Hi, this is my first time posting so hoping someone out there can help?
Have been TTC for over a year. All scans and tests for my husband and I have come back fine so we have become one of the statisticss in the 'Unexplained Infertitlity' crew. Hospital recommending Clomid and IUI next - just waiting for initial appointment to come through.

Also seeing an acupuncturist who has acutally been WAY more helpful than Nhs - treating you as an individual and helping me understand my cycle. It used to be all over the place, but since seeing her its become 28 day clockwork for past 4 months.

HOWEVER, I have been tracking ovulation and it has been also now been regular for the past 4 months - but at day 21. So only a 7 day luteal phase.
I've read in Zita West that anything less than 10 days post-ovulation is no good, as your progesterone doesnt get high enough to produce good lining for implantation.
My acupuncturist told me to ask the hospital if they would give me a progesterone pessary, but they say they only do this during IVF, and seemed concerned about why I had even asked. No idea why! I cant find anything online about progesterone pessaries so maybe they are old fashioned/controversial?

My acupuncturist also mentioned some herbs could help so will find out about that next time I see her.

:\?
Dont really want to progress to IUI if something simpler could fix things!!

Anyone got any experience of this? Help/advice/tips gratefully received! Thanks Jen:\)

Hi Jenduck,
Don't really have any experience of this but just wanted to welcome you to the site and wish you luck with your ttc journey. I'm sure someone on here will be able to help you out.
Sx

Hi Jenduck,

I only have a 7 day luteal phase too. When my docs told me this, they never said that there would be any problem conceiving and just told me to go with the flow (if only it was that easy! Lol!)

Anyway, having read loads more about it since then (that was 6 months ago), and scared myself silly, I'm going to docs again on Wednesday and not leaving until I get some answers or a referral - last week saw us enter our 3rd year of TTC (month 25). OH swimmers are fine.

If I get answers, I'll post here and let you know - seems like we're in the same boat! :roll: Why do docs just do nothing?!

Hope you get somewhere soon Jenduck and babydust to all.

Moggs x

Hi jenduck, I have read on one of the sites that a short luteal phase is very easy to treat with a course of progesterone tablets (never heard of prog pessaries tho). I cant understand why your gp is not taking this more seriously and doing some blood tests to confirm a short l/ph??? If it definately is 7 days, then it should be relatively straight forward for them to treat it before subjecting you to all that clomid and IUI stuff they have planned? Surely its worth them trying the prog tabs first?!

These bloody gp's are a law unto themselves, and sometimes defy logic!

Good luck hunny, try and get as much info as you can on treating short l/ph, then go back to your gp armed and ready! x

thanks to Slow, Moggs and bb4 for your responses. never knew this would be so rewarding so quickly! and great to find others in same boat.

my pharmacist mate actually told me you cant take progesterone by tablet as your stomach would break it down before it reaches the right places?? but regarding the short l/ph, I do feel more confident now in pushing for more information before starting IUI.

BTW it wasnt my GP being slack, I am at Queen Charlotte's in Hammersmith, supposedly the leading fertility hospital in the country, so very disappointing they didnt go in to everything in more detail. they didnt even realise the piece about the short l/ph. it was me and my acupuncturist that worked it out.

will definitely let you know what happens next.

all the best to you all too. Jenduck xx

Hi there. Just wanted to let you know my ex had a problem with her lining not building up thick enough and the specialist recommended she take one low dose tablet of asprin a day and she was given progesterone tablets to take. It worked a treat and she had a little girl in December 2007. She is on the December 2007 forum as d1ydiva if you want to ask her anything.

Ive had a short 9 day lp since i started ov'ng in August - gutted as i was soo pleased i finally started ov'ing.

i went to my g.p and he agreed with me - something should be done about it but felt it was out of his remit, so he's brought my gynae appt forward to the 22nd october.

my hormone levels are all over the place anyway as i have a prolactinoma (benign pit gland tumour), so it was too good to be true that i would ovulate with no complications

I'm 6 dpo at the mo so I'm fully expecting af to show any day now.

Not sure about treatment as I havent seen gynaecologist to ask yet, but I heard that pyridoxine (B6) can help lengthen the LP although there's no evidence and it's not indicated in the BNF for this use. Even so it would do no harm to try it.

xx

I'm trying B6 now. So far nothing although I usually have a 9-11dpo, but start spotting a few days before. This weekend I started spotting 7dpo. So no idea what's going on. So far had a very small amount of bright red spotting and nothing so far today. So not sure when Af will rear her head!

Hi Jen, I was having a 9 day LP for two cycles so I started taking Agnus Castus up til ov and B6 all the way thru and subsequently had an 11 LP. Not sure if it was the vitamins/herbs working or my body sorting itself out after coming off the pill but I think it is defo worth a try.