Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Flip

Original poster

short luteal phase?

18 replies

punchy · 30/10/2008 15:51

I'm sure that there are probably threads like this out there but am new to this. Does anyone else think they have a short luteal phase at the moment and if so what are you doing about it/what have you done?

I already have a 15 month old and conceived after 5 months of trying - I thought I had a short luteal phase then but looking back probably was around 10 days which obviously wasn't a problem. It's now 7/8 days. I've only been trying again for 2 months but have been charting for around 5 so I know what's going on with my cycle. Have been taking B6 and agnus castus for a couple of months but with no results yet.

Just wondering what others in a similar situation are doing?

OP posts:

lastboxoftampons · 30/10/2008 15:59

Mine has been 10 days - but recently has gone to 11 and this past month actually 12! I take between 150 - 300 mg of B6 a day (150mg twice a day and sometimes I forget to take it at night, hence the range!) and I have been taking AC since August. I feel like I've really only recently seen the change from the AC. How long have you been taking it?

Original poster

punchy · 30/10/2008 18:18

I've been taking it for 2 months. I've only taken it in the mornings though - usually forget to take it in the evenings. Have been taking 100mg B6 a day but might try to take another to see if that helps. How long have you been trying?

OP posts:

lastboxoftampons · 31/10/2008 09:43

I've been taking 1200mg of AC - just three capsules in the morning

We started trying in January and got pregnant on the first month. Unfortunately, miscarried in March and have been trying since April.

Caitni · 31/10/2008 10:56

10 days and over is considered fine by most doctors so a LP of 7/8 days is worth getting checked out. I know you've not been trying long, and have successfully conceived in the past, but it may help put your mind at rest to have your doctor check you over (as a short LP is usually caused by low progesterone, which is very treatable).

If you'd like to stick to over the counter remedies for the moment, I've heard that agnus castus does help but takes a while to build up in your system and of course Vit B6, ideally as part of a Vit B complex. I've also heard that Vit C can help (scroll down a bit on this link).

Although my LP is fine (12 days - though last month was 11), it's still something I've worried about over in the months of ttc . But I'm off to see my GP for the first time tomorrow so hoping for blood tests that show all's normal!

HTH and good luck to both of you in ttc.

eth37 · 31/10/2008 11:40

I went to my GP about this on Monday. Mine is currently 8 - 9 days and she said that was fine... I am still taking AC and B6 so we will see what happens. I am not sure GPs always take it seriously.

Caitni · 31/10/2008 11:48

Hi eth37 do you mind if I ask what the GP said? Did he/she just say to go away and stop worrying? I'm off to mine tomorrow and really want blood tests/investigations as it's been over a year and am nervous about being fobbed off.

lastboxoftampons · 31/10/2008 11:53

eth37 I saw my GP for my short LP in July. She did a progesterone test and it came back normal, so she's pretty much at a loss. We did CD3 bloods this month and again all normal... She said the best indicator of anyone's fertility is their past experience and since I've been pregnant before there's nothing wrong I'm still not convinced!

lastboxoftampons · 31/10/2008 12:00

caitni we crossed posts. Do you have any spotting in your LP? Because we had really only been trying for a few months, I tried to focus on the fact that my periods were irregular instead of the fact that we were TTC when talking with my GP. Like you, I thought if I went in there saying "I'm not pregnant yet!" she'd tell me to go away and have lots of sex - but I knew my cycle wasn't "normal" so you might want to try that tactic.

I also always find it really hard to judge if I should let on just how much I know when talking with doctors IYSWIM? In my head I was saying Progesterone test! CD3 Bloods! But in the end I waited for her to suggest them. Not sure if it's a good thing or bad, just something I always struggle with!

eth37 · 31/10/2008 12:25

Hi Caitini she said if it had been a year (it's not) then they would do tests on me and my DH for fertility, but basically there was nothing to worry about and that 8 days was long enough for a baby to 'stick'. She's a specialist in obs/gyn as well and so I had deliberately made an appointment to see her. I think I will go back in a couple of months if still no luck but am def still going to take the AC and B6. By the way does anyone know where to get higher strength B6? Superdrug's is only 50mg and it says to only take one a day...

lastboxoftampons · 31/10/2008 12:29

eth you can get a 100mg in Holland and Barrett. I take mine in a complex and the 100mg is quite expensive. For some reason they tend to have sales on the 50mg often, but never the 100

Caitni · 31/10/2008 12:33

hi eth thanks for that, it's both interesting and a relief to hear what she said about 8 days being plenty of time. We've been trying for just about less than a year in calendar months but more than a year in cycles (my cycle is about 23 days long) so am hoping I can get the investigations I want/need.

eth37 · 31/10/2008 12:52

Thanks for that lastbox. And Caitni I hope you get the investigations you want/need. I am sure once it has been a year they should at least run the blood tests and tests on your DH. It's all quite traumatic this ttc business though, isn't it? Is it your first DC?

Caitni · 31/10/2008 12:58

eth I agree that this ttc malarkey is far more stressful than I expected! It's our first and was innocently expecting it to happen quite quickly [hmmm]. Still, despite sometimes getting terribly stressed out I do try to maintain a positive outlook. Mainly by using MN to vent when I need to and trying different things each month . Am ready to let my GP offer some advice though, as the dangers of self-diagnose by google are too much for me at times

Original poster

punchy · 31/10/2008 14:01

This is all very interesting, especially that a GP said that 8 days is fine. I think implantation can take anything from 6-12 days so I guess it is possible but just more unlikely.

LBOT, you asked about spotting - before I had my son (my cycle is different now!), I used to spot from about 7 days after ovulation for around 3-4 days before my period properly started. The month I found out I was pregnant I spotted as usual for around 3/4 days and then it stopped and I did a positive test and then had a trouble-free pregnancy. At the time, I was convinced I couldn't get pregnant with a cycle like this, but I did, so hopefully it'll happen for you too. The waiting is just too frustrating!

By the way, the month I did get pregnant was the one my husband and I decided not to think and plan too much and just enjoy ourselves (it was around Christmas!). I think there's a lot to be said for that!

Think I will give it a couple more months and then see what my GP says about me. I'm with you about not showing you've been researching too much on the internet!

OP posts:

spats · 31/10/2008 14:32

i am confused . What is the luteal phase, is it between when you ovulate and af? I amm usually 28 days. Last month i had pos opk on cd15 and af on cd27. This month i assumed i would ovulate at same time but couldn't do opk as away for weekend. Now i have done opk on cd19 and it is pos.if i am usually 27/28 day cycle does that mean i have a short luteal phase? does that i won't be pg this month even if we bd?

Caitni · 31/10/2008 16:22

hi spats
The luteal phase is from time from ovulation to your period arriving. It's supposed to be an average of 14 days but anything from 10 to 16 is considered OK. It's possible for your cycle length to vary quite a bit, as you may ovulate earlier or later depending on this like illness, travel, stress. But your luteal phase should stay roughly the same. I'd say it sounds like your period will show up about 12 days after you ovulate. It would probably be helpful for you to keep a track of your cycles for a few months, to get a rough idea of when you ovulate and how long your luteal phase is.

dannyb · 13/11/2008 22:37

I am sorry to have to disagree with your doctor but 8 days really isn't long enough to sustain a pregnancy, 10 days is really on the short side. A LP of 8 days means that your lining is starting to breakdown too soon and will mean that a pregnancy simply doesn't have anything to implant into. I tried B6 and agnus castus when TTC#2 and it did nothing but screw up my cycles. However, the only thing which sorted out my LP was progesterone supplements. I am currently using natural progesterone to try and rectify this before ttc again and am now getting LP's of 13-14 days.

Original poster

punchy · 24/11/2008 09:31

Hi - thought I'd try revisiting this thread. dannyb - did you go to your GP to get progesterone supplements? how long had you been ttc? I've just had another period 8 days after ovulation. I've been charting for 5 cycles and it's pretty much the same every time. I'm just not sure whether to go straight to GP or give it a bit longer as don't want to be fobbed off.

OP posts:

Flip