Short Luteal Phase

[mascaraisamust]

So after 6 months of ttc I've worked out I've got a short luteal phase of 9 days, however it could be even less. I get a positive opk on day 19 and 9 days later AF appears. I'm fearing it could be less that 9 days if I ovulate 24-36 hours after a postive opk. No suprises that there hasn't been a bfp yet. I'm thinking this is my obstacle. Seems I've tried everything else. Do I go to my GP? Is there any point? On preconception vitamins with b6 in and have been in them for three months and no changes. Also AF is really painful every month, wondering if there is more to this. Any ideas? Or anyone experienced/ing similar?

Auf I agree about the low progesterone likely being the cause. I've been moaning on (on another thread ) about how I think I've got low progesterone.

I've already been referred to a fertility clinic, luckily; have had my bloods done there and am getting the results back in about two weeks.

If the fertility consultant doesn't prescribe me progesterone, I will be quite cross. I have all the signs of progesterone ishoos, including spotting and very sore boobs pre AF for about a week.

However, having recently discovered inositol, am giving this a try until then. There have been some scientific papers on it so it's giving me hope!

Mascara no BFP sadly, I actually did my first ever home pregnancy test yesterday (gave in after 8 months!) and it's a BFN so far.

really you are strong, I do them even when I know its not possible (like this month ). I have the same symptoms for low progestorone too. In fact DH researched after I told him the blog result, read them out to me and said I had them all!

Ok I'm now googling private clinics Auf, I'm afraid I'm not going anywhere cheap... Switzerland for 4 nights and the Lake District for 4 nights. I'm going to ring my GP now and get booked in.

morning yes, moaning is definitely the way to go!
Good luck with the bloods and I really hope you don't have to be cross at all and can walk out with wonderful fanjo bullets that will fixed it aaa-aaaa-all!

Oo-ooh switzerland! And the Lake District you lucky thing! Maybe a private gynae in the Lake District won't be too expensive? GynaeS can also prescribe as they obviously deal with exactly this sort of cycle problem.

Ah I'm so annoyed. So I called the surgery to check the referral and the receptionist said its on my notes. So I asked are my bloods back in, she gave me B12, folate and blood count and said they were all normal.

I asked what about my thyroid, day 21 and the 13 other things they tested and it appears my bloods have got incorrect details/lost in the system and there's nothing they can do.

The receptionist also told me that the day 21 I had previously says - no ovulation this cycle. That's all I wanted to know in the first place.

Progesterone wouldn't have worked for me. My low progesterone was caused by weak ovulation. That's why Clomid worked. Once I conceived, I asked about Progesterone and the consultant said there was no need as he was convinced the Clomid would have done its job and he was right. No amount of Progesterone would have saved what was essentially a "bad egg"! However, that's me, not saying it's the same for others but something else to consider.

Oh and to give you some hope about a referral... My referral was put through to the fertility specialist in late November 2012, first app with him was Dec 12th, started Clomid Dec 24th, BFP Jan 23rd!

That's brilliant doobeedee, fingers crossed! If I've not ovulated then it sounds like I need clomid.

I've just switched my GP Practice, I don't mess around!

Oh yes doo is right I think that's why my doc also gave me letrozole (similar to clomid in function) in case as my ov looked haphazard It was quite nice seeing the follicles growing on the dildocam! The hcg shot is also said to help lengthen your lp but they won't ever just give that by itself and I'm not 100% sure of the studies on that anyway as there aren't too many reads medical journals nerd alert. I'm staying on progesterone until I'm 12 weeks to make entirely sure my levels stay up.

Well done mascara on switching that's what I call being proactive! Awesome!

Mascara that's good you're starting to get some answers. Yes, if no ovulation, then Clomid etc the way to go. At least there's a tangible path you can follow now.

I'm going to find out at my clinic appointment if I'm ovulating or not. (I have no idea yet if I do - I get OPK surges around CD 15 but as I keep reading, that doesn't mean I've necessarily ovulated!)

Thanks Auf would love some fanjo bullets . Fingers crossed I get a helpful consultant.

How old are you? The older you are the shorter the time between the surge and egg release. I managed to get pregnant whilst away from home on a business trip!! I was away when my opk turned positive but I had sex the night before I left. I did some reading around and it is possible for the egg to be released before you have enough LH to turn the opk positive. This is usually only in older women but I was 35 and the time, I think it was a combination of sperm hanging around and an egg that was released pronto.

Because of this I tell friends who are trying to conceive to make sure they are having sex in the run up to the opk turning positive if they have a regular cycle.

Thanks Lucked that's really helpful. I'm 38!

I kept reading that you might not ovulate for another 36 hours till after the OPK, so maybe I've not been starting early enough!

I'm just still shocked that they've lost my blood tests! They said I had to redo them but couldn't fit me in until the 17th. I had such a moan at the receptionist saying they've delayed my treatment (drama queen) and I switched!

My new surgery have got me in for the 11th and my new gp specialises in gynae (hurrah)! Hopefully he will give me something Auf and Doobeedee

So apart from not ovulating this month I'm feeling much better today. At least they managed to make the referral, that's one thing.

I'm hoping that not ovulating this month has just been a one off as the CB opk has detected surges for me too in the past really, fingers crossed for us both!!

Yes that's pretty bad they lost your results. Good that you've moved so quickly though and a GP who specialises in gynae is fab. Good luck and yes, fingers crossed! Keep us updated.

Sorry Lucked I didn't even see your post there. I'm 28 but I totally agree with you, I've been dtd over the entire fertile period but no luck yet

No sign of AF today! Really did yours turn up?

Just catching up... We've all got a sicky bug which is wretched with a one year old. Anyway, thrilled to hear things are moving on for you mascara. Am also intrigued by the age factor, I'm 36 so this might affect my LP, right?

Oh no Flymo where are you in your cycle? Hope you all feel better soon! Flat coke and dry biscuits all round.

Age might have something to do with it but I'm 28 so naively I thought everything would be ticking over nicely, clearly not! My appointment is on the 11th, hopefully the new GP will be more pro-active (fingers crossed).

I'm away at the moment, AF was due today and I'm suprised it hasn't appeared! This could be my first longer LP! Even if it is anovulatory!

hi all - I haven't read every single post in this thread but just came on to say that I am going through the exact same thing - positive OPKs on day 18 or 19 and then AF between 7-9 days later. My worst was only 6 days later and that prompted me to go to my GP who was hideously patronising about the whole thing - accusing me of "over-analysing" and that I was not conceiving due to "worrying" and to just run along and have sex in the middle of my cycle and it would happen fine. - even though I had told her I wasn't ovulating in the middle of my damn cycle!!

She asked me how I even knew about Luteal Phases -implying I was Dr Googling... uuuurgh it was sooo infuriating!

Anyway because I pushed back and refused to leave her office without some sort of plan for investigating she agreed to a day 21 progesterone blood test which came back saying I hadn't ovulated. I don't actually believe this is the case because I had used BBT that month and had got a rise on day 18 and the day 21 test assumed you ovulate on day 14 i.e you're on 7dpo which I wasn't!

I've since been back and had blood taken on day 19 and day 22 and I'm awaiting the results of this but not holding out much hope they will be meaningful because I honestly feel I was just being humoured and that she didn't really have a clue what I was talking about. If she did she would have known that I needed to be tested on 7dpo whatever day that corresponds to on my individual cycle.

I do have a 16 month old so this is my second baby but he was conceived basically as a happy accident and I know from the date he was conceived to the date my period was due was a very normal 14 days but your reproductive system is completely re-booted by a pregnancy so what my cycles were doing then has no bearing on what they do now - even though the stupid GP kept trying to tell me I was clearly fine because I already had one child.

I'm obviously awaiting results of those bloods but as I have absolutely no confidence in the tests or the NHS I've gone ahead and booked an appointment with a Fertility Doctor privately - they have already replied to my email acknowledging the information I've given them and said they are happy to help!

I've been taking high strength Vitamin B complex since January - hasn't made a difference for me but I'll continue to take it anyway just do the bloody doctors can't fob me off with that!

Hi mrs that's really interesting. It is so frustrating when you know something isn't right and no one is listening! Good for you going private. I'm sure you'll be seen and sorted in no time. As it is my first time ttc though I think I'm better off down the nhs route as my area will not treat you if you have had things done privately.

Let us know how things go and fingers crossed for you!

No AF here still, bizarre! I can't even says its a longer LP as I haven't had one if I didn't ovulate?! CD 30 today and my bbt has been rising for 3 days: 35.54, 36.4 and 36.6 today..I thought it was meant to drop before AF?

Oh and I'm going to call today to see if any of my results have miraculously appeared!

POAS mascara?!

I agree sticking with NHS as its your first but beware, my best friend has been TTCing for just short of two years and wasn't ovulating at all the entire time and got fobbed off left right and centre by the NHS. Less than 3 months later after being seen privately she's on clomid and had just had a scan that showed a lovely ripe egg just about to be released. She feels she's wasted all that time. We are both 35, not getting any younger!

mrs I poas yesterday and it was a bfn. It was a cheapy though and the first one failed so not got a back up. I don't even feel like AF is coming, had no usual symptoms in the last week or so. So odd.

I've only just started temping so not a clue what any of it means.

I'll bare that in mind. I'm going to give it up to a year and if things aren't happening I think I'll go private [looks at pennies in purse]...