Luteal phase "normalizing" post partum

[carmen358]

Nursing mamas, how many cycles post partum (after AF returned) did it take for your LP to lengthen to what is normal for you?

[copper.kettle]

My LP was around 13-14 days prepreg.  I got my first PPAF at 15 months.  My next few cycles were 40+ days, with an LP of 8-9 days.  Then I had 3 or 4 cycles of more "normal" total length, like 30-35 days with a 10ish day LP.  It finally stretched to 12-13 days after maybe 6 cycles, which took about 8 or 9 months, so DS was right around turning 2.  Does that make sense?  By the time DS weaned at 27 months I was very regular, O on day 14ish with a 13ish day LP.  We then got pregnant on our first try a month before DS turned 3 :)

Hope that helps!

[carmen358]

Mine lp was around 12 to 14 days pre-preg and my cycle was usually 32 days. I got af back at 13 months and my first cycle was 34 days and I think I O'd on CD25 but I'm not entirely sure (I'm not temping with all the wake ups...). I'm waiting to see how long this next lp will be and I'm suddenly concerned that it may take a while to lengthen. We want to ttc again in May/June (we are using a donor so we are limited in how many tries we have).

Thanks for sharing your experience! Congrats on your little one on the way :)

[Peony]

Mine has never returned to pre-baby length before getting pg again. I had AF back for a year before getting pg this last time and my cycles were still all over the place, DS was 18m when I got pg. What has happened 3 times now, it is that the first cycle where I actually get a 10 day LP, I get pg. Sometimes it has been first attempt TTC or sometimes we had been been trying a while. 

[broodymama]

I haven't gone long enough between pregnancies for it to go back to normal (well, pre-pregnancy normal) yet.  Since DS1 was born in September 2004 my luteal phases have all been 5-7 days.  The only times they've ever been longer than that were the 3 times I was pregnant again.  I'm assuming that some point in another couple years after DS2 weans that they'll normalize again.

[Abraisme]

My first ppaf cycle lp was about 5 days, then it went to 9 days, then 12 days, then 14 days and I got pregnant.  It took 4 full cycles to get pregnant.  While my LP did lengthen, my cycle was still weird up to the point that I got pregnant.  It was 48 days long instead of the normal 33 days from before my last pregnancy..  I hope that helps and makes sense.

[Resi]

My LP was 14-15 days before having DS.  He is 2.5 years old and still nursing.  I night weaned him a few months ago but he usually still nurses around 4 AM.  My last LP was 13 days long.  Before night weaning it was usually 10-11 days but I didn't chart all the time so I don't know for sure.

[carmen358]

Hmm as per usual, it would appear that there is a really wide range of experiences!

[munchymum]

Mine was 10 days, right from first ppaf (when dd was 2) to the last one.  I have used vitex and b6 and night weaned to try and lengthen it, but nothing seemed to make any difference.  However, this month I cut her down to three daytime feeds (and none at night) and I got pregnant.  I believe it was not the short lp that was preventing me from conceiving, but "weak" ovulation.  This month my post-ovulation signs (cervix, cm etc) were more pronounced and sudden, and I can only assume that cutting the feeding had allowed my body to mature an egg properly.