Short Luteal Phase #3

[FuzzyOwl]

For everyone ttc with a short LP.

May 2016 be our lucky year!

Link to last thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2490627-Short-Luteal-Phase-2

Oh no Sunshinegirl sorry to hear that. Hopefully you can get pregnant quickly and still get maternity pay as well as a redundancy payoff from your company.

Hi Friendly and welcome. I really think I will go back to having acupuncture and taking Chinese herbs. Hope it works for you.

I don't know the signs of early menopause Oriana although I would have thought your periods would get further apart not closer together. Hope your blood tests show something and it goes well today.

Welcome Friendlycav. Good to hear about acupuncture, how often do you have sessions? Did the chinese herbalist give you anything to take? I think I'm going to see one next month. Maybe the B6 has helped extend your luteal phase this cycle Fx for you.

Oriana, when you go for your blood test maybe speak to the nurse about early menopause? Really hope it isn't that.

I'm at 12dpo, am fully expecting AF today as been having cramps for the past few days, and although I'll be gutted at another month without a BFP atleast I'll have had an 11 day luteal phase without spotting. I wonder if the agnus castus has helped. x

Thanks for the welcome :)

Sunshinegirl - I've been having acupuncture every week for 6 weeks. It's expensive so not sure how long I can keep it up. My acupuncturist suggested another 4 weeks going every week and then drop to once every 2 weeks. Well done on extending your luteal phase, I've read a lot about Angus cactus and want to give it a go but going to try Chinese herbs first. I get the first batch tomorrow so will let you know how I get on :)

Friendlycav, are the herbs very small capsules that you take eight of morning and evening?

Good news if it is a longer LP for you Sunshine although it would be much better if it is a BFP! At 11dpo you might well will get a false negative.

Fuzzyowl - the herbs are in a pot and you take it twice a day like tea. 1 spoon with hot water twice a day for first 3 days and then if no side effects, up that to 2 spoons twice a day.

I wonder if they are the same or similar. I only used Chinese herbs on two cycles and both times I got pregnant, although the first ended in a mmc. I have moved since then but am going to make a special trip to the place I got them from and get some more!

Do you know what the herbs actually are? Do you take them all through your cycle? The lady I am trying to book my acupuncture with is also a chinese herbalist so hopefully she can give me some too.

I'm a bit nervous as have no idea what the herbs are, just trusting the herbalist! You take the herbs all through your cycle but I've got to keep her updated on my basal temperature chart and she will prescribe different herbs for day 14 onwards. A bit of a faff collecting them every couple of weeks but hopefully worth it. That's good to hear they worked for you fuzzyowl.

I got my day 21 blood results over the phone today and apparently everything is 'normal'. Progesterone level was 35 which prooves ovulation but not convinced it's high enough to sustain a pregnancy?

Ah so did the herbalist say you have to take yout BBT? Presumably then the different herbs are for after you ovualate then. Did you get the herbs from your acupuncturist? Sorry for all the questions, just not too sure what to expect. x

Happy to answer any qus. My acupuncturist referred me to a herbalist as she is still studying and doesn't have the full qualification yet. The herbalist I saw also does acupuncture so think they typically do both. The herbalist encouraged me to continue tracking my BBT and to keep her posted, and yes assume the change in herbs will be for after ovulation x

Friendlycav I found this webpage which seems very useful (if accurate) - 35 seems quite high to me (I was 12...)

www.fertilityplus.com/faq/hormonelevels.html#female

The herbs I took were eight twice a day starting from a certain day of your cycle. I have no idea what they were but I have attached pictures of the boxes.

Thanks Oriana. I have a telephone appointment with a doctor on Thursday so will find out more then.

Interesting Fuzzyowl, thanks for posting pics. I'll send an update tomorrow on what my herbs looks like :)

Thanks Friendly. It will be interesting to know if they are the same but in a liquid form.

So AF has arrived today, feel really sad though I knew it was coming I managed just about a 12 day luteal phase (tiny bit of spotting last night) so now I'm worried if thats not the problem there must be something else wrong. I do get a lot of random cramping during my whole luteal phase so maybe that has something to do with it.

Anyway, this cycle I'm going to get back on the agnus castus, last month I only took it up til ovulation, but I've read lots of people take it their whole cycle, does anyone have any experience with this? Also going to make a big effort to get more calories as my BMI is low. Luckily I'll be on holiday for my next ovulation and 2ww so maybe the relaxation will help.

How is everyone else? x

Sunshine I know how you feel. I'm CD31/10DPO today and woke up with a temp drop of 0.38C (massive) and cramps. If AF does arrive it means I only had a 9day LP again.

Ah well on to next month. I had my day 21bloods on Monday at 8DPO (blood clinic was closed over weekend) and have to get another blood test between CD2-5. I've read day 3 is best but think that'll be weekend and it'll be clos d again.

Oh just to add I usually spot for two days prior to AF arriving and this mom have not. Only difference this month is the tablets I've taken. Have been taking Centrum Women multivitamins as they were cheaper and had more or less same ingredients.

I'm so sorry sunshinegirl2015 and sunshinegirl12. Let's hope we all get BFPs this next cycle

I had my day 3 bloods done on what I hope was day 3 but I don't really know yet. I then have to get day 8 bloods done for LH although I've never heard of such a thing - more usually I thought LH is checked on days 1-3 and/or on expected surge day which is presumably nowhere near day 8?! Oh well.

Leaning towards trying Chinese medicine/acupuncture now! Will ask the GP next time I can get a 2 minute phone appt. with her which is when we'll discuss the blood test results...

Sorry for the rubbish day all round for everyone. I had forgotten how much I hate ttc and what an emotional rollercoaster it is. I think I am 5 or 6dpo now and can't even pretend to have a symptom.

Going to get my day 3 blood test done on Friday only just had a blood test Monday. Last time GP was adamant that the luteal phase was 14 days and when I said I've never had a 14 day LP I was made to feel stupid. She was saying well you must've ovulated earlier that you thought even though I explained I used OPKs and do BBT. So frustrating so I'm hoping these blood tests will give some answers although I have to wait until the end of Feb for a GP appointment to get the results!!!

Marking place

AF arrived for me yestersay, a few of us are in sync! Feel sad too but really hoping herbs make a difference for me this cycle. I had my day 2-5 blood test today (I've heard conflicting views on when is the best day to have it).

sunshinegirl12 - sending positive vibes your way. A 12 day LP is a great improvement and perfet timing if you're away for next ovulation and 2ww, the relaxation will do you the world of good.

Sunshinegirl2015 - that seems an awfully long wait to get your results. Could you schedule a telephone appointment to get your results sooner? (I only recently found out this was an option with my GP)

Good luck everyone, stay positive xx

Thanks friendly will ask about telephone appointment. Booked DH SA today and that's not until mid March! That was the next available appointment!

Also as though AF arriving wasn't bad enough, pain is so bad I nearly fainted within half hour of arriving at work and had to tell manager is was a painful period (she didn't look sympathetic) and then I had to sit in canteen until my legs felt strong enough for me to drive home. Also started crying and then couldn't stop. People must think I'm a mess :( feel so down today not normally this down.