CYCLEBEADS

Still on the topic of menstruation, I'd like to discuss CycleBeads. They are a simple way to visually track your cycle each month.

My strand, same as the one pictured above, contains one red bead, nineteen brown beads, and twelve white (fancy, glow-in-the-dark) beads. Here's how it works: Each bead represents a day of your cycle. The red bead represents the day you start your period, day 1 of your cycle. The white beads represent the days you are likely to be fertile, days 8-19 of your cycle. The brown beads represent days you are unlikely to be fertile, days 2-7 & 20-32 of your cycle. There is also an arrow bead pointing toward the red bead, so you always remember which direction to move the rubber circle. By moving the rubber circle to a new bead each day, you work your way around the strand & your cycle. Each time you start another period, you move the rubber circle to the red bead on that day & then continue around the strand each day in the same direction.

They are designed to work for women who have cycles between 26 & 32 days long, so be aware they are not effective for everyone.

The 26th bead (from the red bead) is a slightly darker brown. This indicates a 26 day cycle. If your next period begins before you reach the dark brown bead, then your cycle is shorter than 26 days & this method will not work for you. Keep in mind, you will not necessarily use every bead in the strand each month, since you always start over on the red bead the day of your period. Also, if you have utilized every bead in the strand & still haven't started your next period, they will not be effective because your cycle is longer than 32 days.

If your cycles are between 26-32 days, then CycleBeads can be used both to help plan & prevent pregnancy. Therefore, they are useful through different stages of your life. I actually purchased mine to keep track of the days of my cycle, helping me chart my symptoms, emotions, moods, cravings & pain levels as they correspond to each day of my cycle. Using them has made me more aware of my cycle & the changes I experience throughout the month.

You can find out more about CycleBeads at their website. They have introduced different colored strands since I purchased mine. The idea is the exactly the same though, each set contains light colored beads, dark colored beads, one red bead, one arrow & one rubber circle.

I appreciate mine tremendously! I feel more in tune with my body when I use them. If you are interested, I encourage you to do your own research to see if they are right for you.