Objective 75: Explain what happens during the 3 phases of menstrual cycle

Me being a woman I can honestly say I did not know all the things I am about to say were going on in my body.  I learned this information from my textbook and the video below.  I learned about the phases of the menstrual cycle. Basically to keep it short in sweet I learned in the follicular phase the follicles of the ovaries develop.  That was an easy conclusion to remember.  In the ovulatory phase which was the phase I knew the most about before getting in depth with the book.  In this phase a surge of luteinizing hormones (LH) starts and it stimulates the follicle to emerge from the surface of the ovary and it bursts, letting the egg go.  The last phase is the luteal phase and it follows ovulation.  I learned it lasts about two weeks, unless fertilization happens.  So after the egg is let go, the corpus luteum prepares the uterus just in case fertilization occurs.  Also the corpus luteum produces progesterone, so  the endometrium can thicken, and be filled with nutrients just in case of a fetus.In the second part of the luteal phase, the estrogen level increases, also stimulating the endometrium to thicken. In response to the increase in estrogen and progesterone levels, the milk ducts in the breasts increase. As a result, the breasts may swell and become tender.