short luteal phase - need advice from others in same boat

[newkid]

Sorry for long post but I have just started charting again and I am pretty sure that the charting is confirming that I have a short luteal phase (LP). According to my records, I am ovulating (day 16ish - yesterday) and my cycles are 26 days (about 80% of them).

I charted before I got pg with dd 3 years ago and I had suspected a short LP then but magically I got pregnant on cycle 2 of charting(after more than two years of ttc) so I didn't think too much about it after that.

I am going to make an appt with my GP. Assume that as before I will give blood tests on certain days of my cycle. Last time these came back OK (so didn't show low progesterone). Has anyone experienced this? Any guidance as to what help I can have? Is there anything I can do non-medical wise?

BTW I don't think I have PCOS - had pretty full-on checkup last time and no cysts - but I have bad skin so think this also points to hormonal problems.

google short luteal phase - you can take a vitamin to help - can't remember which at the moment - think it might be one of the B ones.

I had this when trying for child no 4 - persona told me that my luteal phase was about 10-11 days. I took agnus castus and vit b6, and got pregnant the next cycle (I was bloody surprised, being v sceptical about the whole thing)!!
they call agnus castus "nature's clomid" - worked for me.

I had this when trying for child no 4 - persona told me that my luteal phase was about 10-11 days. I took agnus castus and vit b6, and got pregnant the next cycle (I was bloody surprised, being v sceptical about the whole thing)!!
they call agnus castus "nature's clomid" - worked for me.

Newkid - my LP can be 9 days but mostly 10. I have been taking B6 for a couple of months now (6th months of TTC for baby) and it was 12 last cycle so maybe it does work. I have read a few scary things about agnus castus so I personally would not take that without professional advice first. Good luck and hope you fall really soon.

Am a veggie so probably need to boost my B vitamin intake anyways! Thanks for the replies. Will investigate agnus castus (with caution). Was advised she oak essence last time as well. Will start taking that again.

Hiya newkid. It looks like your luteal phase is about 10 days, which is borderline short. Some sources seem to think 10 days is fine, some like to see it longer.

When I first started TTC I had a LP of just 7 days, which was definitely too short.

Things I take to help my LP:

1. Vitamin B6 - 50mg - 100mg per day (best taken with a pregnancy multivitamin, or vitamin B complex supplement)

1. Evening Primrose Oil - 2000mg per day - up to ovulation ONLY - don't take during the LP (I switch to Flax Seed Oil during my LP to ensure I am still getting my essential fatty acids and omega 3 )

1. Red Raspberry Leaf - supposed to help with your uterus lining, which can also help LP. I take 1000mm daily.

Whilst Agnus Castus can help with luteal phase defect, and a lot of women take it successfully, it is recommended to only take it under the guidance of a herbalist, and not to self-medicate with it. I did take it for a couple of months before I started on clomid, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

Some web sites advise taking a progesterone cream supplement, I tried that and it didn't make any difference for me. However I managed to get progesterone suppositories for my last cycle, and they really worked for me - I managed 17 days!!

The thing that worked best for me was the vitamin B6 - my LP grew from 7 to 10 days with that.

Good luck!

Hugs,
Artoo.

Hi newkid

Everyone please correct me if I'm wrong or if there are different ways of looking at it...
Self-medication could be risky so this is just my random thoughts...

As a non-medical person [huge disclaimer hug] my understanding is that B6 is a very good vitamin for a short luteal phase. It's good to take it from CD1 to OV day in a higher dose and then recommended to take a lower dose from OV to AF. As the RDA is 2mg higher doses should be taken after research/ doctor discussions. Before OV daily (on top of the multivit amount) I take 50mg.
Then after OV I take 10mg. I can recommend an online company if you can't find the different dose amounts.

It is a water soluble vitamin so passes out through the urine but over months very high doses (not sure how high) can build up and may damage nerve cells.

Other reasons people take B6 are for PMS and morning sickness.

Like Artoo I take EPO and switch to Flax seed oil after OV. As EPO could reportedly induce contractions of the uterus. I have also heard that you need clear advice with Agnus Castus.

9/10 days Luteal phase doesn't seem so bad so postive baby dust winging its way to you

I can vouch for vitamin B6, as someone whose luteal phase is naturally only about 6 days. About 6 weeks ago I started taking 100mg of vitamin B6 - and quite scarily quickly I had a BFP this week!!! Last time around with my ds I did the same and the luteal phase went to about 12-13 days.

Hi
I too have a very short LP (7-9 days). B6 increased it to 10 days last month (and soothed my PMS).

I have asked my consultant about LP - and he wasn't even interested.
Am seeing him again on 28th Nov and will ask more and post again.

Congratulations Groveregg that is lovely news, wishing you a very happy and healthy pregnancy and a beautiful baby.

I take EPO too.

Thank you, MrsMcJnr, I've been lurking quietly on a few conception threads you've been on and really hope you get there soon too.

Congratulations Groveregg that's really exciting

But YOU DON'T HAVE A SHORT PHASE

10 days is fine

its under 10 days that's a problem

10 days is fine

stop freaking out about it

OMG I just twigged what this is about

its the mind-numbingly stupid "a woman ovulates 14 days before the start of her period"

THAT'S BOLLOCKS .. RUBBISH ... STATISTICAL AVERAGES

its not true

as long as your post-luteal phase is 10 days long you are able to conceive and implantation can take place

anybody who says that it should be 14 days should be rounded up and feckin' shot

(I am very very and at the continuing bollocks that is spouted about the female cycle as you can tell)

sunshinedays .. now 7 - 9 days is a problem

high dosage vit B (100 to 200 mg a day) is supposed to help .. but it takes about 6 - 12 months to build up

clomid (or similar) can kick-start your hormones .. this is what worked for me

some consultants prescribe progesterone implants .. my consultant felt they were useless

Know what you mean about the 14 day OV rule Twiglett. I had a row with my GP about it the other day. I wasn't there for a referral so on this occasion it didn't matter but he just would not accept that I OV later than CD14 inspite of my charting evidence that it is somewhere between CD16 - 19. I'll go to someone else next time.

I am sure I have read somewhere that implantation occurs sometime between 7 and 11 days after ovulation. So, in many cases a 10 day luteal phase would give you adequate time to implant, sometimes it might not.

Doctors disagree on whether they like to see a 10 day or 12 day luteal phase. Personally I'd still feel more comfortable if my luteal phase was 12 days

I would add to newkid that you have already got pg once with your short(?) luteal phase, so perhaps it's not an issue for you.

It's lovely to hear Groveregg's success story too Congratulations!

Hugs,
Artoo.

thats a bit violent, twiggy! I had a luteal phase of about 10 days for 6 months without conception. after taking B6 and agnus castus I got a positive test result 13 days after ovulation.

10 days may be OK for some, but it is on the short side. 11 or even 12 days is safer for most people. Nobody here said it had to be 14 days - so why the rant? We are just trying to help this woman get pg!

didn't mean to be violent .. my very clever consultant told me 10 days was fine .. so that's what I base it on

my GP on the other hand told me categorically that ALL women ovulate 14 days before their period starts

and I have seen it on here again and again

it is my particular rantage point

My consultant has told be LP length makes no difference at all - (which I intend to challenge him on - to me it stands to reason it is a problem... my body moves to the next cycle at the time when implantation is most likely to occur)

Do any of you know a fertility expert in the London Area who does... and treats it?

Ruth Curson .. Kings College Hospital ACU