In 2015, ACOG published a report stating that menstruation should be recognized and understood as a vital sign of overall health. If you're experiencing irregular ovulation or irregular or missing periods, your body may be diverting energy away from the reproductive process in order to attend to another area of your health.

Period irregularities are overt, which is a good reason to listen to them. Often times, cycle irregularities are a clear message to us that something else in the body needs some support. But in order to tune into these messages, we need to first understand what is and isn't optimal when it comes to our cycles.

Here’s what an optimal menstrual cycle looks like:

• 3-7 days of bleeding, but how much bleeding the and quality of your blood matters too.  

• Ovulation that occurs between cycle day 12-21. Remember, ​​a true period must always be preceded by ovulation. 

• A total cycle length of 25-35 days, with a consistent length cycle-to-cycle being the most important

• 11-14 days between your ovulation and start of your next cycle, but pregnancy can occur with shorter luteal phase as well.

• No two cycles are alike, so your own fertility awareness is key.