Female Menstruation

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Under the influence of FSH, an ovarian follicle begins to mature and produces, in turn, increasingly higher levels of estrogens. In response to estrogen stimulation, the uterine lining thickens with increased numbers of blood vessels and uterine glands.
In the ovulation phase at midcycle, the ovum is released as LH production surges and FSH output decreases. Gonadotropic hormones that control the output of ovarian hormones are in turn regulated by the level of ovarian hormones through a negative feedback mechanism. Thus, the increased level of estrogens depresses FSH production. Following ovulation, the follicle transforms into the corpus luteum ("yellow body") which produces progesterone. Around ovulation, some women feel a twinge or cramp in the lower abdomen or back, sometimes with vaginal discharge, perhaps bloody. This is called Mittelschmerz ("middle pain"). A few women have headaches, gastric pains, or sluggishness. Other women feel better around ovulation -- it's ...

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