Menstrual cycle phases: which phase are you in today?
The menstrual cycle has four phases: your period, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase. Ovulation usually happens about 2 weeks before your next period, so most of the difference between a 25-day and a 35-day cycle comes before it. Enter your last period and cycle length to see where you are today.
Reviewed by Georgina Waugh, Clinical Nutritionist. Updated 13 September 2026.
General information, not medical advice. This wheel estimates phases from dates; it is not a fertility or contraception tool.
Where are you in your cycle today?
Nothing you enter leaves this page. Drag the day slider to explore any point in the cycle.
Leave the date blank to explore the phases with the day slider.
Illustrative shapes from textbook physiology, not your own hormone levels. The dark line marks the day you picked.
Your period (menstrual phase)
What is happening
The lining of the uterus sheds, and a period usually lasts 3 to 7 days, according to Better Health. Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of bleeding. Oestrogen and progesterone are both at their lowest around now.
What people often notice
Bleeding, and for many people cramps. Periods count as heavy if you need to change a pad or tampon more often than every 2 hours, bleed for more than 8 days, or pass clots larger than a 50 cent coin. About 1 in 4 females have heavy periods, says Healthdirect, and they can leave you tired.
When to see your GP
See your GP if your periods are heavy, last more than 8 days, or are so painful they affect your life. A heavy period with dizziness or weakness needs urgent care the same day.
Heavy periods can run your iron down. Our ferritin checker shows where your iron stores sit.
Follicular phase
What is happening
The follicular phase starts on day 1 and, in a 28-day cycle, lasts about 13 to 14 days. The uterus lining thickens and follicles grow in the ovaries, and usually only one matures into an egg (Better Health). Oestrogen climbs as that follicle grows, peaking just before ovulation (Endotext).
What people often notice
After the period ends, many people notice nothing in particular. How long this phase runs is the main reason cycles differ in length from person to person.
When to see your GP
See your GP if your periods come less than 21 days apart, more than 2 to 3 months apart, or you bleed between periods.
Ovulation (estimated)
What is happening
Ovulation is when an ovary releases an egg, usually about 2 weeks before your next period (Better Health). A surge in luteinising hormone (LH) starts about 36 hours before it (Endotext), and resting body temperature rises by 0.2 to 0.5°C afterwards (Healthdirect).
What people often notice
Some people notice clearer, stretchier cervical mucus or a one-sided twinge around this time, and many notice nothing at all.
When to see your GP
This day is an estimate from your cycle length. Healthdirect notes that calendar-based methods can be quite unreliable, so never use this wheel as contraception or to plan a pregnancy. Talk to your GP or Family Planning about both.
Luteal phase
What is happening
After ovulation the lining keeps thickening, and progesterone becomes the dominant hormone, peaking about a week after ovulation before both it and oestrogen fall away if there is no pregnancy (Endotext). Resting temperature stays slightly higher until your next period (Healthdirect).
What people often notice
This is when premenstrual symptoms show up. Healthdirect lists mood swings, irritability, bloating and sore breasts, usually in the second half of the cycle and easing shortly after a period starts. About 8 in 100 women have PMDD, a more severe form with stronger mood symptoms such as anger and anxiety.
When to see your GP
See your GP if premenstrual symptoms affect your daily life and simple changes have not helped. Keeping a record for at least 2 cycles helps them see the pattern.
If you need to talk to someone right now, Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, both free and open 24 hours. In an emergency, call 000.
Phases are estimated from the lengths you enter, using the standard pattern of ovulation about 2 weeks before the next period. Real cycles vary month to month. Hormone questions you want to talk through? Book a free 15-minute call.
The four phases at a glance
| Phase | In a 28-day cycle | The hormone story |
|---|---|---|
| Period | Days 1 to about 5 | Oestrogen and progesterone are low and the lining sheds. |
| Follicular | Day 1 to about day 13 | Oestrogen rises as a follicle matures, and the lining thickens. |
| Ovulation | Around day 14 | An LH surge triggers the release of an egg. |
| Luteal | About day 15 to 28 | Progesterone dominates, then falls before the next period. |
The follicular phase overlaps the period, because both start on day 1. The pattern follows Better Health and Endotext.
What is a normal cycle length?
The average cycle is 28 days, but a range is normal. Healthdirect describes a usual cycle as 21 to 35 days with a period of 3 to 7 days, while Better Health notes that people in their 20s and 30s can run anywhere from 21 to 38 days.
Regular does not mean identical. Under the international FIGO definition summarised in StatPearls, cycles count as regular when your shortest and longest differ by 7 days or less between the ages of 26 and 41, or by 9 days or less at 18 to 25 and 42 to 45. Irregular periods affect about 1 in 5 women of reproductive age, according to Healthdirect.
Why the luteal phase is when you feel it
Premenstrual symptoms follow the hormone changes of the second half of the cycle. Healthdirect describes them as usually starting after ovulation and easing shortly after a period begins, and suggests keeping a record for at least 2 cycles before seeing your doctor, so the pattern is clear. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), the severe form that affects about 8 in 100 women, brings stronger emotional symptoms such as anger and anxiety, and is worth raising with your GP rather than pushing through.
That record is where this wheel helps: note the day of your cycle when symptoms start and stop. If they land in the same phase each month, that is useful information to take to your GP.
What I ask about first. How long your cycles usually run, whether that has changed, and whether your periods are heavy.
Heavy periods are a common reason iron runs low, and low iron can look a lot like the tiredness people put down to hormones. So a cycle history and a ferritin result often belong in the same conversation.
If you need to talk to someone right now, Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, both free and open 24 hours. In an emergency, call 000.
Heavy periods and your iron
About 1 in 4 females have heavy periods, and Healthdirect notes they can leave you feeling very tired or looking pale. If your periods are heavy, it is worth asking your GP about iron studies. Our ferritin levels checker explains what the number means, including why a result reported as normal can still be low.
Why an app or calendar cannot pin down ovulation
Every date-based tool, this one included, assumes ovulation happens about 2 weeks before the next period. Real cycles move around that. Healthdirect describes calendar-based methods as quite unreliable and not suitable for people with irregular periods. Use the wheel to understand your cycle, not to avoid or plan a pregnancy.
When to see your GP
Talk to your GP if
- your period pattern changes
- your periods are getting heavier, or you need to change a pad or tampon more often than every 2 hours
- your periods last more than 8 days
- your periods come less than 21 days apart, or more than 2 to 3 months apart
- period pain affects your quality of life
- you bleed between periods or after sex
- premenstrual symptoms affect your daily life
Get urgent care the same day for a heavy period with dizziness or weakness. These points come from Better Health and Healthdirect.
If hormones are the bigger question, our page on women's hormone support explains how we work with cycle concerns, and our guide to the DUTCH hormone test covers what a hormone test can and cannot show.
Want help making sense of your cycle?
Bring what you have noticed: your usual cycle length, when symptoms show up, how heavy your periods are, and any bloods you already have. A free 15-minute call is usually enough to work out whether your GP, a change to your routine, or a closer look comes first. No test is booked on the call.
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Common questions about cycle phases
What are the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle?
The period (menstruation), the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase. The follicular phase runs from the first day of your period until ovulation, and the luteal phase runs from ovulation until your next period starts.
What happens in the follicular phase?
The follicular phase starts on the first day of your period and runs until ovulation, about 13 to 14 days in a 28-day cycle. The lining of the uterus thickens, follicles grow in the ovaries and usually one matures into an egg, while oestrogen rises towards its peak just before ovulation.
How long is the luteal phase?
Ovulation usually happens about 2 weeks before your next period, so in most cycles the luteal phase lasts around 2 weeks. When cycles differ in length, it is mostly the follicular phase before ovulation that changes.
What is a normal menstrual cycle length?
The average is 28 days. Healthdirect describes a usual cycle as 21 to 35 days, and the international FIGO definition counts 24 to 38 days as normal, with periods lasting 8 days or less.
Can this tell me when I am fertile?
No. The ovulation day on the wheel is an estimate from your cycle length, and calendar-based methods can be quite unreliable. It should never be used as contraception or to plan a pregnancy.
When should I see a doctor about my periods?
Talk to your GP if your periods change pattern, get heavier, last more than 8 days, come less than 21 days apart or more than 2 to 3 months apart, are so painful they affect your life, or if you bleed between periods or after sex.
Sources
- Better Health Channel (Victorian Department of Health). The menstrual cycle. The four phases, average cycle and period length, ovulation about two weeks before the next period, and when to talk to your doctor.
- Thiyagarajan DK, Basit H, Jeanmonod R. Physiology, Menstrual Cycle. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. FIGO definitions of normal cycle frequency (24 to 38 days), duration (8 days or less) and regularity by age, and the ovarian and endometrial cycles.
- Reed BG, Carr BR. The Normal Menstrual Cycle and the Control of Ovulation. Endotext, NCBI Bookshelf. Hormone changes across the follicular and luteal phases, and the LH surge beginning about 36 hours before ovulation.
- Healthdirect Australia. Irregular periods. Cycles usually 21 to 35 days, periods 3 to 7 days, and irregular periods affecting about 1 in 5 women of reproductive age.
- Healthdirect Australia. Heavy periods. About 1 in 4 females have heavy periods, the signs, tiredness, and when to seek urgent care.
- Healthdirect Australia. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Timing and common symptoms of PMS, PMDD in about 8 in 100 women, keeping a two-cycle record, and when to see a doctor.
- Healthdirect Australia. Natural family planning. The rise in resting temperature after ovulation, and calendar-based methods being quite unreliable.
Important: This page is general information, reviewed by a clinical nutritionist. It is not medical advice and does not replace care from your GP or another qualified health professional. The wheel estimates phases from the dates and lengths you enter; it is not a fertility, contraception or pregnancy tool. Read our full disclaimer.
Reviewed by Georgina Waugh
Clinical Nutritionist, BHSc Nutritional Medicine
Last updated: 13 September 2026
Sources reviewed: Better Health Channel, Healthdirect, StatPearls and Endotext