Regular Cycle (Baseline)
The pre-perimenopause phase where cycles are predictable, ovulation is regular, and hormonal patterns are stable.
Systems involved
Contributing factors
What It Is
Regular Cycle (Baseline) represents the reproductive years when your menstrual cycle follows a predictable rhythm. Ovulation occurs consistently, progesterone rises reliably in the second half of your cycle, and estrogen follows a familiar pattern month after month.
This is the hormonal foundation against which all peri-to-post menopause changes are measured. It's not necessarily symptom-free—many women experience PMS, cramps, or mood shifts—but the pattern is stable and predictable.
Characteristics
- Cycle length: 21-35 days, consistent from month to month
- Ovulation: Regular and detectable (via temperature, cervical mucus, or tracking)
- Progesterone: Rises predictably after ovulation
- Estrogen: Follows predictable rise and fall
- Symptoms: May include PMS, cramps, breast tenderness, but timing is consistent
Why It Matters
Understanding your baseline is crucial because perimenopause is defined by change from this pattern. The shift into Electric Cougar Puberty or other phases becomes noticeable precisely because it deviates from what your body has been doing for years.
Women who track their cycles during baseline years often have an easier time recognizing when perimenopause begins.
What's Normal in This Phase
- Cycles that vary by 1-3 days month to month
- Mild to moderate PMS symptoms
- Predictable energy patterns across the cycle
- Mid-cycle ovulation signs (increased libido, energy, cervical mucus)
- Manageable menstrual flow
When to Track
If you're in your late 30s or early 40s, tracking your baseline patterns now can help you:
- Recognize early perimenopause shifts
- Communicate clearly with healthcare providers
- Distinguish between stress-related changes and hormonal transitions
- Feel more confident about what's happening in your body
Transition Signs
You may be shifting out of baseline when:
- Cycle length changes by more than 7 days
- Ovulation becomes less predictable
- PMS symptoms intensify or shift timing
- Energy patterns become more variable
- Sleep quality changes cyclically
Duration
Baseline typically lasts from first period (menarche) through late 30s or early-to-mid 40s. The transition out of baseline is gradual and varies widely—some women shift into perimenopause in their late 30s, others not until their late 40s.
Phase impact
This IS the baseline phase. Cycles are regular, predictable, and stable.
Baseline is the reference point. Electric Cougar Puberty marks the departure from this stability.
Baseline feels like a distant memory as cycles become highly erratic.
The body is moving definitively away from baseline patterns toward cessation.
Baseline is complete. Menstruation has ended.
Women often reflect on baseline with appreciation for its predictability.
Baseline is a historical reference, no longer the body's operating mode.
Typical vs. concerning
Typical: Cycles that are consistent, symptoms that are manageable and predictable. Concerning: Very heavy bleeding (soaking through products in 1-2 hours), severe pain that interferes with daily life, cycles shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days consistently.
When it makes sense to get medical input
If you experience very heavy bleeding, severe pain, sudden cycle changes, or if cycles are consistently outside the 21-35 day range.