Random 20-day cycle?! Anxious, please share experiences

[Strawberrypicnic]

Hi everyone!

For context, I've just turned 36 and have been tracking my cycle with the Clue app since 2018 (age 29). It's remained steadily around 24-25 days during that time, sometimes a couple of days shorter, sometimes a couple of days longer, but largely regular.

Since the start of this year, it's been a little more variable than normal: 24, 26, 21, 26, 27 then 22 days. Possibly relevant info: I had covid over Christmas/NY, then again in mid-June. I was also poorly with a viral thing in February, and have been under an exceptional amount of work stress over the last 3 months, with lots of late nights. So I put the variability down to that. I haven't had worse PMS or period pain than normal, or any other hormone-related symptoms such as weight gain, insomnia, hot flushes, etc.

But now I've just started my period early once again - with a cycle of just 20 days. It's never been this short before. I'm getting a bit worried that something is up hormone-wise. Can anyone advise/relate - could this be normal variability, given the circumstances?

I'm especially anxious as I'm hoping to conceive in the next year (haven't started trying yet, not on hormonal contraception).

Any input welcome, and thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply <3

A one off period of 20 days would not necessarily indicate a wider issue. The inflammation from your recent viral infection and stress can definitely make your hormones go haywire.
but with a cycle of 24-25 days normally, you may have low progesterone in the luteal phase. Depends when you ovulate.

if you ovulate at the ‘normal’ time around day 14/15 that gives you 10 days until your period.

if you ovulate earlier than normal at day 11-12, you have 13/14 days until your period.

and if you ovulate a bit later at day 16/17, you have less than 10 days until your period.

ideally a luteal phase should be 12-14 days long, this means your body/egg is producing enough progesterone to thicken the lining and give the egg time to implant.

so I think your first task is to pinpoint which day you are ovulating, as if you just ovulate early it’s not that much of an issue. Although ovulating super early could mean your eggs don’t get enough time to mature properly.

You’ll know better when you start trying. If you can pinpoint ovulation day, and try for a baby, generally you should be able to get pregnant in 3-5 months.

so if you find it’s not happening like that, then one of the issues above may be contributing.

id just call the gp now and let them begin investigating as it can take so long for appointments and better to get checked :) they can help in good time

Also don’t worry too much - this sort of thing is easily fixed. If it’s an egg issue, you can take fertility medication that makes you ovulate stronger eggs and subsequently give you more progesterone and lengthen your cycle. There is also progesterone you can just take as a pessary. Short cycle can be fixed. :)