Short luteal phase?

[JuniperandI]

Hi ladies

I have a short LP, about 9-10 days. Anyone else in the same boat? Have you managed to get pregnant with a short LP? Any advice would be very welcome!

Amazing! I love a bit of Amazon prime too!
this urine test saves the hassle of the gp apts etc for just one blood test.

let me know how you get on! ☺️

I've been looking at progesterone tests. Just to check (before I order!) do those tests measure progesterone?

its the progesterone metabolite in the urine that is tested.
it supposedly tracks over 4 days in the luteal phase to confirm ovulation/ no ovulation or weak ovulation
from my own reading a progesterone blood test can only tell you a snapshot ie confirm
ovulation or not.
my issue is that my progesterone levels seem to drop early and don’t quite get strong enough to begin with then I get spotting before AF.
this test showed me as such last
month.
👌🏻

Thanks! If AF shows up this cycle I'll get myself some

Right team.... stay with me here. Because l'm potentially having a 'moment'

Right... soooo as I've said I've used natural cycles for ages now... temping and OPK.

I've just downloaded Premom ready for next month (as I've already mentally given up this month 🤦🏻‍♀️)

I've fed all my last cycle data into Premom and it told me my O was much earlier. I even uploaded an opk test.

Original I was thinking, oh the app doesn't know me yet. And it's not an entire month of data. Here is the kicker though... on CD13 I had a really high BBT reading. NC ruled this out as an anomaly as it was different to my previous cycles. I assumed it was just a blip and moved on. BUTTTT that high temp fits with when Premom says my O should be.

I do think I'm perhaps clutching at imaginary unicorn dust straws here BUT - we actually DTD (is that the right acronym, I don't actually know what it stands for but I've seen it on other posts!) CD10. So we COULD be in with a chance if Premom is right....! Interesting

Anyway like I say... definitely having a 'moment'
Next month I'm going to run both apps concurrently with the same data and see what they say!

@EmmRach I think DTD means Did The Deed! Mumsnet acronyms are so funny 😂

I had a short luteal phase when I was BF DS1 and still fell pregnant (although sadly it was a MMC).

The 1st cycle, my Luteal Phase was 7 days, next cycle it was 8 days, 3rd cycle was 9 days and then I fell pregnant on cycle 4.

Since the MMC my luteal phase is back to the normal 13/14 days and no joy after 10 months TTC.

Maybe the short LP was the key

@Got2besoon I'm so sorry about your MMC. 😞 all that hope, and then all that sadness. Must be really tough.

And honestly... who the F knows?! You fix one problem only to have another you didn't know about?! I really hope it happens for you soon....

@JuniperandI Yeah I think I would be hesitant about using progesterone cream without consulting a doc - would rather try the more herbal things first.

@Sparklythings1 I thought you're meant to take agnus castus throughout cycle? I'm hesitant to try this one as I do ovulate - but I guess CD19-22 for ovulation is pretty late, so could benefit from bringing it forward perhaps? Don't know if later ovulation means weaker ovulation and that could be root of problem? Is ashwagandha for fertility or just a more general thing for stress?

@EmmRach I'm the same with BBT - I don't always catch my peak on OPKs so find it useful to confirm ovulation. Though it isn't always crystal clear! I use 4 different apps and sometimes they slightly disagree with each other (but mostly show the same).

@Jendy87 I'm so sorry to hear about your difficult journey so far. Really hope this all works for you! Will keep my fingers crossed. I might try those progesterone tests. I wonder if that is my issue? I never have spotting, so not sure.

@Got2besoon Really sorry about the MMC. Good thing your LP is back to normal now though.

I'm CD7, less than a week to go to the wedding! Funny, the start of my fertile window is the day after the wedding so let's hope the new DH isn't too hungover!

Waiting for the evening primrose oil to arrive, but half thinking I might not start on it until the next cycle. Feel like I'm rattling around these days with all the supplemants I'm taking! Just hoping beyond hope that something works.

Mine is about 10 days usually, ovulate around day 13/14 & then period arrives day 24/25 max but I get spotting a few days before that as well. I've been pregnant 6 times (2 babies). Seems like even with a short LP it hasn't affected the ability to get or stay pregnant. I didn't do anything in terms of supplements to lengthen it so all happened without trying to do anything different. Wishing you lots of good luck.

@DesertSnow OMGGGGG THATS SO EXCITING!! Wishing you all the best for the big day, and hoping and wishing so much for you for a lil honeymoon 'surprise' :)

@Jsh125 that's good to know!! Thank you for sharing. Interesting you didn't do anything different.... Although if your LP is 10 - 12 days then perhaps that is long enough. Mine is more like 8 days which I worry is just a bit too short 😖

@EmmRach you're welcome 😊. It's all such an unknown isn't it. My cycle is usually 25 ish days. Ovulation on day 14/15 then I get spotting from day 22 so if you count first sign of any bleeding my LP is 7ish days, but first day of what I'd consider proper bleeding is 10 days post ovulation ish.

I did use OPK's to see when ovulation was going to occur & they worked really well for us in both getting pregnant & in preventing pregnancy. I bought a load of cheap ones on the internet & could use them several times a day near peak ovulation. Also got to know my own body & when I had signs of ovulation.

It may be that your LP is long enough but ovulation is slightly earlier / later than you thought. Definitely use all the things available to you to try & pinpoint the prime time to go for it.

Pregnancy test wise I got a positive pretty much every time from 10dpo - based on when I got a positive opk.

Fingers crossed for you 😊

@Jsh125 ahh so including spotting was only 7ish days! That IS interesting...
before I figured out about my LP I never really understood spotting. And I've always counted it as part of my period. I'm going to take a lot of notice this month and check to see if I do actually spot or not!! I had always assumed I didn't. But looking up definitions maybe I do!

I've been using OPKs and BBT now for about a year in prep for trying to conceive. But I've always found it difficult to read them really accurately. So going to try the Premom app next cycle.

Thank you for your insights. It's so good to hear that it is possible!!

@EmmRach yeah the 'when you count as first day of your period' was massively confusing. It might not be accurate but seems to work for me that I could day 1 as first day I need to use a pad / tampon but always get 3-4, sometimes more, days spotting before I get to that point. You know when you wipe & there's something there but not enough to need a pad.

I use the pre mom app to read my OPK's & seems pretty accurate enough, as in it gets the peak at around the right time. My tests go from really light to noticeably darker (but still deemed low by pre mom) & at that point I start testing more frequently. The last time I got pregnant my peak happened within a few hours of an averagely high test. Not that you need to hit bang on the peak, with ovulation about 24 hours later, but it helps in terms of cycle tracking each month. I've now got a good bank of data to know when I'm likely to peak - all sounds so clinical & not remotely sexy 😂. I also look out for physical signs, it's weird the first time but my cervical position tells me a lot about ovulation & any discharge as well. Sort of like piecing a puzzle together 😬.

The months I've conceived I almost knew before a test as I didn't have any spotting. I read somewhere that spotting can be due to low progesterone but that obviously hasn't posed a problem when pregnant. Kind of like my body has righted itself when it needed to.

Totally appreciate this is just my individual experience but hope it helps 😊

@Jsh125

It absolutely helps!! Thank you 🙏🏻 - and gives more hope!!

So if I think carefully, I think I probably only get 1 day of spotting. But I'm going to pay really close attention this time. AF due in 4 days!

That's good to know about the OPK tests and Premom. I've never had a really blazing result before. Always just 'that's almost as bright as the test line' but then again I've mainly just tested at the same time as my digital clear blue test with first wee. It usually shows a pretty good line when I get my solid smiley. So I've not bothered testing twice a day etc. but I'm going to now I've got Premom.

It's so funny. Because I have a game plan for next month and I'm so convinced it won't have happened this month I'm almost excited to get AF and start again with renewed tools and info.

@EmmRach glad to help, it's obviously only my experience but always helpful to hear from others.

Know what you mean about wanting to just crack on with the new plan but fingers crossed you might have a nice surprise this month & not even jeer Premom & OPK's & all that.

totally appreciate it doesn't work for everyone but OPK's were great for us, I get 50 for £10 online so making it cost effective enough to keep doing. There's definitely way more to it than just have sex & a baby will come but I was always of the view that giving ourselves the best possible chance was all I could do & then if it didn't happen that month it wasn't because we missed our chance.

Sending you lots of good luck, fingers crossed for some happy news soon 😊

I usually do all the opks and premom, I’m only on cd 10 and I didn’t ovulate until cd20 and 26 the last two cycles (after stopping the pill). So I feel like I’ve got my feet up making no effort to even start tracking. I’ve gone to the toilet so many times today and forgot to test 🤦🏻‍♀️ I think we might try and do it a bit less clinical this month! AF has arrived 7/8 days after both times and I think it’s probably partly still due to the effects of the pill but also due to stress at work so I need to try and chill out!

Hey @BCxx oh yeah, you can definitely overthink it & make it feel too clinical- such a hard balance! I tried to be casual about it, no obsessively test & not to keep going on about it to my husband. I was like a silent assassin, quietly gathered all the info & then just told him when it was prime baby making time, he probably didn't know the half of what was going on in the background 😂. That kept it vaguely sexy though rather than just a total chore 😬

@Jsh125 I think that’s the best way! The only problem with that is if it goes on for a while you end up with ALL of the excitement/disappointment/frustration etc because you’ve taken it all on yourself, meanwhile they’re floating about oblivious 😂

Hey ladies hope you don’t mind me joining. I’m currently on CD6 of cycle 3 ttc our first. I’ve been using OPKs for the last 2 cycles and noticed my luteal phase is around 9/10 days. I didn’t even realise this could be an issue until I read about it on mumsnet!

I have just started taking 1000mg vitamin C alongside folic acid which I was already taking. I’ve just read this whole thread and so interesting to read all the other things people are trying. Google can be a bit of a mind field so it’s nice to hear from other women in the same boat. And also promising to hear about those who have got their BFP with a short luteal phase :)

Hi @buttercupbee welcome! You sound pretty similar to myself and others on this thread. So I think we should end up a nice supportive group.

And yes I totally agree is SO good to hear about people with successes isn't it!!

I'm also ttc cycle 3, 6DPO, AF due in 2 days. No symptoms of AF arrival yet but I don't tend to suffer too bad anyway so I'm trying not to read into that. Plus I'm fairly convinced it's not happening this cycle anyway. But I'll definitely report back!!

How is everyone getting on? I’m CD9 and natural cycles is telling me ovulation is approaching and I should take an OPK, unfortunately it’s using data from before my pregnancy when I ovulated in the middle of my cycle, so I think we’re still a long way away from ovulation! It feels like such a long month when you ovulate around CD22. Hopefully all the vitamins and breathing exercises I’m doing will bring it forward a few days!
@EmmRach dont count yourself out too soon, you never know! Looking forward to your update either way 😀

@EmmRach yes the good news definitely gives me hope! It’s only been 2 cycles but I’d started to convince myself it wouldn’t happen. Feeling a lot more positive now :) Fingers crossed this is your cycle!!

@Mugascauld the long wait is so frustrating, last cycle I was doing OPKs from CD8 and didn’t ovulate until CD21! I think I’ll wait a bit longer before starting them this time

@buttercupbee ugh I know, I started a couple of days ago but it’s just giving me anxiety seeing if there’s any sort of progression in the lines to indicate my hormones are working away 🙄counterproductive!😂

Hi all, not much to update from me - CD 9, only 4 days to go to the wedding 😱, and 5 till my fertile window. My evening primrose oil has arrived but am waiting till next cycle to start is as I'd like to start on CD1, and am trying to limit myself to 1 new thing a cycle so my bank account doesn't suffer!

A few wedding stresses mean I've been quite stressed out this cycle which isn't great for babymaking. Going for a massage this afternoon to try and chill out a bit.

Does everyone get spotting before AF? I've read that is a sign of low progesterone, but I don't experience it - I get a full AF flow, but it just turns up too soon - 7/8 day LP.

@EmmRach Fingers crossed you won't need the new plan!

@BCxx It can take a while from coming off the pill to regulate, so I wouldn't worry about the LP yet! Though stress can also be a factor, of course.

@Mugascauld Looks like we're cycle buddies, just saw you're also CD9 - I also ovulate late - usually CD20-22 although last two cycles it's been CD19. Remind me how long your LP is? Wonder if my ovulation coming slightly forward could be a good sign... though no change in LP.