Luteal phase help!

[Nevergiveup31]

Hi all,

I suffer with a short luteal phase- currently 7 days!

Can anyone advise how to try and extend it myself? Iv been to the doctors and she was so dismissive saying it impossible and I must have ovulated earlier. I temp and opk so can pin point ovulation clearly!
Iv been sent for blood tests which results come back this week. But wanted to know if there was anything I could do and if any of you have had the same and managed to get help?

Thank you xx

I’m so sorry to hear that, @Nevergiveup31.
I can’t believe they’re being so ridiculous about it, when as you say, it’s your blood!
I know it’s expensive, but have you thought about going private?

Calm down. You haven't been ttc long enough for 50% of people trying for the same length of time to have fallen pregnant. 80% of totally healthy couples will conceive in a year. 90% within two years.

Adding progesterone has not been proven to extend luteal phase. Short af is generally not a problem.

Start with the b6 and see if that helps over the next few cycles.

The nhs doesn't have a magic solution to 'hormonal imbalances'.

Getting blood tests won't make you pregnant... it just wont. Extensive testing so early in your journey won't help you. It just won't. Even if an issue IS found, you won't get funding for ivf treatment until you are proven to be infertile (which is ttc for a year or more without clinical pregnancies) and ttc for at least two years (in some areas it's 3).

I get the impatience, I do. But I don't think this is the way to improve your mental health about ttc. It's totally normal to worry about things, but you're going to turn this natural worry into health anxiety. You're medicalising something that is highly unlikely to need to be medicalised at this point.

Why not look at b6? Why not do something helpful for yourself, like evaluate your diet and exercise? Even if you're in the 'normal' bmi range, studies show the 'optimal bmi' for conception is 21-22.

Go back to the gp at 12-18 months ttc. You're unlikely to not be pregnant by that point, which is why that's what recommended.

Thanks your reply reply @physicskate however I think it's normal to worry when you only have a 7 day luteal phase.
All Iv said below is I'd like more info on my bloods as the doctors won't give me them.
I know I'm still early days and I know I wont get funding yet- and hopefully won't need it. But actually I guess if I knew the area where the problem was I would know how to try and make the best of the situation.
I am on b6 now and hope this will help.
I also am in the 21-22 bmi range and exercise and a healthy diet.

I know it's early but I think everyone worries it's natural. I know I will still need to ttc for another year at least.

I wouldn't use nhs funding for ivf, I would go private to push it along if it came to it. But thank you for your input.

Being concerned and getting checked out is entirely natural, OP.
I don’t know anyone who would opt to waste a year of their lives trying when tests might have shown something that could have been remedied 12 months prior.

I also get the need to stay calm and balanced about these things, but realistically, there are better and more helpful ways of saying it.

To be frank, OP, only you know how you feel and you just make sure you do what you need to do to get assurance; private, NHS or however else you need it.

The thing is: even if the tests indicate slightly low progesterone, you're doing what you can to remedy this by taking b6 as part of a b complex.

Progesterone is not prescribed outside of multiple miscarriage, medicated iui or ivf cycles, so it's unhelpful for it to be suggested they would prescribe for this...

There's a lot of debate in fertility circles about luteal phase defect. Honestly, the evidence is mixed about whether or not it prevents pregnancy. It's a correlation vs causation argument - does low progesterone indicate a non-viable situation (as in that cycle only), or is low progesterone caused by a non-viable embryo?

I Do completely agree that you should be given your results. They bothered to do the test!!

@ELW85 my communication skills are quite rubbish. I'm very literal. I think part of the problem is that there is no tone included in written communication. I mean everything I say from a place of love and concern, and I know that doesn't come across nearly as well as I'd like. Any tips for improvement?? I know I'm as subtle as a brick to the face, but I honestly don't know how to make it better!! Help?

@physicskate - I agree that there is a lot of debate about progesterone levels and impact on fertility; I must have missed the earlier post where it was suggested that it would be prescribed; GPs definitely won’t do this!

I just think that the OP clearly has this on her mind, and starting a post with ‘calm down’ could have the opposite effect, and if I’m honest, sounds dismissive.
The OP just needs to talk about and hear (factual) anecdotes about other people’s experiences in this, I think, in the absence of getting more medical support.

It’s great to hear that anything you said comes from a place of love and support, and you’ve already kind of answered your own request for tips in your post...you’re very factual/logical and whilst that can totally be the right way to approach things like this, I think the topic of TTC is just too emotive on too great of a spectrum to be addressed with just the facts sometimes!

But that’s just my opinion.

If you can get your point across without inferring that someone is being overly emotional (i.e telling them to calm down) or making statements that are obvious but no-one will reap any value or benefit from (i.e “the NHS doesn’t have a magic solution etc..”) then I think the entire tone of your message would change and the OP would still get comfort.

At the end of the day, feel free to ignore what I’ve just said; we’re all just different personalities trying to get to an end goal...

I agree with @ELW85 here that unforbately @physicskate your post came across very dismissive this morning.
Ttc is an emotional journey and I just wanted some comfort in what other people had done to extend their luteal phase if they too suffered with a short LP.

We're all trying to reach the same goal and I would always try and help somewhere where I could if I had experience that I feel could be beneficial (I.e taking b6).

I think you could say things in a nicer way, but agree that tone isn't something you get over communication like this.

Thank you all for your help

I didn't mean to sound dismissive at all. I just think sometimes threads like this wind people up further and get people into a world of 'there's something wrong and why aren't they doing anything about it now?!' Sort of mentality (which after ttc for two and a half years, I definitely fell prey to!!). And really, a bit of perspective is needed. And I've seen it said that people expect a lot to be done for 'hormonal imbalances' which is generally used by doctors when they do t know what's happening...

You totally deserve answers, but there aren't always any... that's my message. And that took me a LONG time to get to grips with (during which time I was told to just go and kill myself by several people on this board when I mentioned that ttc had made me suicidal).

Please know your anxieties are very very normal, but that doesn't always mean they are healthy or will make your life any easier/better (in my own limited experience).

@physicskate - I’m sorry that people were that horrible to you, and I really hope you’re in a much better place now.

Thanks for that - totally unnecessary for you to be so kind. I'm fine (ish) now but want to present a more realistic view to others than I perhaps had myself.

There's a view that it will happen the first time we have unprotected sex. Probably because the possible consequences of unprotected sex when you're a teenager are too big... so we get impatient and look for the worst. Most of the time, we need patience and time. But then there's that niggle about what if we need more than just time?? Anxiety is so common with ttc. And it's the worst!! Try not to let it get to you like it did to me!!

@physicskate that's terrible. No one should ever say things like that. It's disgusting. Ttc is an emotional rollercoaster and I hope you are in a better place too.

I was just looking for a bit of support and advice, which I understand you have advice from being ttc for a while. - I take it on board.

These things do need time, and anxiety is always an issue when you think 'somethings wrong with me' but I was merely trying to get some answers on things I could do to support my luteal phase.

People on these forums should support each other equally. Not offend and make awful comments like they did to you. I'm sorry that you got that response!

@physicskate - not at all, I think it’s really important we’re as kind to each other as we can be, and mental health issues need to be treated with respect IMHO!

I do hear you; it can be a long journey and it’s certainly compounded with misconceptions; as teenagers you’re basically told you’ll get pregnant by looking at a boy! And with that the host of anxieties you’ve mentioned.

I wish nothing but the best to us all on the road to achieving our TTC goals.
Have a lovely weekend, ladies!