The follicular phase is the part of your menstrual cycle that happens right after your period starts and up until you ovulate. During your follicular phase, your body gets ready to release an egg, and hormones like estrogen increase.
Several physical changes happen in your body during the follicular phase. Here’s what to know about these physical symptoms and how to recognize them:
Increased Energy Levels
It’s common to feel more energetic during your follicular phase. You may notice your energy increases, especially as you get close to the middle of your cycle, when you’re about to ovulate. Higher energy levels are usually due to the hormone estrogen, which increases during the follicular phase.
Lower Body Temps
During the follicular phase, your body temperature is slightly lower than during the phase after you ovulate. People who are trying to get pregnant sometimes track their basal body temperature, which you can take first thing in the morning with a basal body thermometer.
If you track your temperature like this, you’ll typically see that your basal body temperature is lower in the follicular phase, then rises after ovulation.
Better Sleep
You may notice that you sleep a bit better during your follicular phase. Research suggests that sleep duration (how long you sleep) is typically longer in the follicular phase than during the luteal phase, which is the second half of your cycle.
Breast Tenderness
Your follicular phase ends when you ovulate, or release an egg from your ovaries. That means that during the follicular phase, your body is getting ready to ovulate. Hormones such as estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) increase. These can cause your breasts to feel sore.
Increased Vaginal Discharge
As your body gets ready to ovulate, you may notice an increase in vaginal discharge. It may appear clear, eventually increasing and becoming slippery. This discharge is normal and means you will ovulate soon.
Ovulation Pain
Ovulation pain usually feels like pain on one side of your abdomen. It’s caused by the release of an egg during ovulation, but you may also feel it in the days before ovulation.
The follicular phase may affect your emotional experiences, too.
More Balanced Moods
Many people notice they are more emotionally balanced during their follicular phase. It’s thought that higher estrogen levels may protect you from stress and mood swings.
Sharper Mind
Your mind may feel sharper, too. Research suggests that estrogen levels during your follicular phase may play a role in memory consolidation, which is how your brain converts short-term memories into longer-lasting memories.
Increased Anxiety
Some people experience more anxiety during the follicular phase. This may be due to increased levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in your body during your follicular phase. Some studies have also found that people with panic disorder are more likely to have symptoms during the early part of the follicular phase.
Your symptoms during the follicular phase may not disrupt life very much. Some people do experience challenges during the follicular phase, including:
- Ovulation pain: If you experience ovulation pain, over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications and hot water bottles may help.
- Excess vaginal discharge: It’s normal to have more vaginal discharge close to ovulation, and you can use a pantyliner if it bothers you. If the vaginal fluid has a bad smell, or you also have irritated skin or a burning feeling, be sure to visit a healthcare provider to rule out an infection.
- Anxiety: If you see an uptick in your anxiety levels in this phase, consider relying on stress management techniques. Psychotherapy may also be helpful in learning to cope.
Becoming more aware of the different phases of your menstrual cycle has benefits. For example, becoming more in tune with your follicular phase may:
- Help you identify the early signs of fertility: This can help you get pregnant or remind you to take precautions to avoid pregnancy.
- Help you identify signs that you are having period problems or fertility issues: For example, if you have a very long follicular phase or a follicular phase that doesn’t end in ovulation, you may want to visit your healthcare provider to discuss causes.
- Help you identify signs of a vaginal infection: Understanding what normal discharge looks like for you in the follicular phase can help you notice when things don’t look or feel quite right.
During the follicular phase of your menstrual cycle, you may experience increased vaginal discharge, ovulation pain, more balanced moods, better sleep, and more energy.
Being more aware of these symptoms can help you time sex to get pregnant or avoid pregnancy. It may also help you become aware of what’s normal and what’s not normal for you during your menstrual cycle.
