At one time or another, most women will experience doubt or concern about maintaining genital hygiene, especially during menstruation. The stigma persists that the menstrual cycle renders female genitals unclean. While this is untrue, good personal hygiene includes appropriate cleansing during menstruation.

Water retention occurs when fluid builds up in the body. In most cases, fluid retention does not cause serious problems. But sometimes, fluid retention causes dangerous effects on the body.

Once a woman starts menstruating, she should expect to have a period every month or so. However, each woman's body, and therefore period timing, is unique. Once a woman is having regular periods, however, it is not normal to go six months between menstrual cycles. Consult your doctor for medical advice.

The reason for morning sickness hasn’t quite been determined, but many pregnant women with the condition know it’s not necessarily limited to the morning hours.

Most women who plan to get pregnant want to do everything they can to ensure that they're as healthy as possible prior to conceiving. This helps to provide for a healthy pregnancy. Neural tube defects, the second most common group of debilitating birth defects, can be reduced with adequate folic acid intake.

Many layers of anatomy behind the left breast can cause pain during exercise. The breast sits on top of the pectoralis major and minor muscles. Than there is the rib cage with bones, cartilage, intercostal muscles and nerves.

The menstrual cycle involves changes in hormone levels and the shedding of blood. The average length of a menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. Hormones produced during the menstrual cycle, such as estrogen and progesterone, are needed to maintain health.

Estradiol is a form of estrogen produced in the ovaries and released from the ovaries, adrenal cortex and placenta during pregnancy. Abnormal estradiol levels can indicate a problem with the reproductive organs or the adrenal glands. An estradiol test is a blood test most commonly used to evaluate ovarian function.

Your menstrual cycle is a bodily process that is healthy and normal; unfortunately, it is not always painless. Cramps, bloating, headaches and muscle stiffness are just some of the possible side effects of menstruation. Regularly eating a balanced diet can greatly improve these symptoms.

The World Health Organization recommends pregnant women take a daily iron supplement to reduce the risk of iron deficiency, anemia and low-birth weight. Even during pregnancy, though, you can have too much of a good thing. Too much iron may have a negative effect on your body and put your unborn baby at risk.

Exercise is no longer blamed for causing longer periods, increasing blood clots or increasing the risk of cramping. In fact, exercise is now understood to be the perfect antidote to each of these common complaints during menstruation.

It is not possible to confirm or rule out pregnancy on the basis of one or even several symptoms. Until your doctor detects a fetal heartbeat, any pregnancy symptoms you have experienced are merely indicators that you may be pregnant, says the American Pregnancy Association, or APA.