If you’re trying to get pregnant, then you will suddenly be picking up lots of knowledge and technical language. You’ll know what OPKs are, the significance of your LH levels and why it’s important for your saliva to dry in a fern pattern. You’ll pick out an ovulation monitor and learn about the precise window you have for getting pregnant each cycle.
You’ll also be learning about your Luteal phase, and that’s what we’re taking a closer look at today.
What is your Luteal Phase?
The menstrual cycle is broken up into various different phases as your body prepares to release an egg to be fertilised, ovulates and then either receives the egg into the endometrial lining to be nurtured into first a foetus and then a baby or clears house in preparation for repeating the cycle.
The follicular phase is when your body is preparing the egg to be released, and manufacturing the ‘fertile mucus’ in your cervix that helps sperm survive to eventually fertilise the egg.
Ovulation is when the egg is actually released, and your period is when, in the event of the egg not getting fertilised or implanting in the endometrial lining, your body sheds the lining and ‘resets’ hormonally, ready to prepare another egg when the recycle restarts.
The Luteal phase sits between ovulation and your period and it’s when your reproductive system switches from focusing on the egg to building up a thick endometrial lining ready to cushion the egg when it emerges from the fallopian tubes into your womb.
Counting Days
You can measure your luteal phase by identifying when you ovulate and then noting the number of days until your period. If you find you regularly have a phase of twelve or more days, that’s good news! If it’s under ten you might find conceiving successfully a challenge.
Lengthening the Luteal
If you find your Luteal phase is shorter than average, you don’t have to despair. There are some ways to lengthen it, and make sure you’re building a healthy lining in your womb to aid conception.
Simple alterations to your diet can help here: adding vitamin C, whether it’s through food or supplements has been shown to help women with short luteal phases who are trying to conceive in some studies. Green vegetables are also important: they are high in B vitamins, magnesium and calcium, which all help to regulate the vital hormones that control your reproductive cycle.
You can also look for medical treatments to increase or regulate your supply of progesterone: this is the hormone that controls your luteal phase and getting a boost may give the advantage you need!
