Short luteal phase...success stories?

[MamaGeordie]

Hi all,
I have had shorter than average cycles for as long as I can remember, ranging from 21 - 26 days but mostly 23 days. I've had 2 previous successful pregnancies, conceived with relative ease without tracking so didn't ever understand the short LP issue. I recently had an early miscarriage and have since been tracking my cycles with OPKs because I'm an obsessive bugger who can't just let go and need to understand what happened. It's working out that my luteal phase is around 7-9 days long which from what I've read is short and hardly ideal for a sticky egg.
I'm probably being irrational but have convinced myself that this is going to be a problem for ttc #3. Does anyone have any positive experiences with short LPs? I'm driving myself batty!

Yes! I have a short luteal phase- varies from 6 days to 9 days. I have one child and am well into my second pregnancy.

I have a short LP, normally around 9 days. I have not had issues getting pregnant despite this. I had three miscarriages in less than a year prior to my current pregnancy (I'm 22 weeks) but they were nothing to do with my short LP. I think my body just compensates for the short LP by implanting early. Always had a BFP by 9/10DPO. I did take vitamin B6 but it never lengthened by LP, although did extend my cycle overall. I wouldn't worry too much yet, lots of women conceive with short LPs! You've probably always had one and just didn't realise!

I used to get up to a week of spotting prior to AF showing properly. This does seem to have stopped since taking conception multivitamins (with B6), so I think that has helped. It's calmed my fears that my body wasn't really doing the luteal phase properly.

Also have a short phase, and cycles of 23 days. I gave birth to DS in December - it did take us a fairly long time to conceive, and a missed miscarriage, but don’t think they’re connected.

I also have short cycles, 24-25 days, and a short luteal phase. They’ve only been like this after having my daughter, they were pretty textbook beforehand. Anyway, it’s taken us a couple of years but I am now 13 weeks pregnant with our second.

Thank you all for your replies. You've perked me up no end. I feel like this whole business makes people irrational and overthink, especially me as I'm like that at the best of times anyway! Need to give my head a wobble.
Good luck to those pregnant - hope all goes beautifully for you 💖

I read taking b vitamins can help. And vitamin C. The multi vitamin isn’t enough for C so take an additional one. I wasn’t sure if I had a short leteal, but I spotted before periods so mine was like 9-10 days I think if I spotted earlier. I took a prenatal vitamin and also berocca vitamin B sometimes. Last month I took Vitamin c on occasion and this month got pregnant with our 3rd. I too had no problems conceiving my first two. But my third took 6 cycles and suddenly I wondered what was going on etc.

@Mamabear12 thank you for the advice. My friend is a midwife and has always told me 3rd babies are tinkers. Perhaps there's truth in that! All the best in your pregnancy.

Agnus castus is a supplement to check out. I am taking for the same thing. Also definitely high dose of vit b and vit c, but those should be in most Prenatal vits, I take Terra Nova.

Just to update this thread, I found out I'm pregnant today. Early days and hoping it sticks. Thanks again 😊

Oh my goodness MamaGeordie that’s wonderful! Huge congratulations and fingers crossed for you!

Hope you don't mind me popping on here - I'm finding my LP is getting shorter and shorter. This month for example positive OPK on CD21 and my cycle is usually bang on 27 days. Feeling a bit confused with it all. Just nice to read success stories x

My first two kids were conceived easily when my cycle was 28 days on the dot. But in the last year or two I started getting shorter cycles (luteal phase) and spotting from day 23 and AF day 26. Acupuncture, vitamins and a slight change in diet helped me. I started drinking less wine. I never had more then two glasses, but that was 4-5 times a week! So I cut down to 3 times a week and that worked for me. Cycle became 27 days and spotting at day 25. When I was younger and ate loads of sugar and chocolate this made my cycle 21 days!!! So I know I am effected by diet with my cycles. Anyway, third time trying took longer 6-7 cycles of trying...as I sorted out my luteal phase and started taking vitamins etc.

I had very long cycles but 8/9 day luteal phases. Took 6 months to conceive my second child.

Good to know @mamabear I don't drink alcohol or smoke & have a very healthy diet so wouldn't really be able to change lifestyle 😩 I'll have a look at taking vitamins x

@MrsM18 Hey, I know this thread is a couple of years old now but I just wondered if you had any success in conceiving?
I have a little boy who is turning 2 next month and I had no issues falling pregnant with him, conceived in my first cycle. I've been trying for 3 months now which I appreciate isn't very long but I've realised that I have very short cycles. 22/23 days and a Luteal phase of around 9 days. Just wondered what had happened with you since this post? Xx

Hey! I actually conceived that cycle 😊 Logically it didn't make sense at the time, but the positive OPK on CD21 that I spoke about worked because I currently have a 14 month old running around!

Wishing you all the luck, just keep doing what you're doing! Xx

@Confused678866 Hey! I actually conceived that cycle 😊 Logically it didn't make sense at the time, but the positive OPK on CD21 that I spoke about worked because I currently have a 14 month old running around!

Wishing you all the luck, just keep doing what you're doing! Xx

@MrsM18 Oh wow that's amazing, congratulations!! And thank you for replying so quickly.

I'm just feeling a little deflated with it all. I know I'm very lucky to have my little boy who I fell pregnant with so so quickly but I just didn't expect issues this time around.

I spoke with my doctor yesterday and explained about the short cycles, the short Luteal phase and that I've been off my pill since September and actively TTC since January and he basically just agreed that my cycles are on the shorter side and that it can make conceiving naturally a little harder but basically said that I have to keep trying for another 9 months and if no joy, then I can go and ask for help. I'm 32, which I appreciate isn't old but as the days go by it worries me that if I have to keep waiting, age will eventually go against me.

How long were you trying for if you don't mind me asking? Xx

@Confused678866 You're welcome! I haven't used mumsnet for a while, but saw it pop up on my emails and know just how deflating it all can feel.

In all honestly that was the first month of properly trying. We had however started to relax for a few months before & I was very aware of my cycles for about a year before. So I can understand the worry as i just couldn't make sense of that short luteal phase & assumed we'd have problems. I know it's so hard & unhelpful to say keep going - but try to be positive, it is still early days & if your experience is anything like mine it will be ok! Even now looking back, the dates don't really make sense - but my second daughter is proof that it doesn't need to all make sense. Xx

@MrsM18 Yeah I think I'm getting far too hung up on reading into everything and googling like crazy and it just really isn't helpful. I definitely need to take a more relaxed approach with everything but I'm just one of those people who doesn't easily relax and shake things off very easily! Hopefully once AF is out of the way and I'm feeling better I'll be able to just get on with it and see what happens. Thank you for the messages xx