There is no cycle. Only women with a uterus, ovaries and a cervix can experience a menstrual cycle. We have four stages actually. Follicular, ovulation, luteal and menstrual.
Our ovaries produce a great deal of these hormones. Other parts of the body such as the adrenal glands also produce these but think of the ovaries as holding the reigns calling the shots! None of this happens without these two organs.
In the follicular phase we have just finished our last period. Our body is gradually increasing estrogen and FSH to grow an egg follicle. The estrogen gives us energy and slowly raises our sex drive, then we ovulate causing a burst of testosterone! Yes women produce this too.
Actually did you know that ovulation is the only time women produce this hormone? If you are taking hormonal birth control then you never produce this (assuming the birth control is doing its job correctly) and you completely miss out on it. There are actually growing theories that this is why many women on hormonal birth control experience depression, low sex drive and fatigue.
Ovulation is the shortest stage. The egg is typically only available for 24-48 hours tops but the boost in hormones last for quite awhile as this tells the body “GET READY TO MAKE A BABY! GO GO GO!” and your body begins to produce a lot of progesterone telling your uterus to make a nice comfy thick lining of blood if that baby sticks they have a nice soft lining full of nutrients to make its home. After about a week and a half roughly depending on the lady the uterus will take no that no baby is happening and your progesterone will take a nose dive. This nose dive in your hormones is what causes PMS and moodiness.
So unless your friend’s trans lady is getting a very sophisticated and personalized round of hormones I highly doubt they are feeling anything like this. Typically they are just taking a flat dose of estrogen and completely missing out on these other complicated factors. They are certainly not experiencing cramps. That requires a uterus.
Did you know you can actually watch your cycle happen before you witness the symptoms? I do something called natural family planning and I can know 24 hours before a mood swing hits and predict my periods before they happen!
Here I’m happy to over share. 😂😂😂 I take my basal body temperature every morning with a special thermometer. When my estrogen is high my temp is low because estrogen lowers your body temp at night! When progesterone is high your body temp spikes. This usually happens around ovulation. As you can see the counting temps with numbers gain after I ovulate.
I usually experience what my husband calls “mini PMS” when I ovulate. I also have ovulation pain for about 12 hours.