bleeding explained: when it happens, what it looks like, how to tell it from your period and when bleeding in early pregnancy needs care.
Pregnancy
Early signs, what to eat and avoid, morning sickness and the warning signs to act on. · 6 guides
PMS or pregnancy: how can you tell the difference?
PMS or pregnancy? Compare early pregnancy symptoms and PMS signs, the few clues that differ, and when a pregnancy test gives you the answer.
What are the early signs of pregnancy?
Early pregnancy symptoms and first signs of pregnancy, when they start, how they differ from PMS, when to take a test and when to call a doctor.
What foods should you avoid during pregnancy?
Foods to avoid during pregnancy, from raw fish and deli meat to soft cheese, plus the 200 mg caffeine limit and what to do if you ate something risky.
Morning sickness: what helps, and when does it end?
Morning sickness remedies that help, when nausea in pregnancy starts and ends, and the signs of hyperemesis gravidarum that need a doctor.
What are the warning signs during pregnancy?
Pregnancy warning signs that need care fast, from bleeding and severe headaches to preeclampsia signs and reduced baby movements, and who to call.
What are the signs of a miscarriage?
Signs of miscarriage, when to get care right away, what happens next, how your body recovers and where to find emotional support.
After birth
Bleeding, mood, your pelvic floor and when your period comes back. · 4 guides
What are the symptoms of postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression symptoms, how they differ from the baby blues, signs of postpartum anxiety and psychosis, and where to get help today.
How long does bleeding last after birth?
Postpartum bleeding explained: how long lochia lasts after birth, how it changes week by week, and the signs of postpartum hemorrhage.
How do you do pelvic floor exercises (Kegels)?
Pelvic floor exercises step by step: how to find the right muscles, how to do Kegels, how long they take to work and help for leaking after birth.
When will my period come back after giving birth?
When your period comes back after giving birth, with and without breastfeeding, and why you can get pregnant before your first period.
PCOS, thyroid and endometriosis
Signs to notice, tests to ask about and the everyday changes that help. · 4 guides
Signs of PCOS, and what to ask your doctor
The common signs of polycystic ovary syndrome, how PCOS is diagnosed, the tests your doctor may suggest, and what you can do day to day.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
Endometriosis symptoms explained: how it differs from normal period pain, how it's diagnosed, and when to ask your doctor about it.
What is the best diet for PCOS?
What a PCOS diet really means: foods that help with insulin resistance, how weight loss affects symptoms, exercise, and when to talk to your doctor.
What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism in women?
Common underactive thyroid symptoms in women, how hypothyroidism affects periods, what a TSH test shows, and when to see your doctor.
Perimenopause and menopause
Hot flashes, sleep, symptoms after periods stop and your treatment options. · 4 guides
Signs of perimenopause, and what can help
The early signs of perimenopause, the usual age it starts, how long it lasts, what can help, and when to talk to your doctor about symptoms.
Hot flashes: why they happen and how to get relief
What hot flashes and night sweats are, how long they last, how to stop hot flashes or ease them, the treatments to ask about and when to see a doctor.
Hormone replacement therapy for menopause: benefits, risks and options
How hormone replacement therapy works, its benefits and risks, who usually can't take it, non-hormonal menopause treatment, and what to ask your doctor.
Menopause symptoms, and what happens after menopause
Menopause symptoms, what age menopause starts, signs menopause is ending, and how to look after your bones, heart and vaginal health in postmenopause.
Free tools
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- Due date calculatorEstimate your due date, how many weeks pregnant you are and your trimester from the first day of your last period. Free and private.
- Ovulation and fertile window calculatorEstimate your ovulation day, fertile window and next three periods from your last period and cycle length. Free, private, method explained.
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