Something is Working- But Not Enough

I am one messed up science experiment. I have so many confounding variables it is impossible to identify which of my many actions should be credited with results.


Since trying to conceive, I haven't had one cycle were I ovulated before CD20. In general, my cycles were 37 days. My doctor said anything over 33 was considered too long.

I started monitoring ovulation in August, my first cycle after fibroid surgery. I got a high on my Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor or CDs 13 and 14. On the evening of CD14, I got a positive OPK using ClearBlue Easy Digital Ovulation Predictor. On CD 15, I got the blessed Peak on my monitor. To say I was in shock is the understatement of the century. I came out to the living room where my husband was contently engrossed in baseball game and did a happy dance for everyone on our street to see (and we get quite a lot of pedestrian traffic).


I was so thrilled to see I was heading into the normal range of cycles. I felt more confident that I would have what my doctor refers to as "a strong ovulation" resulting in ample progesterone production.

To recap, here is what I have been doing since I last monitored ovulation to help lengthen my luteal phase.

Had my Fibroid removed. My doctor said that fibroids don't affect hormones or cycle length. I am not sure I agree.

Seeing a reflexologist every two weeks. She focuses on my endocrine systems and tries to bring my hormones into balance.

Been on Atkins diet for 4 months which controls insulin which should balance out hormones

Take B-6 Vitamin

Exercising 5 days a week (with the exception of fibroid surgery recovery for 6 weeks)

And clearly something if not the confluence of all these factors worked.

A huge benefit that normal-cycled ladies could never understand is not having to wait forever and a day for the next cycle to start. When your cycles are long, it is even more upsetting to get a BFN because you know you have to wait so long until your next opportunity to try. I also can use fewer Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor Sticks. I only used 7 this cycle (I stop testing once I get a peak).

I went in 7 days after my initial positive OPK and had my progesterone drawn. I previously had never been above 8.4. A reading of 5 shows some sort of ovulation but weak ovulation. 10 is what the doctors want to see for normal ovulation. I came back at 13. I was triumphant. I just felt everything had fallen into place because of all these steps I had taken.

Everything was looking rosy until 10dpo when I started spotting. By 12dpo, it hadn't stopped. The fertility doctor told me to come in to get another progesterone draw. I got the results 3 hours later. My progesterone had crashed to 4.8, a level so low, it didn't seem pregnancy could be sustained. I did however, make it to 14dpo, before my next cycle started, which really is great news. My longest cycle since last year had only had an 11 day luteal phase.

My doctor said that it seemed the corpus lutem gave up to early. She explained that a luteal phase defect can manifest in two ways. The first way is your period starts too soon. The second way is that you progesterone drops significantly, too early.

Since my ovulation was good, she doesn't want to treat with clomid right off the bat. Instead she wants me to take progesterone starting 3dpo. Hopefully, that will do the trick.

Anyone use progesterone to keep there levels up throughout the whole tww?