Change in length of luteal phase
Question
I chart regularly and know that my luteal phase has always been the same length (13 days by the way Fertility Friend calculates it, I get my period 14 days after I ovulate). Â This is from before I had kids and generally since, too (I have two sons, ages 3.5 and 20 months, I have had about 8 cycles since the second one was born due to breastfeeding delaying ovulation). Â But a couple cycles ago my luteal phase was three days longer than normal (I did test and did not seem to have a chemical pregnancy, I have had no previous problems getting positives on home pregnancy tests–I’ve been pregnant three times with a miscarriage at thirteen weeks, between the two boys I have). Â We are not trying to conceive right now and are using condoms. Â It is happening again this cycle that my luteal phase is longer than normal (I am now at least 16 days past ovulation with no signs of my period). Â I am wondering f it’s normal and could just be something not to worry about (I read something about corpus luteal cysts) or if it could indicate a health problem. Â Thank you for your time.
Answer
Last Updated: July 8, 2013
First of all, I would like to comment on the term chemical pregnancy. It is being used increasingly to describe a very early miscarriage, but is a misleading term. A pregnancy is a pregnancy, a baby is a baby, from the moment the egg is fertilized by the sperm. The term chemical pregnancy seems to imply one was only “a little bit pregnant”, and as the saying goes, there is no such thing as being a little bit pregnant!
A luteal phase longer than 17 days does usually indicate pregnancy. It is normal to have a luteal phase that is from 9-17 days in length. Though admittedly less common for them to be 16 or 17 days, it is still within the range of normal, and may just represent a normal variation. Luteal phases longer than 17 days, in the absence of pregnancy, may indicate a leutenized unruptured follicle.
Having said that, I would emphasize the key is to correctly identify the length of the luteal phase. I have had clients using the online programs, and I sometimes disagreed with the program’s identification of the beginning of the luteal phase. And in fact, I sometimes observed the program identify it as beginning on a certain day, and then adjust that by several days as the cycle continued. This begs the question—-is the length of your luteal phase changing, or is the program computing it differently, or inconsistently?
My recommendation to you is to consult with a professional in natural family planning who can assist you in learning to consistently identify the signs your body produces, and accurately identify the fertile and infertile days, as well as the beginning of the luteal phase. I suspect if you do that, you will find they are more consistent than they seem as indicated by the online program. Also, natural family planning is an extremely effective method of family planning, and with correct instruction you will gain the confidence that will liberate you from those condoms, and provide you with an effective method of family planning, and indeed, fertility appreciation.
Our website has a list of professionals available for further consultation.
www.canfp.org
Thank you!
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