The Short Luteal Phase Gang

[onedaybaby]

Hi,

I've noticed that the question about a short LP comes up quite a lot, and I would love it if we had our own thread to discuss where methods we are doing to try to increase it, lengths and what the dr thinks!

My LP is 8 days with a 31 day cycle.

I am currently taking Agnus Castus and have had accupuncture for 2 months. I also use the CBFM.

This will be my 9th month TTC. I have had the 21 day blood test (which has to be done on 28), the day 3 blood test and an ultrascan. All tests are normal.

Thanks for your help, joycep - I also wondered about progesterone levels but am similarly prone to medical speculation despite my total lack of training! Will let you know how Friday goes.

Any news MrsH? AF or third go?
joy Sorry AF got you. How's the Clomid going?
Hope you're both feeling positive about the Clomid step. I was.

Welcome love. Your cycles sounds very similar to mine. Good luck with the testing. Btw I tried B6 and I thought it helped, but my consultant says it doesn't, so I don't know.

I'm on 11dpo and no sign of AF, but also testing BFN (I know I shouldn't but I always do). I'll have to wait and see.

Hello all!
Thanks for 'checking in' greengrassy. Fairly heavy spotting today so think AF is on her way. Got to 7dpo with no spotting though (normally start at 5dpo) so rather happy with that! I'll have to see when I do come 'on' properly. Had kind of lost all belief that I was pregnant - so to be honest I was fairly happy to see the spotting as it means I can start Clomid very soon!
Welcome love. Do let us know what your doc says! I've now decided to cut out all my supplements (B6, B complex, omegas and vit D!), Chinese herbs and acupuncture as I don't think anything made a difference to be honest. Just sticking with my Pregnacare for obvious reasons.
Greengrassy - really good luck! Keeping everything crossed for you! x

Sorry about the spotting but hopefully MrsHY you can now move on.
I'm only on the Pregnacare. I quit the acupuncture and b6 as well. I have gone and bought some of the robittisun as i gather clomid can have a bad effect on ewcm. Perhaps over thinking this.
Really have my fingers crossed for you grassy. So far , so good for me. Scan on Monday and so will see what has happened

BFP!!!!!!!

This morning had faintest waft of a line on Internet cheapie so tested with a first response and got a definite line. Yay!!! Hooray for clomid. It's so early so am trying to pace excitment as last time had a mc. Due date from previous time was today!

Happy clomid is ok for you joy. Let us know how it goes on Monday. Was worried about cm too so bought preseed. Didn't actually use it this month though. We SWIed a couple of days before scan, and the night before too.

Hope AF comes/has come prop MrsH, so you can start.

Wow! Congrats.

OMG greeengrassy - that is fab, well done!! Really hoping this one goes all the way. Please keep us posted on developments. Do you have to go and get progesterone to support the pregnancy?
oh you have really given me hope now as our situations have been kind of similar!!!!

Goo luck.

WOOP! Greengrassy that's ace!! So chuffed for you! Keep us posted won't you. By the way, what dose of Clomid were you on and for which days? I'm on 50mg days 2-6 to start with but I've been reading a thread on another forum and got myself concerned that this relatively low dose won't make any difference, but then I DO ovulate on my own I guess. I wish I wouldn't over-analyze everything!

Apols greengrassy - I've re-read the thread and I see that you were on 50mg cd2-6 too! Hurrah! I want a piece of your action! (OK, that sounds a bit wrong...)

I've been reading this thread for a few weeks now too. I had a miscarriage in February and saw the consultant who treated me privately on Monday when I started my period as the gap between ovulating and getting my period was only 8 days! I've been put on clomid 50mg days 2-6 which I started yesterday. I'm hoping and keeping everything crossed it works! Have a scan next Friday cd13 to see the egg/follicles. Is it revolting to bd the night before? My consultant has said the egg can last 2 days and the time to have sex is the day of ovulation and the day after too!

Greengrassy, can I ask how often you bd'd?

Hi ditzy1
Welcome! I don't think I'll be far behind you - I think day one of 'full flow' (isn't that revolting) AF will be tomorrow, then I'll be on the same Clomid regimen as you.
I've been told to BD every other day from cd10-cd20, and also to use OPKs in this timeframe. So, if I get a positive OPK on day 17 let' say, we'll BD that day too!
I'm so interested to see what differences, if any, Clomid makes to my cycle. Like you, I only tend to get 8 days, max 9, between O and my period. But I don't tend to O until day 25, and this month it was day 37!
Sorry to hear about your miscarriage by the way. How far along were you?
x

And hi ditzy - i started on the clomid on Sunday, same dosage as you. I think we will bd every other day as well from about now as i normally ovulae around day 15/16 and not sure when i will on clomid. I was always told the egg only lasts 24hrs max but i guess just before and day of ovulation is the best time to bd...i wonder whether it depends on how fast the swimmers are!! My DH's aren't the most mobile so i think i will need to bd several days before to give them a head start .

Let's hope we all follow in Greengrassy's footsteps!

Hi back everyone! It was actually an ectopic that cleared itself, pretty awful though :(

I've just been reading back again and seen other people are being given HSG shots, my consultant hasn't mentioned this? And he's scanning me on day 13, I wonder why when everyone else seems to have been scanned earlier? Also, the consultant I'm having to pay to see also works for the NHS but the wait would have been too long. I wonder if he would have given me clomid on the NHS? It seems they don't like giving it out? I wonder why when they will privately?

Anyway, it's lovely to know there are people out there who don't get pregnant at the drop of a hat who you can share experiences with. Let's hope this is a lucky thread!!!

Thank you, ladies, for the well wishes. I did have an hcg and progest blood test today and everything looks good (to the extent that they can say). I'm really excited and really, really nervous! I thought of you all almost immediately after doing the test, and really hope that the Clomid works quickly for you too. Though I don't really know if it was the Clomid or just a coincidence. DH and I really went for it with the SWI because he is slightly less stressed at work, and I think this may have had something to do with it too.

Joy Thank you for suggesting SM. I will be taking progest suppositories, but only because I'm flying abroad this weekend. If I weren't I wouldn't be taking them, as she said my levels were good. Can't wait to hear how your eggs are getting on. Will you be on the progest straight after ovulation? (I forgot your DH had slow swimmers. Mine does too, and they are only 2% normal morph! He's been taking Zita West's supplements for 2 months now - maybe that helped too.)

MrsH I hope you get some of this action too. I was on 50 2-6 and I ovulated on my own too, so wasn't really sure what the Clomid was for, but I'm not going to argue now! will defo keep you posted, and looking forward to hearing how you all get on.

ditz Welcome! We BDed 3 days before my scan (which I thought was day 10, but was actually day 12 (due to confusing spotting) (I think if it had been day10 I wouldn't have been given the hcg shot until later), the night before, the evening of the scan, the next morning and that evening. And I think the next morning and the morning after that for good measure! (We are not maniacs - just DH a little less stressed with work than normal, so we went for it!)

My guess as to why they don't give Clomid on the NHS is that it's because it is very expensive to monitor and not worth it for those people who do ovulate on their own. I read somewhere about some guideline saying that clinics should try Clomid before IVF for most people.

Grassy - oh that's great all looks good so far. I can imagine I will be exacly the same as you when i get a bfp - so excited that it's happened but incredibly nervous about m/c again. With SM I feel like she is a safe pair of hands though so you will be fine. Personally I don't think it sounds like a coincidence...I'm sure the clomid must have had sth to do with it and put everything in sync. Oh and it's great to hear hat your DH has got you pregnant twice now with 2% morph - that is considered within normal limits though. My DH is 7% and 49% motile - I can imagine they swim backwards but luckily the vol is good! I have had him popping zinc and wellman for months now and have been keeping a beedy eye on his drinking!

Anyway, I can't wait to hear whether you released both those eggs you saw and whether they were both fertilised. Have a safe trip abroad.

I agree with grassy abou why clomid isn't prescribed to ovulating women on the nhs. I thought it was going to be very pricey but it was only £17 for about 4 months worth. However, it is the tracking tha is costly. MrsH had to really fight for it.
Ditzy - it may be worth asking about the Hcg shot. When i went in last month for a scan on day 13 (I hadn't taken clomid) my egg was ripe and ready but I know that i wouldn't have ovulated for another 2 or 3 days. Apparently the mechanism for releasing the egg can be a bit slow sometimes and the HCG shot encourages ovulation within the next 24 hours.

Do you think clomid can make you more energetic? I am sure i have more energy than usual. I didn't think there were positive side effects!

Hi - I'm new to the thread. I think I have problem with my LP. It's about 8/9 days. I had no problem at all conceiving DS, fell pregnant first month so never thought about LP. We have now been TTC#2 for 5 months and I've realised there could be a problem. This month I knew I was pregnant all the same symptoms as I had before, even leaked some colostrum, but started bleeding last night.

So I just wanted to understand the best approach from here, did you find your doctors helpful or is there an alternative aproach. Also the very early colostrum, could that be caused by too much prolactin and if so is that a potential issue.

Am gutted today so any help would be great.
Thanks

Update from GP apt - I have been referred for all the tests recommended by joycep (thanks again for your help) so now just need to wait for ov to book the tests 7 days later. They seemed to take it v seriously which was good obviously but also unnerving as was an admission that it was not all in my head! My GP's policy is that if you are over 30 (not 35) they're happy to investigate further after six months not twelve - they would have been happy to do the blood tests at any stage of trying but this means they will also happily pack us off to assisted conception unit for next stage of getting this sorted once tests come back. Thanks all for your help.

Lovein - that's great they took it seriously and great they're proactive. It's strange how difference every GP surgery is.

Hope everyone is ok and hope Clomid is going ok MrsHY.

My CD10 scan showed that I had developed 3 follicles...triplets?! No, one was smaller and so I was injected with HCG which apparently will release the 2 ripe eggs. My consultant didn't seem very happy with what she saw. It's strange although in theory I should have double the chance this month, I'm not feeling that confident because I haven't had ewcm this month. I normally have it for 4 days but the clomid seems to have dried everything out! I just can't understand how any swimmers can get up there. The gynae said there was nothing i could do so i will see what happens.

Imo - i'm not sure what colostrum is i'm afraid....but you should definitely go and speak to your GP about your 8/9day LP and get some initial bloods done.

Hello!
Just got back from my CD10 scan this morning (except technically it was cd9). I had four follicles but no single one has emerged as dominant yet - so they've asked me to go back for a second scan next Tuesday (cd13). Bit disappointed but hey ho, perhaps one will look a bit bigger and meaner than the rest by Tuesday!
Joycep - I wonder if they'll offer me a trigger shot if nothing's happening by Tuesday? Will have to wait and see I guess.
Have you had any side-effects? I am getting hot flushes once or twice a night during my sleep - but that seems to be the size of it so far.
When do you normally ovulate? Could it be that you'll now get EWCM for a few days now you've had the shot - or will the shot literally cause ovulation to happen in the next day or so?
Also wonder if the consultant will up my dose to 100mg for the next cycle if I'm still waiting for something to happen next week...

joycept - could you try Pre-Seed for lack of EWCM? Good luck with this cycle, really hope it happens for you this month.

I am waiting to ovulate so can book blood tests, but am on CD16, had EWCM days 10-13 which has now dried up, but no temperature rise and no positive OPKs. No idea what is going on! Do tend to ovulate quite late, though, so hoping EWCM will come back and be accompanied by a temp rise...

Hi MrsHY - well that's positive about 4 follies...CD10 is still quite early, it's a shame that the bank holiday w/e falls in between.
I normally ovulate around day 15/16. But the hcg shot induces ovulation and you ovuate within the next 24 hours. Literally i haven't seen any ewcm . Normally it is pretty obvious for 4 days. Anyway, ovulation will have been and gone now.
If one of yours is dominant by Tuesday, perhaps you should ask for the hcg injection. I think it mimics the LH surge and just forces ovulation. I think my releasing mechanism is slow.
I'm pretty sure I was getting various pains in my womb area and I wondered whether it was the clomid. I don't normally get that but it disappeared this week. I think I was getting minor hot flushes during the day but I wonder whether all of this were all psychosomatic. I think I was so worried about side effects and over stimulation that I was thinking every pain or hot moment was related!!

lovein - it could be that your body geared up for ovulation and it didn't happen. It would be interesting to see what a scan showed and how big your follicles are at the moment. I think temp taking is great because if you weren't taking them you would have thought you had ovulated by now...

joycep - maybe try some Robbitusin to counteract the clomid drying up EWCM? Although I have been taking that (well, the Boots own brand one that contains Gualififenisin and nothing else) plus grapefruit juice and have had the aforementioned EWCM but no ov!

I wondered if body had tried to gear up for ov but had somehow not happened - this is my first month taking vitamin B6 so wondered if could be connected but have never heard of that before! Who knows... bloody TTC!

Have a nice bank holiday, everyone - good luck!

Hey Lovein
I think that the body is adept at making us think that we're ovulating and then not following through! I had this last cycle. I found something useful on Wikipaedia of all places, about why there can be significant differences in a woman's follicular phase (the first bit) but not the lp. Basically, your follicles develop and if one doesn't grow dominant, for whatever reason, then they all 'retreat' and hence the whole process starts again! Hence multiple patches of cm throughout the cycle. It's a pain!!!

That's interesting, MrsHY, thanks. I think have probably actually ovulated today as positive OKP yesterday and pleasing amount of EWCM - just need the matching temp rise now. Have convinced self that vit B6 will have worked its magic but just in case will be booking my blood tests anyway. Hope everyone else is doing well this month?