Short luteal phase - referred to fertility clinic - what next?

Hey Ellen please can you confirm where you went ? X

@LondonladyTTC that’s what mine is like but not sure if the medication changed it. I can see online that it can but google just opens cans of worms. I can’t keep away from the thing 🙈 last month I stopped my prog on the Wednesday evening and got my period on the Sunday with no spotting. This month if stopped the prog on Wednesday and started brown spotting today. Drives me insane. I was expecting to go to full flow on Sunday! Or tomorrow without spotting. Because I had no blood tests this cycle I feel anxious that I didn’t have a good read for some reason. I’ve just got to ride this out and hope IVF is a success for me next year. Feeling so sad! Xx

@Loz2467 my TSH was only marginally higher than the advised limit (it was 2.7) so they said it would not have delayed our IVF cycle even if we had decided not to wait a few months. I am on a low dose of levothyroxine now and it needs to be rechecked in each pregnancy trimester Xx

@kennetrose I did read the thread and saw that about your periods. Mine is similar but starts with a week of spotting. Just upset it’s taken over 12 months to get some medication for it because I was told “progesterone doesn’t create a pregnancy” which I knew but I wanted to stop the spotting as it’s been driving me insane! I need to think the same - try these medicated cycles then if not move onto IVF and hope we get some embryos and it works. Because I lost our girl due to an infection I was worried it had damaged my lining but I’ve had a hysteroscopy and he said it all looked fine. Surely that wouldn’t affect my ovaries. Your mind can wander everywhere through infertility can’t it!

@LondonladyTTC did you get anything to help your thyroid? What was your TSH? Like I said I don’t know if my higher one was because of all the meds that cycle or not. Xx

@LondonladyTTC that’s great to hear that all your eggs fertilised! Shows the quality was good for sure!

Yeah my initial consultation covered those. So my AMH was 8.4 (was 35) which he said was low end of average but my follicle count was 21 so they said it didn’t really match and sometimes trickier to work out IVF meds. I don’t have PCOS or anything. I had my TSH done twice last year which was 1.5 and 1.4 but last month is was 2.9 but that was a full medicated cycle so I’m wondering if that changed it? Because even at the 1.5 and 1.4 I still had the spotting: just such a minefield just trying to work out why / how it started but maybe I just need to leave it to the professionals now. I have 3 more medicated cycles left which takes us to November ish then I’ll do IVF in the new year and I can always say I tried everything then. I just worry about the financial costs but I don’t want to get to 45 and regret not even trying.

@kennetrose congrats to you also! What great news! Yeah I’m relieved the prog has stopped the spotting but still panicking over the eggs and the follicle And my lining. Literally just so much anxiety which probably doesn’t help either. I do have a small fibroid but not in a place to affect conceiving. I guess like I said above I’ll ride the rest of the year out on these medicated cycles and see but I don’t feel very hopeful. I was hoping that it would work but after month 2 failing I’m just not hopeful. Was the only thing for you guys low prog? The luteal phase defect? I knew something wasn’t right when we couldn’t concieve again but it’s just crazy how it comes from no where! Xx

@Loz2467 that sounds really stressful but glad the progesterone is helping. It definitely wasn't an egg quality issue for me as all the mature eggs they collected fertilised and they all made it to day 3, which is meant to be the part of the IVF process egg quality is important for.

Before I started IVF, the clinic did a few tests to check if anything could hinder the processes. This included. Thyroid test (I found out my TSH was a bit too high, no idea if it was connected my my luteal phase though), pelvic scan including follicle count, AMH so if you are considering IVF it may make sense to start going through the motions and seeing what they say. Even if you want to wait for a few months (we ended up doing this), it gets the ball rolling and gives you piece of mind that there isn't anything obvious which could interfere with a cycle. Well it did for me anyway.

@LondonladyTTC congrats on your pregnancy! Thanks so much for getting back to me! I’ve been wracked with anxiety since the spotting started last July! I’ve spent a whole year TTC with spotting starting from 7 dpo because 2 of my prog reads were 61 and 37 p mol but I think they were dropping literally that day / day after. Then it was only in June on my first clomid cycle I had a prog read of 21 n mol which he said is low for a clomid cycle and would expect higher. I had that done the day I started spotting - 7 DPO. Because my bbt always stayed high too I almost felt in denial about the progesterone and was sure it was a polyp. I’m just worried if my lining isn’t right but I’ve had the camera done - and the progesterone pessary has stopped the spotting so does that mean my lining is reacting in a good way to the meds? I’m just so worried about egg quality. I’m 36. The spotting only started last July when I turned 35 and got my covid vaccine. I literally can’t find any reason for it hence why I’m worried to start IVF if it’s egg quality but your story is reasurring that it was nothing to do with egg quality for you xxx

Hi @Loz2467, so sorry to hear what you are going through and about your heartbreaking second trimester miscarriage.

I ended up having ICSI which was (so luckily) successful first round and now 30 weeks. That being said, I actually think my partners sperm was a large part of our problem in the end so not sure how much my short luteal phase contributed to our inability to conceive naturally. His count was pretty low which is why we needed ICSI.

I really hope things work out for you in the end, it is such a stressful journey so completely stressful empathise with how you must be feeling.

Hi Everyone I can see the thread hasn’t been active since last year but im struggling with luteal phase defect TTC number 2. I had a second trimester miscarriage in Feb 2021 and have been trying since and no luck’ so around 17 months. I finally decided to seek private back in January but I was still declined progesterone. I was getting brown spotting for 7 days before my period flow so anything from 5 dpo or 7dpo etc. Anyway I’ve had a hyterscopy to check for polyps and nothing so I’m now on. Clomid days 2-6. Estrogen days 7-11 and progesterone from 3 DPO. I’ve just finished my second medicated cycle of this and no pregnancy :( I conceived my 3 year old first time and then our miscarriage was a try first time and now we’ve had 17 months of this is just heartbreaking. I’m just worried if it’s egg quality and I don’t stand a chance! I had the spotting still when just On a clomid cycle but since the progesterone also I’ve had no spotting and I stop them and then my period starts in full flow 3/4 days later and a much better period. Does anyone have any success to give me some hope as it’s affecting me so much. Xxx

@kennetrose that must be so frustrating for you, sounds like it's a good job you were going private anyway. Please keep us updated as to how you get on.

So my update... I spoke to the dr on Monday and she's booked me in for another 21day bloods on Friday, as last lot didn't show I ovulated but was borderline. She says they like to do 3 sets as we can all have the odd off month where we don't ovulate. Booked in with her to get results on Monday too so I'm not waiting around for weeks again! She did suggest that if tests show I'm not ovulating then they can prescribe Clomid or something similar so that's positive news, I was wondering if it might take ages if I have to see a specialist. Although if I need a 3rd lot of tests I may put if off a month as I have my 2nd Covid jab and I don't want that to affect the results.

Anyone know if short luteal phase could just be because I'm not ovulating? Or are my levels just dropping off to quickly? Would the Clomid even help if I am actually ovulating? It's all so confusing!!

Hello op, I can't see that anyone has mentioned acupuncture for a short LP, but I had it before my son for this issue, and whilst I cannot of course definitively say it led to a successful pregnancy, I can say it took my ovulation day from day 18/19 weeks in a 27/28 day cycle to day 14, over the course of 3 months.

I had been monitoring it for over a year, so very confident in the timings.

I also took a mega dose of vitamin D, as it transpired I was extremely deficient.

Hope this is of some use.

So I chased the drs again and have a telephone appointment booked to discuss my blood test results but not until 21st June. I couldn't get out of the receptionist if the dr reviewed my results and wants to discuss them with me or if receptionist didn't know so just made me an appointment. So frustrating having to wait so long!

@kennetrose thank you for your reply. So it sounds like it's pure luck what level is considered normal, as I've read so many stories of GPs and others saying different things! I suppose I will wait and see what mine says. It was taken at only about 3dpo as my luteal phase is so short and I seem to ovulate late in my cycle.

Thanks for info on opks, that helps.

Let us know what they say when you push the dr.

I've ordered some folic acid and vit D for this cycle as that's all the nhs seem to recommend, I may then add vit C in a few cycles time. I just want to add things gradually as I don't want to screw my cycle up.

So a little update, I had 21 day bloods taken on day 20 a couple of weeks ago, chased up drs yesterday and only spoke to receptionist who will chase dr, I asked her what result was and she said 15 although she didn't seem very sure. I did have a really weird cycle last month (the month I have the test!) spotting from day 22 but AF didn't start till day 30 and was really heavy. I will wait to see what the dr says but I'm hoping they at least redo the test. Guessing these results aren't great?

When I spoke to her before she didn't think my short luteal phase was an issue and seemed to think because I was getting peaks on opks everything should be ok. I did push her a bit and managed to get the tests done. I do get 'peaks' on opks but the lines never seem that dark, although maybe due to when I test?

@kennetrose thank you for the reply.
I know there is no reason the pregnacare should affect my cycle in this way but just seems really strange that I've took them for 2 months and both cycles were dead on 22 days, previous to that most of my cycles were 24/25 days, so I think it's worth a shot, although I know ovulation may have been later on those cycles too. At least with a 3 week cycle I haven't got as long to see if it works!
I'll take you advice and just say to the gp about short irregular cycles, I might have a look and see how long the wait is to see the particular gp I want to see, if it's a while I'll just book an appointment now.

@LondonladyTTC thank you for the reply.
Had a good chat with DP last night and came up with a bit of a plan which I think does help with the stress.
Going to stop taking pregnacare and see what my cycle does this month, just because the only time I'm tracked ovulation properly is when I've been on them and my cycle seems to be shorter when taking them.
If I still have a short luteal phase next cycle then I'll see if I can get an appointment with a gp, there is a certain one at our practice that specialises more in women's health and I've seen her before and she seemed nice so🤞 might have to wait a few weeks for an appointment with her though!! I'll be 35 in July and I think at that point they will be more helpful if you've been TTC for 6 months, so that might help my case!
Do like the idea of the home test too, but like you said no idea what day I would take it on, 21 days would be pretty useless as AF would be about due then!

@Cantthinkofaname99 sorry to hear that you are going through this too. It is so frustrating. You can book an appointment at the GP but work of warning, some aren't that helpful unless you have been trying for a year and you might come away feeling frustrated, but I don't think there is any harm in trying through! The GP will actually probably be more interested in your irregular cycle length so I would mention that too as often short luteal phases are discounted as being a non issue. I have tried taking all sorts of supplements over the past 13 cycles and none of them made a difference to me until I got prescribed progesterone suppositories, but your short luteal phase could be caused be an entirely different problem which is helped by natural remedies. I would try speaking to the doc before taking and, and home test is a good idea. I got mine at 7dpo which is half way through a normal luteal phase but I am not sure when you would get yours since your AF will have arrived by then, needs a little research or you could ask the doc for advice on this when you see them. Another thing I have heard can work well is acupuncture if you can afford it. I did try for a month and that was the month I had a chemical pregnancy (might be a coincidence) but didn't enjoy it or find it relaxing like some people do and it was expensive (mine was almost as expensive as my private fertility treatment is costing) so stopped.

Good luck, and hope this stress ends soon🤞🏻

Hi ladies
I just stumbled across this thread, and I'm hoping someone can give me some advice.
we've been TTC #2 for 7 months. I've only been tracking ovulation for two cycles using cheap opks, both cycles get peak opk on Cd 16, but both cycles Af has arrived cd 22 which means I have a crazily short luteal phase of about 6 days. Before tracking cycles did seem to vary in length 21-26 days.
Started taking pregnacare conception about two months ago not sure if I should try some other vitamins (in addition or instead), try something else or just make an appointment with the gp. Although from reading this also considering getting a home progesterone test done.

6 day luteal phase is just really getting me down, and I don't know what to do.

So happy to have found this thread! I'm only on cycle 4 but have consistently had 8 day LP. First two cycles I ovulated on day 21 but last cycle I took soya isoflavones and ovulated day 16 but still 8 day LP. I use opks and track bbt to confirm O, but my bbt doesn't drop before AF. It's cd4 for me and it's still 36.74!

I went to the gp because I'm fed up and impatient. To my surprise he was great and did day 3 bloods yday and I'll be back then for day 21.

I bought agnus castus but I'm holding off this month to see what my bloods are like. Did anyone else find it at all helpful?