Does regular cycle mean hormonal balance?
After being on the fertility journey for about a year, we were sent to the fertility clinic for more testing. I told the gynaecologist my cycle was 28-day long (textbook perfect, right?) and that I ovulated regularly as well, which I confirmed every month with the Fertility Awareness Method. He did an ultrasound which confirmed I ovulated that month (after ovulation, the burst follicle turns into corpus luteum which is visible on the ultrasound). He then said my cycle was perfectly healthy so he wouldn’t do any hormonal testing.
When I protested that he couldn’t really know whether my progesterone was high enough or whether I could be suffering from estrogen dominance as I was showing some symptoms, he said since my cycle was regular he wouldn’t worry about that.
Was my progesterone high enough?
Well, I did worry, so I went to my GP and asked for the hormonal testing anyways. I had my thyroid checked together with the hormones LH, FSH, estradiol, testosterone on day 3 of my cycle and then progesterone test a week after I ovulated. According to my GP all looked fine, my progesterone levels were at 38,2 nmol/L.
Why the length of your luteal phase is crucial?
So why I still wasn’t content? There was something in my charts that was troubling me. The luteal phase was only 12 days long. Sometimes I managed to make it 13 days, but sometimes it dropped to 11. So what does that mean?
A healthy luteal phase (the time from ovulation until menstruation) is considered the length of at least 12 days, but ideally it should be in between 14-16 days when trying to get (and stay) pregnant. If your luteal phase is 12 days long but you experience spotting a few days before your period arrives, that’s also a sign your progesterone might need some boosting. So what we want is at least 12 days of luteal phase without any spotting.
Are the tests you’ve done saying “all looks fine”, but yet, you are not getting pregnant? Get to know the length of your luteal phase by charting and start from there. If you are new to charting, you can download my printable chart, buy a basal thermometer (a thermometer with two decimal places), get a pen and you are good to go. I can also guide you through, explain and teach you more about the Fertility Awareness Method, the rules and how to interpret your charts, you can always reach out to me.
If you already do track your body signs and chart but are unsure what your cycle is telling you, you can book email consultations with me and I’ll be happy to have a look at your charts.
And if you find out your progesterone indeed need some love, check out my IG posts dedicated to progesterone or visit my YT channel that offers classes designed to boost progesterone.