Ever wondered what
happens to your menstrual
cycle during pregnancy
and after birth? Sr Burgie
Ireland explains.
WITH A PERIOD
Punctuated
L&L | SEPTEMBER 2019 | 19pregnancy & birth
W
e all know the menstrual cycle is an essential part of
getting pregnant, but did you know a “should-have-
been” period, called the endometrium, plays an
important role during pregnancy, labour and birth?
Think of the womb as the “keeper of periods” and the ovaries as its
agent looking for a tenant. Once a tenant (the baby) has been found,
the agent’s job is done. This means the ovaries can go on holiday for a
while, because they don’t need to make oestrogen and progesterone
anymore. This function is taken over by the placenta. Pregnancy hormones
ensure the tenant honours the lease agreement for the full nine months.
About nine days after conception, the endometrium starts to change.
Instead of preparing to break down and come away as a period, it gets
thicker so it can nourish the fertilised egg. Over the next five days, this lining
changes and is called the decidua. It’s a thin lining covering the inner surface
of the womb, and acts as a buffer between the placenta and membranes
(waters). The decidua stretches with the womb over the next nine months. »