You Can't Fix What You Don't Track

Skye Sunderland
Sep 1
7 min read

Most women grow up learning very little about their menstrual cycle beyond the fact that a period comes each month. Symptoms such as cramps, bloating, fatigue, or mood swings are often dismissed as normal rather than signals worth paying attention to.

Doctors often hand out the pill as a one-size-fits-all solution for everything from acne to PMS, without women ever being encouraged to understand or even track their own cycles. By the time irregular bleeding, painful periods, fertility struggles, or perimenopause symptoms show up, many women realize they have no real baseline knowledge of what their cycle should look like in the first place..

This gap is not individual neglect but a systemic failure in women’s health education and research. Tracking from the very first cycle through to 12 months after the last period (the definition of menopause) provides women with data they can use to better understand their bodies, anticipate changes, and support both health and quality of life across every stage.

Without tracking, there’s no baseline

Why Cycle Tracking Matters Throughout the Lifespan

The menstrual cycle is not only a marker of fertility—it’s a vital sign that reflects hormonal health, metabolic function, and overall wellbeing. From the very first bleed in adolescence, through the decades of reproduction, into the menopause transition, and right up until twelve months after the final period (the clinical definition of menopause), the cycle remains a woman’s most important tool.

1) Puberty & Adolescence (menarche → ~3 years)

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) describe a girl’s period as a vital sign—just as important to monitor as blood pressure, pulse, or temperature. Why? Because your menstrual cycle reflects what’s happening inside your body, not just in the reproductive system, but in your overall health.

In the first few years after a girl gets her first period (menarche), it’s completely normal for cycles to be anovulatory or irregular. The brain–ovary communication system (the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis) is still maturing, and it can take some time for cycles to settle into a more regular rhythm. By the third year after menarche, ~60–80% of cycles fall into the adult-typical 21–34-day range.

Normal symptoms in this stage include:

Irregular cycle length: cycles may vary significantly month to month (sometimes 21 days, sometimes 45+).
Anovulatory cycles: bleeding can occur without ovulation, leading to lighter or heavier bleeds.
Heavier or lighter flow variation: the endometrium is still adjusting to fluctuating estrogen and progesterone exposure.
Mild acne and oily skin: androgens are relatively high compared to estrogen/progesterone at this stage.
Breast tenderness or mild swelling: due to fluctuating estrogen.
Mood fluctuations and fatigue: as the brain is learning to regulate rising and falling sex hormones.
Mild cramps (dysmenorrhea): prostaglandins are elevated in adolescence, often calming down with age and consistent ovulation.

What is not normal (and needs assessment, not an automatic pill prescription):

Very heavy bleeding or prolonged bleeding: this can deplete iron stores, causing fatigue, poor concentration, and dizziness. Doctors often diagnose this as anemia and prescribe iron supplements or infusions, but these only treat the symptom (low iron). Unless the underlying root cause (heavy bleeding, clotting disorder like von Willebrand, thyroid dysfunction, or structural issues) is identified and addressed, the anemia will keep recurring.
Severe, debilitating pain: may indicate endometriosis or other pathology.
No period for >3 months (secondary amenorrhea): signals an underlying hormonal or metabolic issue.
Excessive acne, hirsutism, or obesity-related cycle disturbances: may point to PCOS or thyroid dysfunction.
Very light or irregular cycles with fatigue or mood/weight changes: may suggest thyroid dysfunction.
Persistently anovulatory or absent cycles: could indicate PCOS.
Very delayed cycles: may reflect pituitary or other endocrine conditions.
Any symptom limiting school, sport, or daily life: pain or bleeding this severe is not “just part of being a woman.”

If cycles are tracked from the start, it becomes easier to see the difference between normal maturation and a genuine medical issue. This prevents two problems:

Overtreatment
Missed Diagnosis

2) Reproductive Years (ovulatory stability, fertility, health screening)

During the reproductive years, the menstrual cycle is both a marker of fertility and a barometer of overall health. A “normal” adult cycle typically falls between 21–34 days, with bleeding lasting 3–7 days and relatively predictable symptoms. Tracking in this stage provides insight into fertility, energy balance, endocrine health, and early detection of pathology.

Normal symptoms in this stage include:

Cycle length variability: ranging 21–45 days is considered normal.
Flow: bleeding lasting 2–7 days, not excessively heavy (changing protection every 3+ hours is fine).
Cervical mucus changes: may be inconsistent but cervical mucus, while different consistency, across the cycle is normal.
Mood or performance shifts: slight energy or mood fluctuations, but not disruptive.
Light breast fullness: subtle luteal-phase tissue response, not painful or disabling.

What is not normal (and needs assessment, not just the pill):

Very heavy or prolonged bleeding: soaking products hourly, clots >2.5cm, or >7 days; may indicate fibroids, clotting disorders, thyroid/endocrine dysfunction. Treating iron deficiency alone ignores the root cause.
Severe pain: pain interfering with work, school, or activity — possible endometriosis/adenomyosis.
Irregular cycles (<21 or >35 days consistently, skipped cycles): may indicate PCOS, thyroid disease, hypothalamic dysfunction.
Severe premenstrual mood symptoms: PMDD or endocrine/psychiatric imbalance; requires daily prospective tracking.
Acne, hirsutism, or hair loss beyond mild cosmetic changes: androgen excess, PCOS, or thyroid pathology.
Sudden changes after years of stability: new pain, bleeding, or irregularity — always warrants investigation.
Cycle disturbances related to energy deficit: oligomenorrhea/amenorrhea from low energy availability/RED-S.

Tracking throughout these years supports fertility awareness, identifies red flags early, and prevents years of being offered symptom-management (the pill, iron, painkillers) instead of true diagnosis (root cause) and treatment.

What to Record (minimum dataset)

Dates: First day of bleeding (= day 1), bleed duration.
Flow: Light/medium/heavy by day; nocturnal changes; flooding/clots.
Symptoms: Pain (site/severity), mood, sleep, cognition, vasomotor, GI, breast, skin.
Ovulation: Cervical mucus categories, LH strips, body temperature (BBT).
Lifestyle Covariates: Training load, energy intake/rough macros, illness, meds, travel/stress.

Adolescence (menarche → ~3 years)

Cycle length & regularity: record the first day of bleeding each month; track cycle length in days; note skipped cycles or large variations (>35 days).
Flow (amount & duration): log pads/tampons per day, clot size, and total duration; heavy/prolonged bleeding (>7 days or soaking >1 pad/tampon per hour) flags possible anemia or clotting issues.
Pain/cramps: rate 0–10 daily, note timing and whether it interferes with school or activities.
Mood changes: track daily mood, irritability, or anxiety on a 0–10 scale; note impact on school, social life, or family interactions.
Skin changes (acne, hair growth/loss): record severity and timing; note persistent patterns suggesting PCOS or hormonal imbalance.
Energy levels & concentration: daily note fatigue, focus, or dizziness; can highlight anemia, overtraining, or under-fueling.

Reproductive Years (~20s–40s)

Cycle regularity & ovulation signs: log first day of bleeding each cycle; track cervical mucus, BBT, or LH tests if ovulation timing is relevant.
Flow & pain: record pads/tampons per day, clot size, total duration, and cramp intensity 0–10; note interference with work or training.
Mood, sleep, energy: track daily mood, sleep quality, and energy on 0–10 scale; note patterns across the cycle.
Weight & body composition: track weekly weight, waist/hip measurements, or body fat changes alongside cycle data.
Skin/hair: monitor acne, hair loss/growth, texture changes; log timing relative to cycle.
Sexual function (libido, pain): record libido changes, pain with sex, or discomfort; include frequency and cycle day.

Peri-Menopause (~late 30s up to 12 months post final period)

Cycle changes (shorter, longer, missed): log first day of bleeding; record cycle length each month and note skipped cycles or sudden shifts.
Bleeding patterns: track pads/tampons per day, clot size, total duration, and spotting between periods; heavy or irregular bleeding flags fibroids, polyps, or endometrial issues.
Sleep quality & hot flashes/night sweats: note frequency, duration, and severity daily.
Mood & cognition: record anxiety, depression, “brain fog” daily on a 0–10 scale; note interference with work or relationships.
Weight & metabolic markers: log weekly weight, dietary changes, and relevant lab results (glucose, cholesterol) if available.
Bone/joint pain: rate 0–10 daily, track location and duration; sudden increases may flag early osteoporosis or musculoskeletal issues.

Tools for Tracking

Cycle Tracking Apps: Apps like Clue, Flo, or Natural Cycles make it easy to log bleeding patterns, symptoms, and mood. These tools aren’t perfect (most datasets skew toward younger users, and accuracy depends on consistency), but they are a practical entry point.

Journals or Spreadsheets: For those who prefer pen and paper, simple logs can be just as effective. Noting cycle day, bleeding, sleep quality, energy levels, mood, recovery, and nutrition builds a comprehensive picture over time. To make this easier, I provide a free symptom tracking PDF and guided journal in our app, designed to help women focus on what matters most and understand what their data really means.

Hormone Monitors: Devices that measure LH, estrogen, and progesterone provide quantifiable data on hormonal fluctuations. Research (Meyers et al., 2023) demonstrates these tools can help identify perimenopause onset and true health concerns.

Symptom Checklists: Standardized lists (such as the National Menopause Foundation’s 36 recognized symptoms) help track the presence and severity of changes. Over time, these highlight patterns that guide targeted strategies rather than reactive solutions.

You Can’t Fix What You Don’t Track

Tracking is not about obsessing over your period—it’s about building a baseline so you understand what is normal for you. Without it, every symptom becomes confusing, and solutions are often reactive: the pill for pain, iron for fatigue, or painkillers for cramps. These treat the symptom, not the cause.

From the first bleed in adolescence through reproductive years and into perimenopause, tracking gives women the ability to:

Spot early warning signs of endocrine, reproductive, or metabolic issues.
Differentiate normal cyclical changes from red flags that require investigation.
Understand how lifestyle, stress, nutrition, and training affect their cycles.
Advocate for themselves in medical settings, with concrete data rather than vague complaints.
Anticipate changes during perimenopause and menopause, rather than react to them.

Every woman can take control of her health by her menstrual cycle. This is data you own—and data that empowers better decisions, better conversations with healthcare providers, and ultimately better outcomes for your health and quality of life.

You can’t fix what you don’t track.

Are ready to take control of your cycle, symptoms, and address the root causes?

Download our free app today to access cycle trackers, symptom logs, and guided journals—everything you need to start understanding your body and spotting patterns that matter.

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