Luteal Phase

[cmccaffrey]

I have been using OPKs and temping this month. I thought I had o'd on cycle day 17, but my temp kind of hovered around and I never got a positive OPK. This morning(cycle day 21), my temp dipped again to the same temp as cycle day 17 and I finally got a positive opk. I am worried because my cycle length has been kind of crazy. Last month it started 5 days early on cycle day 27 after pretty consistently having 31 day cycles. I am just curious if I should be concerned about a shortened luteal phase or are my cycles just wonky and I should just go with the flow?

[holly3372@msn.com]

Wow....same exact thing happening with me so great question! I am ususally to the day regular. I am wondering whats up with me too and have pretty much decided to go with the flow,let's see what others may have to say.

[angieb]

If you aren't ovulating until day 20+, and you have a normal 28-30 day cycle, then yes, that would be a bit short for a luteal phase. But I'd wait and see how long this month ends up going for you, you might have a longer cycle than you usually do. And, it's not really a problem to be ovulating around day 20 (as long as your luteal phase is long enough), even with fertility meds I never ovulate on day 14. Luteal phase defects are often in conjunction with low progesterone, it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask your ob to test your progesterone levels 7 days past when you think you ovulated to see if your number is at a decent level. It's possible with your variable cycle lengths that you aren't ovulating (the progesterone test will also confirm ovulation), or it's possible your cycles are just different now.

My guess is that you didn't ovulate on cycle day 17, if you did you should see a temp rise lasting longer than 3 days and you shouldn't be getting a + opk today. I'd proceed as though you are gearing up to ovulate today or tomorrow.

If you do have a luteal phase defect, that's usually fairly easy to fix, I think some people even have luck with over the counter supplements. (B6 I think I've read.)

[cmccaffrey]

Yeah, today I got my second +opk and a slight temp rise (yesterday I had a drop and +). So maybe my surge is on its way out? Something I am having trouble understanding.... Say I get pregnant this cycle, but I do have a luteal phase problem, How will I know? Is that where the progesterone testing comes in? Will I most likely miscarry? I'm not too sure how long my cycle will be this month because last time it was short by 4/5 days. I guess buying some vitamin b6 can't hurt for next month.

[angieb]

If you have a luteal phase defect you probably won't get pregnant, the egg might get fertilized but it won't have enough time to implant in your uterine lining before your body sheds the lining, I guess depending on your definition of miscarriage it might be considered one, but not technically, because your body doesn't begin producing pregnancy hormone until after implantation, so you'd never know the difference, never have a + test. High levels of progesterone, which should be produced after a strong ovulation, keep your temp up and tells your body not to shed the lining yet...(peaks about 7 days post ovulation), if you aren't pregnant, your temps and the progesterone levels should drop at the end of you luteal phase and shed the lining to start over. If you are ovulating but not producing enough progesterone, your luteal phase could be too short as a result. Let me know if i'm confusing you more, i'm not sure that i'm explaining it well.

so anyway, before ovulation, you should have no progesterone. It starts being produced at ovulation and peaks around day 7, which is why it should be tested then ideally, any earlier and you could have a low level that's not really low, and in a day or two after day 7,if you aren't pregnant, it will start declining. Some women do get pregnant with low progesterone but are at risk to miscarry if its not supplemented bc the body may think its time to shed the lining. But normally during pregnancy the progesterone levels stay steady and continue rising.

[cmccaffrey]

I think I understand. hopefully I am just having a longer cycle, but if not I will make an appointment with my doctor.

[kerisue]

Angie (or anyone!)- how do you know if you have a luteal phase defect? I don't test my bbt, so I wouldn't know if the temp was up and staying up.

[angieb]

Do you know when/if you are ovulating? Your luteal phase is the amount of time from when you ovulate until your next period starts (or you get a + test)...it should be ideally 12 or so days (it's been awhile since I ttc'd so I don't remember the exact number of days they want it to be.) If you get a + opk cycle day 10-14 and have 28 day cycles, your luteal phase is probably fine. However, if you aren't ovulating until day 18 or later, and still have a 28 day cycle, your luteal phase is short (ie. a "defect"). If you are ovulating late, but have a longer cycle, then that's probably fine. It's only an issue if you are ovulating late and have a "normal" or short cycle length. (Likewise, if you ovulate on day 12 and your cycle is 26 days, that's okay.) Basically you want x days between ovulation and a new cycle starting. So you kind of have to know when you ovulate to know if you have a defect (either by opk- ovulation predictor kit, fertility monitor, temping, etc.)

[cmccaffrey]

So I believe I ovulated yesterday. I am suspecting a luteal phase defect or just a super long cycle... I really wont know until the end............... Why must my body be so CRAZY? Anyways, other than ovulating super late, I think my BD timing was actually really good this month and it was fairly spontaneous!

[angieb]

good luck christa, hopefully it's a long cycle!