my luteal phase went from 8 to 13 days!! Yay!!!

[contactmaya]

OK, im not pregnant, but im really excited about this. (or i have some disease, i dont know)

Last i checked, my luteal phase was 7/8 days long. I wanted to ttc, was still breastfeeding, the answer-progesterone. I couldnt see what my actual luteal phase was like. Was it getting longer as ds reduced his breastfeeding (by not much) Was it getting shorter as i got older (had just turned 43)

This cycle, i didnt even try to get pregnant, as i felt my O was so weak, if even existent. So i skipped the progesterone and just watched nature take its course. Sure enough, i got spotting on 5 dpo. Great, now i have a 5 day luteal phase, thats if its even a period at all. (could have been estrogen withdrawal, and not a period)
Pulled out the pads.
By that evening i put them away. No period.

Day10, same thing, a bit of blood. But it stopped. Wow, thats the shortest period ive ever had in my life. I must be perimenopausal, had no endometrium, didnt ovulate, have a disease, i dont know.

Day 13, i get actual flow, i couldnt believe it. Soaked several pads. Yay, a real period!!!!

Sorry about the tmi, but you know, this is the ttc forum.

Its bloody good news, literally!....i think

I mean, who knows what the long term effects of taking progesterone are. Women coming off the pill often have this kind of spotting, so maybe there is a similarity. Also, long term progesterone intake can lower vitd and calcium levels (see recent thread)

[mamaw/two]

yey for a long lp!! what kind did you use?

[contactmaya]

Thanks. Im not sure wha tyou mean by 'what kind did i use'?
Usually i use promotrium when ttc, but didnt this cycle, i used nothing. so my LP was my actual LP...

[indigosky]

So do you have any theory about why your luteal phase was longer this cycle? I'm struggling with this, too.

[contactmaya]

I should have mentioned that i am breastfeeding, and that was definitely the major cause of my shortened luteal phase. But now over 6 months later, i would have expected a gradual return of a normal luteal phase as ds gradually reduced breastfeeding. He still nurses around 5-6 times a day, but there are large gaps in the day, and no night nursing.

Since i am 43 tho, i have to take into consideration that i might just launch straight into the dreaded perimenopausal pit (im sure its lovely place if you are not ttc, but i am, so i am not ready). I figured my luteal phase might be getting back to normal, but maybe not. Well, i couldnt tell because i was taking progesterone. This month i didnt.

I do take high doses of vit b6, (100mg in my prenatal vit) which i am sure helps me.

Do you have an idea what is causing you short luteal phase? How short is it?

[mamaw/two]

Originally Posted by contactmaya

Thanks. Im not sure wha tyou mean by 'what kind did i use'?
Usually i use promotrium when ttc, but didnt this cycle, i used nothing. so my LP was my actual LP...

Sorry, I meant, did you use an otc or presciption.

[mamaw/two]

Originally Posted by contactmaya

I should have mentioned that i am breastfeeding, and that was definitely the major cause of my shortened luteal phase. But now over 6 months later, i would have expected a gradual return of a normal luteal phase as ds gradually reduced breastfeeding. He still nurses around 5-6 times a day, but there are large gaps in the day, and no night nursing.

Since i am 43 tho, i have to take into consideration that i might just launch straight into the dreaded perimenopausal pit (im sure its lovely place if you are not ttc, but i am, so i am not ready). I figured my luteal phase might be getting back to normal, but maybe not. Well, i couldnt tell because i was taking progesterone. This month i didnt.

I do take high doses of vit b6, (100mg in my prenatal vit) which i am sure helps me.

Do you have an idea what is causing you short luteal phase? How short is it?

So, you are saying that QUITTING the progesterone is what seemed to help lenthen your lp?

[contactmaya]

I dont think quitting the progesterone did it. I think that my LP was getting back to normal simply because of the passage of time and reduced brestfeeding. However, since i took progesterone every cycle, i could never see what it was like without the artificial progesterone. This cycle, i was able to see that. And i am happily surprised. (mind you, i had spotting in the cycle, but its still an improvement from an 8 day luteal phase)

Mind you, who knows if there isnt a negative feedback loop, where taking the progesterone makes your body lazy in producing its own. That doesnt sound right to me, but you never know...