Red Tent PMDD groups your cycle into four phases—Menstrual, Follicular, Ovulatory, and Luteal—with definitions in Reports. Learn what each means, typical length estimates, and when the app shows Let us know or an atypical cycle instead of a named phase.
What the four cycle phases are
Each phase is a span in your cycle with hormone patterns the app uses for tracking and Reports. Descriptions in the app are educational copy—not medical advice.
- Menstrual — bleeding phase; cycle day 1 starts when your period begins.
- Follicular — rising estrogen from after Menstrual through ovulation.
- Ovulatory — brief mid-cycle window when an egg is released (1–3 days in app copy).
- Luteal — after ovulation when progesterone rises; often most challenging for PMDD tracking.
Phase order and typical length
- Fixed order — Menstrual → Follicular → Ovulatory → Luteal (same order on Reports Phase Breakdown).
- Cycle day 1 — first day of bleeding; phases follow from that anchor.
- Typical proportions — for a ~29-day cycle the app models about 5 / 8 / 3 / 13 days; lengths scale to your logged cycle length.
- Ovulatory only — app description explicitly states 1–3 days; other phases do not show fixed day counts in definition copy.
- Your averages — Reports Overview rows and Phase Detail charts show personal whole-day averages, not these defaults (see Phase detail and your lengths).
✦Typical lengths are on-device estimates that adjust to your cycle—they are not medical norms, lab results, or a diagnosis.
Read definitions in Reports
01
Reports
Tap Reports in the bottom tab bar.
02
Overview
Stay on Overview—the default sub-tab when Reports opens.
03
Phase breakdown
Scroll to four rows—Menstrual, Follicular, Ovulatory, and Luteal. Each shows a color chip, phase name, and a whole-day average such as 5 Days.
04
Luteal
Tap any phase row—Menstrual, Follicular, Ovulatory, or Luteal—to open Phase Detail with that phase's educational description.
05
Back
Use the back chevron to return to Overview. No Done button. Length over cycles charts and Phase History are covered in the Phase detail article—not repeated here.
What each phase means in the app
- Menstrual — bleeding starts day 1; estrogen and progesterone lowest; some with PMDD feel relief from luteal symptoms.
- Follicular — copy references day 1 through ovulation, but for analysis the app measures from when Menstrual ends until ovulation begins.
- Ovulatory — mid-cycle egg release; brief 1–3 day window; some with PMDD notice a short symptom flare.
- Luteal — after ovulation, progesterone rises; often the most challenging phase for PMDD; tracking helps you see your pattern.
✦Phase paragraphs describe general patterns—not treatment advice or a clinical assessment. See Medical disclaimer for health decisions.
On Home — current phase name only
Home's cycle tracker shows your current phase title and Day N in the center—it does not show the educational paragraphs. Tap through Reports for full definitions.
- Uppercased phase name and Day N — e.g. LUTEAL, Day 14 — when the app can calculate a phase for the selected date.
- Ring colors and interactions — see Home cycle tracker article; not repeated here.
When a phase cannot be shown
- Let us know — Home phase title when the cycle cannot be determined; empty phase arcs and no cycle day.
- Cycle information is unavailable — next-event text on Home when predictions lack enough data.
- Atypical cycles — fewer than 21 or more than 40 days render one gray ring segment; no separate atypical label in the UI.
- No tap target for unknown or atypical states — log period starts to restore phase display.
- Prediction detail — next period and ovulation estimates are covered in a separate article.