Starting cycle tracking: a simple plan for your first 3 months

You've decided to start tracking your cycle, but you're not sure where to begin: should you write everything down, how much detail is enough, and when will you start to see anything? The good news is that you don't have to get it all right on day one. In this article you'll find a simple plan that splits your first three months into steps: log a little first, then settle into the habit, and finally look back and read your own records.

Why give your first three months a plan?

Many people who start tracking write down everything in the first week with great enthusiasm, and by the second month the entries thin out. The reason usually isn't willpower; it's asking too much of yourself at the start. Spreading the load across months makes tracking something you can keep up.

Three months isn't a magic number, but a single cycle tells you very little. The NHS, the UK's national health service, explains that for many people a period comes roughly every four weeks, and that it's common for it to come more or less often. In other words, cycles can vary from person to person and from month to month in the same person. Seeing a few months side by side helps you get to know your pattern through your own records rather than a general average.

This plan isn't a counting method; it's a rhythm for getting started. If you'd like to know how to count your cycle length step by step, have a look at how to track your period and work out cycle length; we won't repeat that here.

Month 1: just the start, the end and a few notes

Your only goal in the first month is to get logging started. So keep the list short:

• Start date: Write down the day your period starts, on the day or the next day at the latest.
• End date: When the bleeding stops, add the end date to the same entry.
• One or two short notes at most: One thing that stood out that month is enough, such as "tired on the first two days".

Decide once this month how you'll count spotting days, and use the same rule in the months that follow. If you write your rule down, you won't be wondering in month three why you marked a day the way you did.

It matters not to drown in notes this month. Don't try to follow pain, mood, sleep and energy all at once. We've gathered ideas on which notes may be useful later in what to note when tracking your period; for now, picking just one or two from there is enough.

Missing a day is fine too. Add the date when you remember; if you're not sure, write "approximate" next to it. Your first month's record may have gaps, and it's still better than no record at all.

Month 2: habit and consistency

In the second month, focus on doing the same thing in the same way instead of adding something new. Consistency is what lets you compare your records in month three.

1. Fix a moment for logging. For example, a quick look every evening while you brush your teeth or in the morning over coffee. Logging that's attached to an existing habit is harder to forget.
2. Keep the same rules. Whatever day you counted as day 1 and however you marked spotting in month one, do the same this month.
3. Use the same words in your notes. If you write "mild pain" one month and "a bit achy" the next, comparing gets harder. Settle on three or four short phrases.
4. Add one topic at most. If you kept a single note in month one, you can add one more topic this month if you like, but no more.
5. Take a minute at the end of the month. Check briefly whether your records are complete or have missing days, and fill in the gaps.

There may be busy days this month when you forget to log. Instead of blaming yourself, pick up where you left off. Empty days tell you something too: that week was busy, that's all.

Month 3: look back and read your own records

When your third period ends, you'll have three months of records in front of you. Now, instead of logging something new, sit down once and look back. A short, calm moment is all you need. You can ask yourself:

• How did my start dates change from month to month?
• How many days did my period last each month; are the lengths close or different?
• Is anything repeated in my notes, such as an observation I always wrote on the same days?
• Are there gaps in my records, and if so, in which weeks?

The point isn't to diagnose yourself or to predict the date of your next period. The point is to learn to read your own records and to be able to talk in concrete dates at a check-up.

After this look back, make a small decision for the next three months: which note will you drop, and which will you keep? If logging starts to feel like a chore after a while, simplifying is an option too.

When should you talk to your doctor?

A cycle that changes a little from month to month is often normal. Still, if something in your records catches your attention, it's better to talk to your doctor than to interpret it on your own. For example:

• If you bleed between periods
• If bleeding is much heavier than you're used to or lasts much longer
• If your period hasn't come for a few months or your pattern has clearly changed
• If pain makes everyday life difficult

ACOG, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, notes that before a visit about abnormal bleeding it can help to note the dates, length and heaviness of bleeding on a calendar for several weeks. That's exactly why your three months of records are useful. If you take a medicine or use a contraceptive method, you can talk that through with your doctor or pharmacist too.

If you have very severe pain that starts suddenly or heavy bleeding that won't stop, don't wait: call your local emergency number.

Putting the three-month plan into practice in Oveluni

In Oveluni, the Cycle area opens when you choose the women's profile. In the app, the plan works roughly like this:

• Month 1: When your period starts, open the Period days record from the Quick add menu and enter the start date; when it ends, add the end date. For short observations you can use the A note option in Quick add.
• Month 2: Your period days appear in their own color on the Calendar, so you spot a missing day at a glance and add the date when you remember.
• Month 3: In Summaries, use the time frame filter to look at your recent months and see your recorded period lengths; with period comparison you can put two equal time frames side by side.

If you'd like a break for a while, you can turn the Cycle area off; your past records are kept. Only recorded history is shown; there are no fertility, ovulation or pregnancy predictions. Oveluni is coming soon to the App Store.

Sources

1. NHS: Periods
2. ACOG: Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)