Long cycle / short luteal phase

[Bows85]

Hi all,
I was just wondering whether anyone might be in the same boat as me and can offer some advice/success stories?!

My DH and I have been ttc for several months now without any success.
Unfortunately my cycles have been really irregular (ranging from 31 days to 51 days) since coming off bcp last summer.

I have tracked ovulation and I do appear to be ovulating on my own but to add a big spanner into the works, it looks as though my LP is only 9/10 days.

I can find a lot of info about short cycles with a short LP, but not so much on long cycles with short LP. Anyone able to help?

Hi ladies, hope you've both had a good easter weekend! I've been off work and it's been soooooo good just pottering around and sorting bits and bobs..I could get used to this!

Boatrace....I must admit before I started the accupincture I was a bit sceptical about how it could help. I'm usually one who looks at things more scientifically than holistically but I think I'd got to a point where I was reading so much conflicting evidence about which herbs and vitamins help/hinder I just wanted to do something proactive and under someones guidance. So by going to see the acupuncturist I feel like someones working with me with knowledge in the field. Hell I'm paying a lot of money for it lol, but like weve said before when I've been to the doctors I just feel like I get a bit fobbed off like oh blood tests are fine and that's it. My h2b doesn't get it, jeez neither do i, but he sees that its helping me cope in a bit of a hopeless situation! The actual sessions themselves are really relaxing and I can get odd sensations where the needles are put in!

Uh posted toon soon!!

Bows yay positive opk! Do you think you've now ovulated?! Got to look out for the the other signs...but opks are like the confirmation you need that something is hopefully happening aren't they?!

Speaking of which I think my body is playing tricks on me....cd 13 and I was very very confused to see some ewcm earlier?! Wtf!!!! Took an opk but ovs negative. Think I'm being teased lol! X

Ooh @CatMum87 maybe you're going to ovulate at a normal time this month! 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼 How amazing would that be?!

I have had a lovely Easter too. Not done loads. Like you, just done bits and bobs around the house.

Yeah, think I've ovulated. Probs through the night of 15th as I had a temp spike yesterday morning (FF says I ovulated yesterday but I think it may have been slightly sooner). Temp still raised this morning so if the next couple of readings are higher than normal o will be more or less confirmed. Once it's confirmed, I'll stop taking my temp. I find it really stresses me out waiting to see if the temperature is still above normal, so best to put the thermometer away!

We've definitely done everything we could have done this cycle in terms of DTD, so it would be fabulous if we got our BFP before having to go to see consultant. But I keep telling myself that if it's not going to happen this time, at least next cycle will have more specialist advice.

Hi both, glad you've had relaxing weekends, and great you have ovulated bows.

Unfortunately I've been horribly ill all weekend. So lucky I'm not near ovulation as dtd is not happening! I managed to convince myself yesterday I might be pregnant as with DD I had a bleed and also fluey symptoms. It's annoyingly as even when af is here I can never quite accept failure!! But I'm definitely not!

cookie, I hope ovulation is coming for you. I tend to get ewcm at intervals from cd 10 to whenever I actually ovulate! It's like my body keeps trying and failing!!

Out of interest how heavy is af for you when you get it. Mine is always stupidly light and short but this month a little longer and heavier and I wondered if that was a good sign?

cookie, going to give it a month or two then bring up acupuncture again. As I feel like even if it does nothing I will feel like I'm doing something and it will be relaxing which can only be a good thing!?

Oh, I do that too @boatrace30 AF in full flow and I'm thinking "maybe I'm one of those women who have a period even though they're pregnant". Even did an IC HPT a couple of weeks ago 😂 Obviously it was negative!

My AF tends to last about 5 days. I have a couple of days with that are heavier, then it tails off to very light for 2/3 days. Never had painful periods on the pill (or before I went on the pill from what I can remember...it was a long time ago!). Still don't really have painful periods which is good, I suppose.

I did have super heavy but very infrequent ones before the pill. I used I get iron deficient and it would wipe me out. So they put me on the pill then (then later I started needing it anyway for contraceptive reasons) but since coming off pill they've been so light!

Pardon the noobie question but how do you tell how long your LP is? My cycle had varied from 20 days to almost 100 since coming off the pill 18 months ago. GP just says "well, it can take a while to regulate after stopping contraception"...
I think I do ovulate most cycles but haven't heard of tracking the specific phases?

Hey @fernanie If you're tracking ovulation, you can work out how long your LP is as it's the number of days between ovulating and your period arriving. I use OPKs and check my BBT to confirm ovulation, then count down the days...

18 months sounds a long time for your cycles to be so unpredictable, so frustrating for you. Are you ttc at the moment? It might be worth seeing if there are any investigations your GP can do (blood tests etc) to see if there is a cause for your irregular cycles. I had only been off the pill around 6 months with long cycles before my GP agreed to do some tests.

@boatrace30 my first period coming off the pill (42 day cycle) was super light but they got heavier from the next cycle.

Hi fernanie. I second what bows said. 18months is awfully long. You definitely need to push for some further investigation from your GP.

How many dpo do you reckon you are you now Bows. What's been your longest LP again? Really hoping af stays away for you but liking the positive attitude, not too long not until you appointment where hopefully you'll get some insights as to what's going on. Never know....maybe you'll never make it there and get a BFP instead!!

Oh how i would love to ovulate at a normal time, but it seems like my body is definitely teasing me this time! Monday ewcm and i actually had the urge to DTD lol which doesn't happen often! But nothing since, booooo. I have started getting a second line on the opks now though as they were shiny white before and so hopefully in the next week or so something might gear up again. Like you boatrace i think my body tries and then doesn't follow through!

Might periods have been quite light since off the pill....2 days, 3 max with spotting either side. My periods were super light though on the pill and i actually don't recall what they were like before that as i went on the pill so young.

Fernanie i second these guys.....the doctor will at least take your bloods to see if that highlights any issues then they'll take it from there. I've also been off the pill just under 18 months and my periods have been all over the place. Never thought it would take this long....stupid pill!!

I should really proof read before posting!!

Ah, @CatMum87 it would be lovely if AF stayed away and meant I got a BFP before our appointment!

I think I'm 3dpo today. Got a bit worried that after my temp spike on Sunday, it fell slightly for two mornings, but spiked back up again this morning (above the first rise) so feel a bit better! Hopefully that has confirmed ovulation.

Looking back at my previous bbt charts, it looks like it's normal for me to have a fall in temperature after the initial ovulation spike. I just need to decide whether I do another reading tomorrow or just leave it. OPKs don't stress me out too much, but BBT gives me a right knot in my stomach. I think it's because it's such a crucial time after ovulation, I don't want bad news!

My longest LP is 10 days, normally with a tiny bit of spotting the day before. I hope it's long enough and I hope my progesterone levels decide to increase this cycle.

In previous cycles, I have crazy symptom spotted from about 1dpo  But I haven't really been doing that this time...probably because there's been no symptoms whatsoever! No doubt "symptoms" will start in the next couple of days!

It's funny you should say you got the urge to DTD @CatMum87 I think I get like that after ovulation...unfortunately that's a bit late 😂

FFS! I think I might change my name to Bold85

Apologies, again!

catmum - your periods sound just like mine!
bows try not to stress now you're at the sharp end. I hate post ovulation time. Laying off the temping might not be bad and definitely try not to symptom spot. I went crazy this month and am resolved to be much better next time it comes round.

As much as I am finding this whole TTC a stressful time, I think I've been a bit more relaxed this cycle (don't get me wrong, still doing the OPKs and thinking about babies A LOT!). I definitely think it's because our appointment is getting closer.

CD37/4DPO today for me and no symptoms! I'm genuinely not thinking about every twinge or twitch I feel. Probably because there's nothing happening!

Decided to go against what my head said and temped again this morning. Another nice 0.2C rise (although I had a pretty restless night so perhaps not 100% reliable!). The thermometer is going back in the drawer tonight so no more temping this month.

Hope you're all ok

Well done Bows! Going to try and follow your lead this month

I'm all for being relaxed ladies......until i took an opk this morning and woah its potsitive! Where the hell did that come from!!! CD 17!! It was beyond negative yesterday. We only dtd this morning (birthday treat for him lol) and CD15 ooooops.

Knowing my luck it will end up being a surge that doesn't happen!

Omg @CatMum87 that's brilliant! Could this be a normal cycle?!

I want to know everything you've done differently this cycle 😂

Oh and dtd on CD15 and this morning sound like you're well in with a shot this cycle!

Amazing news catmum. Fingers crossed for you. Sounds like you've timed dtd just right!!
I'm cd12 and not started opks yet.... maybe I should!!

It has really caught me by surprise!! Ha Bows I have been taking boots combines vitamin C/Zinc tablet and a Omega 3,6 & 9 tablet in the morning and then seven seas trying for a baby with my evening meal. I took the pregnacare ones a few months ago and they dont seem to agree with me, seems they have quite a high dose of all the vits/minerals- perhaps too much for some.

I'm now paranoid that if i do anything, e.g. go for a run, it'll stop ovulation! But I can't live like that, constant mind games and a battle in my head!!!

Boatrace- if you dont find them too stressful, get to it! :)

Jeez if i get this excited about a +opk stick, I wonder what I'll be like when I get the real thing

Haha! @CatMum87 I feel the same! I think I'll pop if I get a +ve hpt 

I am also actually debating whether to go to the gym this evening just in case I disrupt anything that might be floating about in there 😂 So silly!

Hi girls, I'm sorry to hijack this thread! I just wanted to say that I got my bfp this morning after a year a half of struggling with a short luteal phase (10 days max!). I've been using Serenity progesterone cream since Octoberish time and I feel it really helped to extend my luteal phase. Also I doubled up on the Angus Castus for a change this cycle and it brought my Ov forward by 5 days. It will happen ladies! If I can do it after 18 months then yous can xx

That's fantastic @Cookie22 Congratulations And no need to apologise for hijacking!

You're the second person on Mumsnet today that I've seen get their BFP with a 10 day LP...Fingers crossed it's catching!

What was your LP length before starting using the cream?

We talked about using Agnus Castus on here a few weeks ago and think a couple of us are a bit worried it might have the opposite effect on us! I hear fantastic things, but then someone pipes up with a negative experience which warns me off, so I'm still in two minds. It's great that it has helped you though!