Short Luteal Phase Gang!

[Beau20]

I started a thread a while ago asking for success stories but now I would love to get all the girls together who are struggling to conceive with their short Luteal Phase!

Here's a little bit about me -

TTC #1
Cycle 7
28 years old
Luteal phase average 9-10 days longest being 11 days.
Ovulation CD17-18 cycles 26-28 days long

I have had 2 pregnancies before (both termination please no flaming) both conceived without even trying, one with my current partner of 6 years. I also had a chemical in January. My last contraception was Nexplanon for 1 year and before that I was on the pill for 10 years or so (which was when I conceived previous). I have been taking 50mg sertraline for 6 months then 100mg sertraline for 6 months after that and have just stopped completely today. This is the only thing I have been doing differently since I conceived last time so part of me thinks this may affect fertility.

I'd love to hear about everyone else's journey! x

@firsttimemummy321Just realised that was a bit confusing what I meant was Short luteal phase = low progesterone x

Welcome @firsttimemummy321, I don't know anything about LP and breastfeeding sorry! I took B complex and vit C for mine which extended a bit, I had 3 CPs, then got progesterone prescribed and am now 7+5. No idea how breastfeeding would affect this!

@Slk3558 excited for your next scan! I have got so much better at accepting how up and down my symptoms are. I don't think you should worry, my boob soreness varies enormously. My nausea has been on and off too, although it's very rare now for me to feel totally fine - even if I don't feel nauseous, I still feel disgusted by some/most foods. How many weeks are you now?

@GlassLily I am 6 weeks today. Yeh I’m also getting like that with symptoms, I sometimes panic but sore boobs always return with a vegence the next morning. Nausea comes and goes for me too, and I am also off most foods too. Unfortunately only foods I fancy are unhealthy/ fast foods. Eating makes the nausea go away temporarily and then about half an hour after eating it comes back and I feel bloated. Also if I over eat I will definitely want to be sick. It’s hard as I’m usual a food lover but i am not complaining happy to have got this far !

Can’t believe your 7+5. When your next scan ? 12 weeks?

Hi ladies I'm TTC baby number 1 only on cycle 2 but I've tracked my cycles for years and pretty sure I have a short luteal phase too, I often ovulate on day 19 and then AF starts 8 to 10 days later! I've been taking vitamins using fertility smart but nothing still

@slk3558 I'm very similar! But can't eat fast foods though. Glad we are both having nausea though as it's a great sign! Yes next scan is 12+5 which is miles away.... I can't wait that long! Do you have any more scans booked in?

@ViL89 welcome! Both @slk3558 and I have the same issue and are both now pregnant, so there is hope! What vitamins are you taking?

@Slk3558 and @GlassLily thank you both :)
Actually just got a faint positive at 10dpo ...last month I started bleeding at 9dpo so I'm keeping everything crossed, I do have a better feeling about this one though 😍

@GlassLily my nausea has now turned into constant sickness struggling to eat or drink anything. Can vomit any time if I hover over the toilet but trying to stop myself.

My scan is Thursday when I’ll be 7+1. Yes 12 weeks is ages away could always book a private one around 10 weeks couldn’t you? I’m going to ask the hospital for regular scans. The consultant is lovely actually.

Going to boots today to see if I can buy those sickness bands.

How are you?

@firsttimemummy321 that’s amazing congratulations!

@Slk3558 oh no that sounds awful! I was about to say I haven't actually thrown up yet but I've literally just vomited 😂 I actually don't feel too bad. Kind of terrible but I've got used to it.

I got the sickness bands which don't seem to do much, it's hard to tell, but I'm not sure exactly the right position to wear them.

Let me know how you get on.... I could try and get another scan but it only reassures me for a couple of days! And the time is going faster than I expected. Trying to plan out all my weekends so the weeks fly by 🤞🏻

@firsttimemummy321 wonderful news! So happy for you

@Slk3558 let me know if you get any extra scans just by asking the hospital!

@GlassLily I think the travel bands do help me I slept with them on last night and managed to shower this morning without being sick. Although I feel quite sick now .

Did you measure three fingers from your hand and put the plastic ball bit on where you index finger rests? Tbf everyone reacts differently to them apparently.

Counting down the days to my scan !!! It’s Tuesday today my scan is Thursday lol !

Thanks @GlassLily

How long did it take you both to conceive? And can you give me some recommendations of anything I can do?

Thank you!

@ViL89 Little background about me and what I did. I came off the pill in September and started tracking my cycles with opk and temp charting and realised my luteal phase was only 10 days, I also used to get terribly tender beasts from ovulation to AF which I read was a symptom of estrogen dominance and low progesterone. I decided to start taking vitaman B complex with high strength B6 in and vit E and C at the beginning of dec and I got pregnant that cycle in December, unfortunately I had a mmc at 7 weeks but I got pregnant the following cycle after mc in feb, I miscarried that one at 5.5 weeks. My next cycle was 10 day luteal phase and I also had my progesterone tested (medi checks home kit that you send off to a lab) on 7dpo and it came back as low. realised that my progesterone was still low and may be causing the miscarriages. The next cycle I decided to up the vit C to 1000 and vit E to 500mg and I also bought progesterone cream online which I applied morning and night after ovulation and also took 150 mg of low dose aspirin (many girls have had success with aspirin) I got pregnant that cycle. I managed to convince the hospital to give me progesterone suppositories and have been taking them since 9dpo, @GlassLily is also on progesterone and baby aspirin.

As glasslilly said getting pregnant with a short luteal phase is definitely possible. I would recommend taking some high strength supplements to try to increase your progesterone levels to support your uterine lining for implantation, I would also recommend the progesterone cream.

One thing I’ve learned is that sitting around and hoping your cycle improves doesn’t work, you need to be proactive and your body will be receptive and make changes .

Good luck with your ttc journey .

Xx

Hi @Slk3558

Thank you do much for your honesty and advice, my DH has been telling me not to panic but I knew in my gut I should just get this sorted

I've been taking fertility smart tablets since the last cycle and LP changed from 9 days in May to 12 days in June, it has Vit B complex but not everything you have been taking so I will go for it. Sorry another question how did you get an appointment at the hospital did you go via your GP? Thank you

Eeek another thing sorry

The baby aspirin and cream did you take that just after ovulation not before?

Thank you

@ViL89 your welcome, once again just to reiterate there is hope!! baby aspirin and the cream after ovulation only. Progesterone shouldn’t be taken before ov as progesterone is needed post ovulation not before .

I only got help after having my miscarriages when I called the EPU this pregnancy as they were aware of my previous mcs. Before that no help, just had to figure it all out myself

Thanks so much I really appreciate your advice, I'm early in my journey but I've been tracking cycles for years so I know my cycle timelines v well - this is super helpful

Xxx

@Slk3558 I thought it was one finger for the bands! I'll try them again. I've started vomiting once in the mornings but otherwise it's still just nausea. It sounds like you are vomiting more than me! Good luck for your scan tomorrow, so exciting 🤞🏻

@ViL89 yeah @slk3558 has pretty much covered it there! I had 3 CPs in 4 months, which I put down to progesterone dropping too early, but who knows. I am stopping my progesterone today at 8+5 so hopefully that goes smoothly 🤞🏻

@GlassLily thanks will let you know how it goes. How come your stopping the progesterone? I’ve heard most stay on til 12-14 weeks until placenta is fully developed x

@Slk3558 my fertility doctor said that's super conservative and only routinely done in the US, he said once I have seen the heartbeat on the scan, the pregnancy will be producing more than enough progesterone on its own. He said I can taper it off or finish the pack, so I've kept on it up to 9 weeks and saved 2 pessaries just in case I start to feel like something's wrong and want to take more....

But yeah he said the amount of progesterone in the pessaries is an absolute drop in the ocean by this point in the pregnancy, as your body has to be producing absolutely loads by this stage. So he said there's no way the pessaries could make a difference to the pregnancy outcome.

@Slk3558 how was your scan?

@GlassLily sorry I was so tired yesterday they put me on anti sickness tablets which knocked me out! scan was unbelievable saw the heartbeat couldn’t believe my eyes! X

@Slk3558 amazing congratulations!! So happy for you I bet you are so relieved! I wish I could have a scan to see how it's all going in there! So worried.

Yes I was feeling relieved until I started googling ‘chance of mc after seeing heartbeat’ and seeing some negative stories! Why do we do this to ourselves ?

The consultant was very positive and hopeful.

How many weeks are you now? How is your nausea ?

@Slk3558 I'm 9+3 now, nausea and bloating disappeared for a couple of days after I stopped taking progesterone - I panicked and asked the doctor, so she sent me for an extra scan for reassurance - it's all good in there! The baby was moving around and had a great heartbeat. The next day my nausea was back. I don't think it's as bad now as it has been previously, I seem to be able to eat more foods. But today the fatigue is killing me! I'm absolutely wiped out, everything is so difficult and I feel like I have absolutely no energy!

Don't listen to the internet, the odds are well and truly in your favour at this stage! It could go wrong, but it is far, far more likely to all be fine 🙂 How are your symptoms? How many weeks are you now?

@GlassLily great news about your scan. Not long til your 12 weeks scan now.

I read on another thread that symptoms fluctuate as the placenta starts to take over, because the hormones are being produced by the placenta and not the corpus luteum.

My nausea is a constant routine now really, vomit every morning, then I’m ok throughout the day as long as I keep snacking and drink the best I can. Then hits me again around 6 pm and can’t eat or drinks anything for rest of night. I’m learning how to manage it better now, what triggers it etc. Funnily enough my boobs are not tender at all now except when wearing a bra, but as long as my nausea is still there trying not to worry.

I’m 7+5 today. Still feeling early compared to you lol! My next scan is going to be 10 weeks. So another 2 weeks ish . Counting the days !