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.

Hi everyone, just wanted to share my experience of having a short LP. I had been trying for 2 years with no joy when I read about Soy Isoflavones, which basically work like natural clomid to induce ovulation. Even though I already ovulated the Soy capsules helped me ovulate earlier which lengthened my LP (I usually ovulated day 21 of 30 day cycle) I got my 1st BFP that cycle and DS is now 1 !
I'm now thinking about no. 2 (hence hanging around on conception board!) and probably going to try the Soy again but wondered if anyone else had tried it/had any experiences? I'm always quite wary of trying lots of different thing and reluctant to mess with my cycle, but I think I got desperate last time!
It's so hard, when you feel you just know more about your cycle than doctors (which obviously we do).

Thats very useful to know- had already planned to try that next cycle. how many days earlier did you ov and what days did you take it? did you ever discuss with doc?
whatever things doc may know, noone understands your own body like yourself, at least thats my theory!
x

Hi totobear congrats on your baby!
My first was a boy too, so your theory could be right,

The shagging everyday part is too much for me as my cycles are so irregular ,sometimes 108 days, I'd end up walking like John Wayne!

I've finally booked reflexology for next Thursday, had a lovely chat to the lady and she specialises in maternity and fertility reflexology, so I'm looking forward to that.

I also enquirer about my gynae app in dec and it can't be brought forward as its classed as routine and at the moment we can't really afford private, but I suppose waiting til dec at least gives the reflexology a chance

my reflexology is tuesday! will let you know what i think

Cripes Orhergoes,that would be too much for superwoman!!

Sorry my dose was 100mg not 10mg!
We are expecting a girl though so does not fit with the theory!
I wonder if in fact I ever had a short LP and whether I was just ovulating earlier than I thought and the OPKs were misleading me? I never temped but my advice would be go for the early shags.
I also have a retroverted uterus which is not a problem in itself but read that DTD doggy style helps and you should not raise your knees but lie on your tummy instead after sex. That also did the trick!
Good luck to all in search of the BFPs!

Lots of ideas here! I read about soy isoflavones. Can you buy them in holland and barratt? It is so nice to hear that people can get there and conceive xx

Farfallarocks where did you buy the b6 from, I could only find vitamin b complex tabs this week and they only have 1.4 micrograms of b6.

Enjoy your reflexology christelle. Really hope it helps.

I have acupuncture booked for Tuesday so excited, felling more positive. Have felt very sad recently, but this thread has given me a little hope. Thank you.

Hi blackrocked I take vit b complex from holland and Barrett ( mega-B 100) It has 100 mg of b6 in it also has all the other b vits b1, b2,b12, it's in a blue bottle if that helps

Christelle - so I have tried b6 and acupuncture and all have failed to raise my LP . It will not budge from 10-11 days although clomid successfully gave me an 8 day Lp which is the exact opposite of what it should do. In the last 2 years I have 2 12 day LPs and these have both been months where I had extraordinary period pain for days before so I think they were chemical pregnancies.
I have seen many people over the years and this is what I have been told about progesterone levels. A level of 26 confirms ovulation but the nhs says above 30 is normal. However my gynae always wanted above 40 and my acupuncturist wanted above 50. My first test showed 30 and that's why I thought I was having problems. However, subsequent prog tests have shown my levels at 55 and 44 and still I have a short LP. I even had progesterone pessaries when I was doing IuI and this didn't seem to do anything to the LP.
I went and saw some Sri Lankan guy at the start of the year and he asked me whether I had sore breasts. I said they were excruciating after ovulation. He said I needed natural progesterone cream because it was showing I was oestrogen dominant. He made me buy a book on the menopause as it had an excellent info on progesterone. I wasn't too happy about having this book on my bedside table! So for the first 3 months I was running the cream in from days 10-26. This could affect ovulation but his point was I needed to build up my prog levels before ovulation. My breasts went from 10 days of pain to 5. After a few months I started rubbing the cream in after ovulation until period. So my health prog test levels were all done when I was on this cream. I wonder whether it made a difference although my acupuncturist said the cream would do nothing for my levels. One month I had zero breast pain and this was a month I had a 12 day LP and am certain it was a chemical preg. However still the cream had no affect on my LP most months! I have been off it for several months now and I notice breast pain is progressively getting worse and so will start it up again. But if you take it , make sure it is natural and not synthetic. I used kokoro balancing cream and the idea is to balance your hormones.

Anyway for me I think the Lp may have been a bit of a red herring. I am waiting for a laparascopy and hysteo next month and then My first ivf appt is in Nov. No doctor seems to think it is significant that I got pregnant straight away when we first started trying. My cycles shortened considerably after the m/c and this breast pain started and cycles haven't gone back to how they were. Personally i think that is significant. I suspect there is an immune issue going on and the Lp doesn't help. My amh level has fallen so badly in 18months from satisfactory to very low that I now just can't wait around. Nearly 33 and started all this at 30!

Anyway, it is worth badgering GPs for a referral. I have done monitoring cycles on the nhs and this should give you a better idea of what is going on. People with low prog levels do get pregnant and can go on to have healthy pregnancies but I am of the understanding that it makes things a bit more difficult.

Congratulation Farfallarocks and others who got there!

Blackrod - are low basal temps significant? Mine go below 36.0 before ovulation. I also have low blood pressure and I assume this is the reason why I am always cold. Is this another thing to add to my list of worries?!

Soy Isoflavones also worked for me. I was ovulating on day 20 of a 26 day cycle. First time trying Soy I got a very strong ovulation on day 10. I took them like clomid for 5 days upping my dose each time.

Wow joycep thanks for sharing your story. i also have low bp and am always cold- interesting coincidence.
sounds like you've had a really hard time of things- hope you get clear answers and/or bfp soon.
am now worried about progesterone levels and temp which has not risen much this cycle yet...think there could be a link there.
soy iso. being ordered today
x

jalopeno
wow- did you get pg?

Hi,

Sorry you have been battling for so long Joycep. I tried the progesterone pesaries too but they did nothing for me. I also had low blood pressure and temps. Wonder if there is a thyroid or adrenal glands link? Prob is with thyroid that Nhs have set levels of norm which don't feel normal for everyone.

Other egos thanks for the info on B6, I am going into the city next week to have a look!

Joycep I am six years into trying after being told it will happen, I have one child, I sought help at about age 35 as first child conceived at 32 and born aged 33. Last desperate attempt, so looking at all avenues. A book I have taking charge of your fertility by Toni Weschler suggests that sometimes low Basal temp can be a sign of hypothyroidism, and I have several other symptoms, although having said that had a lot of blood tests in the last year for infections that I cannot shake off. I have never smoked, moderate drinker, I exercise,have a BMI of 23, all in absolute vain so far. The stories on here give me a flicker of hope, and ultimately I have one beautiful child for which I am eternally grateful. I never though the process would be so soul wrenching! Stay Determined xx

Joycep I am glad you are getting a cycle of IVF and at 33 you are still young with excellent knowledge of your system. Being well informed is so important. Best wishes from the bottom of my heart with this.

Well after AF basal was 36.2 ....two days of drinking milk, which DH says is poppycock and basal is 36.4. I am chilling out more as always anxious and buzzed with no stimulus!

Hi guys
I was on this thread back in 2011 and I'm afraid I don't have a good news story to share, but like Joycep I suspect my short LP of 9-11 days is not the reason we're not getting pregnant. I have had 7dpo progesterone tests and they have always been 60+ indicating ovulation and 'conditions conducive to ovulation'! The only thing that gives me a longer LP are progesterone pessaries from the doc (taken during a recent failed FET cycle). Otherwise, I can categorically say that the following did nothing for my lp:

• Agnus castus
• B vits
• Reflexology and acupuncture
• Clomid
• Chinese herbs

I had an IVF cycle in April but developed OHSS so didn't make it to embryo transfer stage sadly. I had my first frozen embryo transfer (2 x blastocysts) in Aug and it failed. My next bite at the cherry will be in Oct/Nov (I'm ridiculously lucky to have another 6 in the freezer). I do find the theory of ' ovulating before the sticks say so' interesting- one monitored cycle I had a scan on cd14 which showed a corpus luteum ( ovulation ) but I continued to get ewcm and only got a pos OPK on cd 17. The sonographer couldn't explain it. And we have been guilty of only doing the do after the + opk on several cycles... Ho hum. X

So sorry to hear that MrsHY1. Here's hoping the next step for you is successful. Iam off to Tesco to buy some soy isoflavones....that have 40mg soy in each tab. Think medical doors may not be open to me any longer, but heading to the docs with a a temping graph next week.

Very sorry mrshy1 that you dont have bfp yet. fx for your next cycle.

blackrocked let me know how much the SI were- look expensive on the net. none in sainsburys.

Hi all thank you everyone for sharing your stories, fx everyone who hasn't already gets their bfp soon. What dose isoflavones is everyone getting/taking. I'm seriously considering getting some, I'm on cd 17 no sign of ov yet but it didn't happen until cd 77 last cycle, I'm just impatient! Christelle, do let me know how your reflexology goes and what you thought of it, is your app tomorrow?

Had an appointment with acupuncturist who suggested we try for a short time and track cycles. Think I may also try Chinese herbs, has anyone had any luck with these? Haven't got to Tesco yet Christelle, but will let you know as the dosages seem to vary and holland and barratt dosages are not what I want them to be. Feeling very relaxed, cycles seem to be more stable recently so perhaps perhaps perhaps. I am every hopeful.

so went to reflexology last night. An easy sell for me because I love foot rubs also through my health insurance I can claim back the cost of the first two sessions.
Anyway, overall thoughts very positive. Extremely relaxing, so much so that I struggled to stay awake. She rubs your feet and puts pressure on them in such a way that I felt tingles in the rest of my body. She said she could feel some "inbalances" in my hormones and also my colon (I was very bloated yesterday) which the therapy is meant to help. Although yesterday I was between ovulation and period, she said the best time to go and see her is between period and ovulation where she can help make sure things are balanced out nicely for ovulation - though not sure how that would improve my luteal phase.
Overall I'm not convinced it can help me get pg but can easily believe that it may have other benefits, such as relaxing me more and possibly having a positive effect on my hormones and cycle which may indirectly help.
The woman I went to see specialises in fertility reflexology incidentally and claims to have helped get lots of couples pg. She clearly understands fertility so better to go and see someone who specialises in these things (there are lots about) rather than a generalist.

In other news, I saw my gp about my (borderline) underactive thyroid, which I've only just twigged may be another issue. My level was 5.3 a few month ago and have been retested to see if any worse. A borderline level may affect fertility though it's not really clear how. Anyway when I see the consultant I can discuss going on thyroxin apparently to see if that helps - is reasonably commonly used for borderline underactivity when couples can't conceive apparently.

Hi Blackrod - I have that Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It is good. It now sits in my huge library of fertility books . I have had my thyroid tested quite a few times, I was convinced i had a problem with that because of how cold i get. Thanks for the good wishes. I am so sorry about how long you have been trying as well. It's so strange considering how easily you had your first child. I have every hope that it will happen for you again. Also i have started with a new acupuncturist and she is great. She has put me on Woman's Treasure by Seven Forests. I am on 8 of these things today. Not entirely sure what they do but she says they are for fertility. I think they help with digestion. She believes I have stagnation, weak spleen and i think she is right. I am sure it won't get me pregnant but I think it all helps in getting the body and mind in to a better place.

MrsHY - I was wondering how you were getting on. I'm really sorry about your last cycle but that's a fab number of frosties you have. Wow! I do think that this can be a numbers game and so i am wishing you the best of luck for the next FET. Interesting that you could be ovulating before the sticks say. When I go for my scans, they show my follies to be ripe around day 12 yet i don't ovulate until day 16ish. One theory from one gynae was that my release mechanism isn't good. But it's exhausting thinking about everything that could be wrong as nothing is concrete!

Would be interested to hear how people get along with the isos.

christelle, x post, that 's good about the reflexology and it's not a bad way to spend an hour, having a foot rub!
Thyroid problems are notorious for causing fertility problems even if it is slighly underactive. I believe it can interfere with ovulation. So this may be the key for you. I think there was a thread on MN somewhere about conceiving with thyroid issues and so you may garner some more info from that thread. But remember it can be easily controlled and if you get it treated that could balance out the rest of your hormones. Part of this process is just trying to find out what is wrong...and many people go on to get pregnant whilst still trying to find out. So best of luck!!

I agree joycep and christelle on the body and mind. I tend to get very stressed and internalise things. The treatment is the first time for a long time I have sat still in the daytime and emptied my mind of thought! It was unabounded fabulousness!

I think I might be ovulating earlier, am on b6, daily handful of brazil nuts and the isoflavones, but the dose is a lot lower than I would like to try.

My stomach seems more settled than ever, so perhaps the B6 is doing me some good! I so hope so! Thins thread has given me a glimmer of hope. Thank you.

Hi, just thought my story might be useful, my LP is on average about a week, pregnant first try twice.

its a ball ache because HCPs do not believe your dates (both of mine I was sure of when I OVed as testing, and scans confirmed MY dates) and this time I was told I wasn't pregnant at all and was MCing and should get over my denial (based on blood tests I kept saying that I was just LESS preganant than they thought I should be)

some DRs believe you when you say you OV at week 3, then write down that your cycle is 5 weeks (mine is 4), and refuse to accept that both can be true!

its so frustrating, basically I find that if you do concieve when you OV, the following 2 weeks are not different from anyone else's two weeks post conception!

I never attempted to change my cycles

If you do get a BFP its very important to have a dating scan so that your 12 week scan is booked for the proper window, My current MW agreed with me when I said that I wished I'ld just lied and added a week onto my LMP!