Possible luteal phase issue??

PrettyMommy · #1 October 1st, 2007, 07:36 PM

I saw my doc today and this time I printed out my charts from FF. This is month will be month 24 of ttc and I just got fed up so I went to see my OB again. She looked at my charts and said that it looks like my liteal phase is too short on manmy of my chart. I have no idea what the normal length is because I keep getting different answers. Last month it was 10 days but the average is like 11 or 12. I have had a few that were 14 or 13 but not many. And she also said that my temp drops too low during my LP and that may indicate a progesterone issue. I always thought my charts looked ok. They never drop below my cover line but they do go up and down sometimes and she stated they should dip up and down by so much. She has ordered me to have a progesterone test this month around 9-10 days after I get a positve OPK. Anyone ever had to do this? Can you look at my charts and tell me what you think? And could this be the issue for us not being able to conceive? My OB said I may have but had an early miscarriage because of the short LP. I did have a couple months where I know I got a positive PG test but my period started anyway and I had a couple months where I had a really heavy period and bad cramping. I never usually get that.

~Jess~ · #2 October 1st, 2007, 09:00 PM

Only last months chart is showing on your link. You did have a 10-day lp, which can be an issue.

As for the lp & early miscarriage: The issue with a short lp is that it may not give the egg enough time to implant (an eggie can take up to 12 days to implant in the uterus), so even if you've conceived during that cycle, if you af arrives before the egg implants, then it will just be washed away with your menses. Since a pregnancy test works by detecting hcg in your bloodstream, and hcg is not produced until the zygote implants, then you would not get a positive pregnancy test. So, if you did have an early miscarriage in the instance you specified, it would not have been due to a luteal phase defect.

PrettyMommy · #3 October 1st, 2007, 09:35 PM

Thanks so much for that bit of info. I though I researched everything there is to know but yet, I learn more and more. Thanks!!!

ShannonMVT · #4 October 1st, 2007, 10:23 PM

Okay I may not know what I'm talking about here, but could it be that the egg implanted, hcg was produced, but then there was an early miscarriage because there was not enough progesterone present to sustain the pregnancy? I know progesterone is a controversial topic because some believe low progesterone CAUSES a miscarriage whereas others believe it is just a sign of impending miscarriage.
I would get your progesterone checked because then at least you'll know if it's normal or not.
I have had semi-short luteal phases and when I got pregnant my progesterone was found to be low at week 6. I took progesterone supplements starting at that time, but it was either too late or else there was something else wrong.

I'm currently pondering whether to ask to get my progesterone checked again and whether I should take it again when I find out I'm pregnant (which is what my dr recommended) or ask my doctor if I can start taking it after ovulation.

~Jess~ · #5 October 1st, 2007, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Okay I may not know what I'm talking about here, but could it be that the egg implanted, hcg was produced, but then there was an early miscarriage because there was not enough progesterone present to sustain the pregnancy?[/b]

This is absolutely a possibility, and something that didn't even occur to me. Thanks Shannon!

sjkduke · #6 October 2nd, 2007, 05:22 AM

It's my understanding that if a pregnancy is "doomed" to miscarry from the beginning and you're taking progesterone, it will pass anyway.

I have a short LP. I was first put on Clomid, which can help sustain your progesterone levels post Oing. I got pregnant on the first cycle, and miscarried.

With this pregnancy, I was not on Clomid, but as soon as I knew I had Od, I started taking my progesterone capsules. I will continue to take them(I believe) until the 16th week of pregnancy. Something like that. My body just can't make enough progesterone to support a pregnancy. Every single month that I had charted before my Clomid month, I had a 7-10 day LP.

Good luck to you! Your dr is certainly running the right test!

PrettyMommy · #7 October 4th, 2007, 10:37 PM

Quote:

It's my understanding that if a pregnancy is "doomed" to miscarry from the beginning and you're taking progesterone, it will pass anyway.

I have a short LP. I was first put on Clomid, which can help sustain your progesterone levels post Oing. I got pregnant on the first cycle, and miscarried.

With this pregnancy, I was not on Clomid, but as soon as I knew I had Od, I started taking my progesterone capsules. I will continue to take them(I believe) until the 16th week of pregnancy. Something like that. My body just can't make enough progesterone to support a pregnancy. Every single month that I had charted before my Clomid month, I had a 7-10 day LP.

Good luck to you! Your dr is certainly running the right test![/b]

Congrats! I have been away from the site for a while and lost track of who got their BFP's. Last month was actually the first one that I had a 10 day LP. It is normally around 11 or 12 days but it has varied and I have even had a couple that went as long as 14 days. I read that it not suppose to vary so much each month and if it does it is only suppose to be by about 1 day. Mine varies by 1 to 4 days. So maybe I have some sort of progesterone issue. I never did before so I don't know why I would now. My body has not been the same since I used that Ortho Evra patch for a couple years. I had no problem getting pregnant before and sustaining the pregnancy. Don't know what has happened in the last 4 years since my last pregnancy.

sjkduke · #8 October 5th, 2007, 02:39 AM

I know what you mean...when I was younger, I didn't have any issues. My cycles were very regular, and I didn't have a problem getting pregnant--even while on the pill!

Hormones can do crazy things though. I've seen a lot of interesting stuff in our office.

I hope you get it all figured out and that you get your BFP soon hon!

BeckyK · #9 October 9th, 2007, 05:50 PM

I had a LP defect and started taking a vitamin B complex. It helped me tremendously! My Doctor told me that I may have to take clomid if they didn't improve before we started TTC. It's certainly worth a try! Best of luck to you!

Admin-pattyandthemoos · #10 October 9th, 2007, 06:20 PM

I had three miscarriages before I started taking progesterone. I never charted back then but I was prescribed progesterone. Your corpus luteum should be making progesterone to support your pregnancy but if you have corpus luteum defect (or luteal phase defect) your corpus luteum doesn't make enough progesterone. The progesterone supplements are given until your placenta takes over progesterone production. I have taken it with all my pregnancies now and I really believe that is what has stopped my recurrent miscarriages.

I know they also give clomid for luteal phase defect but I have never taken it.

Good luck with everything!