Luteal phase defect and suggestions

[Starr5678]

Ladies, please talk to me about luteal phase defects.

I've just been through the ringer in the past few weeks. I've had 2 chemical pregnancies in the past 5 months, the latest one just last month... and the bleeding started on the same day two of my friends had their babies, which was really tough. My grandfather passed away around the same time and huge family feud erupted. Also, had some things stolen recently and had a uncle diagnosed with cancer (quite advanced). So, very stressful times. Anyway, I'm still recovering emotionally from all of this stuff coming down at once, but I feel like I'm ready to start healing by thinking about the future. DH and I are really looking forward to having more children.

My midwife and I looked over my BBT charts and it looks like I've got a luteal phase defect (my luteal phase was varying from 7 to 13 days and averaging 10 to 11 days) - ironically it looks like I was having this problem even when we conceived DS, and we just got lucky then. My symptoms point towards low progesterone/estrogen dominance. So, she and I created a vitamin and herbal regime to try. I've just started taking: progesterone cream, vitex, b6, EPO, and royal jelly, as well as my regular daily vitamin and calcium supplements. DH and I are not going to TTC again until I can get the luteal phase defect under control. I guess we'll know by charting and seeing how regular the luteal phase gets. But, anyway, now I have a bunch of questions!

Has anyone else out there had a luteal phase defect? How did you fix it? Did you use the vitamins and herbs I'm taking? If so, when did you see an effect, and what effect did you see? Did you take anything I'm not taking? What effect did that have?

[jesshb]

mama!

I took Vit B6, Natural Progesterone Cream, and drank Red Raspberry Leaf Tea and it lengthened my LP long enough to conceive.
I have heard that some people take Prog. Pills with success.

[Starr5678]

Thanks! Glad to hear my midwife seems on the right track with this - she seems very knowledgeable but I always like to get other opinions.

I think I have some red raspberry leaf tea kicking around somewhere, too.

How long did it take you to see results? I heard Vitex can take 3 to 6 months to work, but don't know about B6 and prog cream.

I read Dr. John Lee's hormone book. It's a few years old so maybe times have changed, but he says that the synthetic progesterone in prog pills is not good stuff - that it can cause birth defects if not used properly. Natural prog cream seems safer - at least I have only read of minor side effects from it. So, that's what I got - Happy PMS cream, I think is the name of it! (Name makes me laugh.)

[~Roses~]

I had two miscarriages when we were TTC our second child. I had an average LP of 10-11 days. The shortest was 8 days, but that was soon after a m/c. After the second M/C the only thing I did different was take B-100 Complex along with my prenatals. I think my LP after a couple of cycles of that was 12-13, then we finally tried again and now that "try" is 5 years old.

We are thinking of TTC again and I just finished my first cycle off of birth control (I was on the Nuvaring for almost 2 years). I started spotting at 7-8 DPO and full on AF 12 DPO. I am hoping that by the time we actually do want to TTC (next summer) I will have a lengthened LP. I'm also trying nightlighting (lunaception).

Sorry I'm not more help. I'll be picking up some red raspberry leaf tea now though. I want to do everything I can to not have another m/c, even though we don't really know what caused them. {{{hugs}}}

[Starr5678]

What's nightlighting?

Sorry to hear about your miscarriages. It sucks big time, even if there is a physical reason for it (chromosomal deformity or whatever).

I've been on everything for a month now. Last cycle my luteal phase was same-o, same-o: 11 days. We'll see what happens this cycle. So far though, the b6 has just made me nauseous. Fun stuff! If I'm going to be nauseous, I'd at least like to be preggo, ya know!

[jesshb]

Hi again OP
We TTCed for 3 cycles before my LP was long enough and the bean stuck...but I am very convinced that if I hadn't been on the progesterone cream, I don't think I'd be preggo right now...as it was I had some spotting and my levels were low when the first did the blood tests.

It sounds like you are doing a lot of good things to lengthen your LP...and btw, my LP were very short (like 7-8 days) before conceiving #3 so like you said it is possible just harder.

Sending lots of and sticky vibes your way!

[~Roses~]

Lindsey, Nightlighting (lunaception) is sleeping in complete darkness for part of your cycle and then sleeping with some light around when you want to ovulate. The light is supposed to trigger ovulation and then you go back to sleeping in complete darkness. It's explained on the gardenoffertility.com website. There's also a buddy group on Ovusoft.com of ladies using Lunaception. I'm not sure how it will work for me, but I'm willing to give anything a try at this point!

Oh, and I hate taking the B-100 Complex, even though it's a pill I hate the taste. I have started taking it right before I go to bed, then any weird feelings caused by it don't affect me.

~Rose
Soon I'll have enough posts for a signature,lol.

[Mama Marsh's Creations]

I think i have a short LP. My doc and I have talked about if nothing sticks by november then we will do something. I think i need Progesterone thou with my 3 m/c's this year.

Can you get Progesterione cream over the counter or do you need a script for it?

[Starr5678]

Originally Posted by ~mypreciousbabies~ Can you get Progesterione cream over the counter or do you need a script for it?

Yes, you can get it OTC! I bought "Happy PMS Cream" (progsterone cream), which you can find at several online stores. I'm totally blanking on where I bought mine (I shopped around and found the place that had it on sale). Also, GNC has progesterone cream - saw some when I went in last time.

[kristinc]

evening primrose oil helps too