AttillaTheMeercat I need your advice!!!

[buttercupbabe]

Hello Attilla. I hope you don't mind me sending out a thread like this but I could do with your advice. You've been really helpful on other threads regarding luteal phase and conception - so I'm really hopeful you can give me the advice that I need. I've got a luteal phase of about 8/9 days. My gp is going to do a blood test 7 days past ovulation to check levels of progesterone, prolactin, thyroid and then the standard iron etc. The prob is I think that I ovulated on day 18 of what is usually a 26/27 day cycle. I'm booked for the test tomorrow which would only be 4 days after ovulation so i considered going in on monday which would be 7 days after ovulation but my gp said on the phone come friday as they are just looking for trends. Someone else told me i should have the test 7 days before af due. I'm very confused and don't want to get false results on the blood test. Can you advise me on what to do? Thanks so much

Hi buttercupbabe,

I would go in on Friday to have the blood test done. You may not have ovulated on day 18 as you suspect; self predicting ov dates is nigh on impossible to do anyway.

Is this a day 21 test they are doing, I would think it is something like this as it is quite late in the cycle. With a day 21 test the standard measurement done is that of progesterone (a result of 30 or above would be good).

Usually hormone levels like LH and FSH are measured earlier in a cycle. Prolactin can also be measured earlier in a cycle.

Thyroid levels are usually measured earlier in a cycle as well, cannot quite see why this is being measured now.

Will your GP refer you to a gynae regardless of the test results?. If you indeed have a short luteal phase or some type of ovulatory problem then a gynae (not your GP) is best to advise you further. There is debate as to whether short luteal phase is actually a problem or otherwise.

Is your cycle always 26-27 days?.

Hope this helps a bit, let us know how you get on,

Attila.

Thanks for replying so quickly - you are a star. My cycle has been anything from 25 - 29 days over the last year but recently has been shorter 25/26 days. The gp said she'd do these tests before referring me to the fertility people. She's measuring prolactin because I mentioned that even though I stopped breastfeeding ds a year ago up until oct/nov last year a little milk was still leaking randomly. Yes I think I'll go tomorrow and then put it of my mind until the results are in. Thankyou soooo much