15 simple ways to lengthen your luteal phase

Help! How do I fix my short luteal phase? 

Perhaps you wondering ‘Can I get pregnant with a short luteal phase?’ Or maybe you just want to sort out periods that are arriving more frequently than they should be. I’ve lived with a short luteal phase for years. I have successfully conceived 3 times despite a short luteal phase. 

The good news is that it’s definitely possible to get pregnant with a short luteal phase. A longer luteal phase could be just a few simple lifestyle changes away. 

This article will go through the best ways to ttc with a short luteal phase, why hormonal balance is important and how it works.

Plus, how to calculate luteal phase so that you can identify if you do definitely have an issue with luteal phase defect.

We’ll also cover how to lengthen luteal phase whilst breastfeeding without giving up breastfeeding entirely. 

My short luteal phase story

Whether you are looking for natural ways to lengthen your luteal phase, or the best supplements to quickly lengthen your luteal phase, I’ll share the most effective and simple ways to lengthen your luteal phase.

I discovered I had a short luteal phase when trying to conceive my second baby. 

We decided to try for baby number 2. I would fall pregnant easily, only to experience early miscarriage after early miscarriage. It was only after I started tracking my cycles and did some googling that I realised I had luteal phase defect. 

My short luteal phase was usually about 7 days long. But sometimes my cycle would arrive even earlier on day 18. My cycles were not regular, but they were always short. 

The problem with a shorter luteal phase is that your body cannot create enough progesterone to sustain a pregnancy. Hence my recurrent miscarriages in early pregnancy. 

Since discovering my shortened luteal phase, I embarked on a journey to work out what vitamins and lifestyle changes might help to improve a short luteal phase. After a few months, I managed to successfully conceive and sustain a healthy pregnancy. I have since had a further two children despite continuing to have a very short luteal phase (four kids in total!). 

Even now that I’m done having children and I’m not trying to conceive, if I don’t actively work to lengthen my luteal phase, my periods arrive on average every 3 weeks – fun! 

PCOS and breastfeeding were the underlying reasons for my short luteal phase length. But these simple ways to fix your luteal phase help lengthen luteal phase regardless of the cause of your short luteal phase. 

How do I know my luteal phase?

First things first, you need to identify whether you do have luteal phase defect or a very short luteal phase. The way to work out if there is a problem with the luteal phase of your cycle is to work out when you ovulate. Luteal phase is the second half of your cycle. It includes all the days from ovulation to your period arriving.

Charting basal body temperature is the most accurate way of identifying ovulation date. But you can also use ovulation kits. Now that you’ve identified your time of ovulation, you are ready to calulcate your luteal phase. 

Count the days until your period. 10 or less days from ovulation to your period means that you have a short luteal phase. Cycles can vary from month to month, so it is advisable to chart at least 3 cycles to confirm that your luteal phase is short every cycle. 

I have luteal phase defect, what do I do?

If you have identified that you have a problem with short menstrual cycles, the first and most important thing to to is to inform your GP or healthcare provider. There can be other underlying causes for a short luteal phase, including thyroid issues, that you will want to treat before going on to treat any luteal phase problems. 

A blood test will be able to analyse your estrogen-to-progesterone ratio and identify any hormonal imbalances. Your doctor may also be able to prescribe medications that work really well to lengthen luteal phase, such as progesterone supplements or clomid (clomiphene citrate).  

There are ways to lengthen a short luteal phase at home, which I will go through next. It is important to note that you shouldn’t try too many of these things at once. Changes to diet and exercise can be undertaken at any time, but it is not advisable to take every single supplement known to lengthen luteal phase. 

If you have a 10 day luteal phase, you are not far off a normal luteal phase. A little tweak to your lifestyle or the introduction of one daily vitamin could be all you need to increase your luteal phase to 12-14 days. 

Can I get pregnant with a short luteal phase?

It is possible to get pregnant with a shorter luteal phase. But if your luteal phase is less than 10 days long, you may need some help in fixing a luteal phase deficiency. 

Note: I actually never achieved a 14 day luteal phase, my best cycles have been 25 or 26 days long, with an 11 day luteal phase or 12 day luteal phase. 

Ways to lengthen a short luteal phase

From supplements to lifestyle changes, there are several things you can do to help improve the length of your luteal phase:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B
• Changes to exercise pattern 
• Changes to diet
• Vitex
• changes to breastfeeding routine
• progesterone supplements 
• Inositol

What causes a short luteal phase?

The underlying cause of a short luteal phase is an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone. These hormones are made by the corpus luteum. They help prepare the body for the possibility of conception, building up the uterine lining to form a nice environment in which an egg can implant.  

Estrogen is the hormone that drives the first part of your menstrual cycle, up to ovulation. Progesterone kicks in after ovulation. It is the hormone that will help to sustain pregnancy. Estrogen and progesterone work in a see-saw effect of hormone levels. High estogen levels in the follicular phase means low progesterone levels later on in your cycle. Without enough progesterone production, the lining of your uterus will not be in optimum condition to support a fertilised egg to implant well. 

Why is my luteal phase so short?

There are a variety of different reasons and hormonal conditions that can contribute to a short luteal phase including:

• Breastfeeding
• Miscarriage
• Periods just returned after a baby
• Periods just returned after ceasing hormonal contraception
• Thyroid disorders
• PCOS
• Endometriosis
• Obesity
• Anorexia
• Too much exercise
• Too little exercise 
• Stress
• Aging

Some of these are lifelong conditions that will always need management. 

Others are temporary issues that could see a short luteal phase resolve by itself within a few menstrual cycles. 

So, if you have just discovered your short luteal phase but you are breastfeeding, or your periods only just recommenced after having a baby or coming off the pill, don’t panic that you have an ongoing issue with your luteal phase. You may find you have a short luteal phase after miscarriage for a few cycles. 

How can I quickly lengthen my luteal phase?

These tips may see improvements to a shorter luteal phase by your very next cycle. However, it is important to remember the see-saw effect of the estrogen and progesterone hormone levels. A small push towards one hormone level will see a small decrease of the other. The momentum of that push will provide a greater push for the next cycle. 

Hormone balancing is a cumulative effect that improves with each cycle. On average it takes at least 3 cycles to see the greatest improvement in the length of your luteal phase. 

You also don’t want to dip too far the other way. An abundance of progesterone with low estrogen levels will cause other problems with your menstrual cycle. 

How to lengthen my luteal phase?

Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to delve into exactly how to lengthen a short luteal phase. 

Let’s first cover the lifestyle changes that can help. These are all natural ways to lengthen luteal phase. 

Lengthening luteal phase with exercise

Take a look at your daily habits. Are you A. Pretty inactive or B. Engaging in a lot of intense exercise? Both of these things could be causing problems with your luteal phase. 

Remember that we are trying to balance early cycle estrogen with post-ovulation progesterone levels. Well, guess what? Estrogen and exercise are very closely linked. 

If you aren’t exercising very frequently or lead a very inactive lifestyle, an increase in exercise is a great way to naturally lengthen a short luteal phase. 

For me, exercise is the number one thing that I find helps to improve both my short luteal phase and my PCOS symptoms. Incredibly, I see an immediate effect. If I make time for exercise in the first half of my cycle, my luteal phase will be longer. 

The best exercise for luteal phase is moderate exercise. Gentle exercise like a regular long walk is usually all I need to see an improvement in my own luteal phase length. 

But make sure you aren’t exercising too much. Excessive exercise can have a negative effect on your luteal phase. 

Research indicates that moderate exercise leads to a reduction of estrogen within the body. However, studies also show that rigorous exercise can lead to steep drops in estrogen. This can cause irregular or absent periods, which is definitely not want we want when trying to achieve a balanced cycle.  

So, if you have been exercising like an elite athlete in training, this could well be the reason for your short luteal phase. 

Stress management to help your luteal phase

Have you been preoccupied with trying to conceive? Perhaps there are extenuating factors in your life that are causing you added stress. 

I know, it’s massively annoying when people say “You’ll get pregnant when you relax”. And I know it’s virtually impossible to attempt to forget about the stresses of problems conceiving. So I won’t tell you to do that. 

But taking some self-care time could be very beneficial for your luteal phase issues. It’s also just good practice in times of stress. 

Here are some ideas for taking some time for yourself:

• Meditation / Mindfulness
• Watch your favourite film or TV show
• Read your favourite book or audiobook
• Craft / Creative activities
• A pamper session with your favourite bath products, skincare, and candles. 
• Go for a walk. Connect with nature. 
• Take a social media break
• Yoga

Stress levels and our cycles are connected. So making sure you are being kind to yourself is important. 

How to lengthen luteal phase while breastfeeding

So you’re breastfeeding and your luteal phase is short. You may have been told that you need to stop breastfeeding in order to be able to conceive. But there are changes you can make to your breastfeeding routine that will help to increase your luteal phase without the need to stop entirely. 

My toddlers were not ready to stop breastfeeding when I was ready to conceive my next baby. I agonised over the guilt of cutting them off. But then I found that a small reduction in breastfeeding was enough to help my cycle become regular enough to conceive. So I didn’t need to stop breastfeeding altogether. 

Cutting out a feed is the best way to see a change in your hormone levels. 

If you are breastfeeding at night, cutting out a night feed will provide the biggest change to your hormone levels. 

During the night, your prolactin levels peak. That’s the hormone designed to support milk production. Night time breastfeeding sends a strong message to your body to boost milk supply.

High prolactin levels interfere with the normal production of other hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone. If you are breastfeeding, this could be the reason for your short luteal phase. Make a change to your breastfeeding routine by cutting out one or two feeds (assuming your baby is fully weaned and old enough to reduce feeds) to see if it improves your next cycle length. 

Changes to diet that help with a short luteal phase

As with changes to exercise, this is another way to lengthen luteal phase that involves taking a look at your current habits. 

Extreme dieting and intermittent fasting can affect the length of your luteal phase. Eating a nutrient-rich diet without excluding carbs and fat is the best way to achieve an optimal hormonal balance. Calorie deficits and avoiding food groups will not help you ttc with a short luteal phase. 

If you have PCOS or symptoms of insulin resistance, the approach is slightly different. Reducing the ‘bad’ carbs with high starch and sugar content is one of the biggest and best changes you can make to help tackle your PCOC symptoms, including a short luteal phase.  Replace those white simple carbs with complex carbs that score low on the glycaemic index. Cut down on refined sugars too. With these changes, you could very quickly lengthen your luteal phase. 

The link between short luteal phase and weight

If you are overweight

Research has found that having a high BMI can contribute to a shorter luteal phase length, and irregular or absent periods. A weight loss of just 5% could see a great improvement in the regularity of your menstrual cycle. 

Personally, I have found that losing just a couple of pounds in a month will see a direct positive effect on the length of my luteal phase the following cycle. 

If you are underweight

Similarly, a low BMI can also cause luteal phase defect. In this case, a small increase in weight could help restore your luteal phase to a normal length. 

Now we’ve covered the best natural ways to lengthen a short luteal phase, it’s time to look at the vitamins and supplements you can take to improve your luteal phase. 

Vitamins to lengthen luteal phase

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin D

Vitamin C to lengthen luteal phase

Vitamin C is perhaps the best and most proven vitamin to help with a short luteal phase. Vitamin C has been shown to help increase low progesterone levels, which is the exact hormone needed to fix a short luteal phase. 

How much vitamin C should I take for a short luteal phase?

750mg of Vitamin C has been shown to deliver a significant increase in progesterone levels over a period of three months for women with a short luteal phase. 

If you have luteal phase defect, this is the dose of vitamin C to aim for. However, if you just need to lengthen your luteal phase by a day or 2, you may find that a lower dose of vitamin C does the job. 

I wasn’t sure about taking high doses of anything, especially during pregnancy. I found that 250mg – 500mg of daily vitamin C was enough to make a big difference to my short luteal phase. 

Vitamin B6 for luteal phase

Alongside vitamin C, vitamin B6 is another hero vitamin in the world of progesterone production and lengthening luteal phase. B6 aids the development of the corpus luteum – the thing responsible for producing progesterone. 

How much vitamin B6 to take for short luteal phase?

50-100mg of Vitamin B6 is recommended for lengthening luteal phase. It is not recommended to take over 100mg of B6 without speaking to your doctor. 

Remember, B6 supplements are best absorbed alongside other B vitamins in a B complex formula. A B-50 or B-100 complex is what most people take when looking to address hormonal imbalances. 

The very first thing I tried was B vitamins to lengthen my luteal phase. Don’t be alarmed when your urine comes out bright yellow! That’s because the body only takes the amount of B vitamins that it needs, the rest gets wee-ed out as waste. 

Vitamin D for short luteal phase

Lower Vitamin D levels have been associated with a higher likelihood of a short luteal phase. 

It can be quite difficult to get enough Vitamin D from food alone. The NHS actually recommends that everyone take a 10microgram dose of Vitamin D during the autumn and winter. So if you aren’t already supplementing with Vitamin D, start now and it could have the added benefit of helping to lengthen your luteal phase. 

Supplements for a short luteal phase

Many many women trying to get pregnant with a short luteal phase find that within three months of taking Vitamin C and B6, their luteal phase is long enough to sustain a pregnancy. However, if these vitamin supplements are not working to improve your hormonal balance, there are other supplements that might help increase your luteal phase. 

Vitex AKA Agnus Castus for luteal phase defect

Perhaps more widely known by it’s brand name VItex, Agnus Castus is a herbal supplement that can help regulate irregular menstrual cycles. 

Also known as chasteberry, Agnus Castus is a shrub that grows in Mediterranean countries and central Asia. Agnus Castus has been used for centuries as a remedy to address female hormonal balance. Agnus Castus works by balancing progesterone levels, which is helpful for women who’s luteal phase is too short to maintain a pregnancy. 

Research conducted at the Medizinische Hochschule in Hamburg, Germany, examined 52 women with luteal phase defect. Half of these women were administered 20mg of Agnus Castus daily for a duration of three months, whereas the remaining half received a placebo. Following this three-month period, the Agnus Castus group demonstrated a normalisation of their luteal phase.

Many studies have also shown that Agnus Castus is also one of the more effective supplements for women with PCOS. In my personal experience as someone with PCOS, I found Agnus Castus to be instrumental in making my short menstrual cycle long enough to get successfully get pregnant with my second child. Agnus castus is also effective in shortening long irregular cycles. 

Agnus Castus is the same as Vitex. It doesn’t matter which one you choose, the important thing is to make sure you are taking the appropriate dosage. 

How much Agnus Castus should I take for a short luteal phase?

Studies suggest 20mg of agnus castus or vitex is sufficient to address a shot luteal phase. 

High street shops like Holland and Barrett sell a very low dose 4mg Agnus Castus. This is probably not sufficient for most hormonal imbalances. 

There are some very high potency Agnus Castus variations out there at dosages as high as 400-800mg. These high doses are used to treat fibroids and other issues. For infertility or balancing your reproductive hormones, lower doses of 100-200mg are recommended.  

It is also worth checking whether your Agnus Castus product states the extract ratio or the pure chasteberry amount. For example, this high dosage Agnus Castus is 2000mg at a 10:1 extract ratio. Which sounds ridiculously high but actually means it’s 200mg of pure Agnus Castus. 

A product with 25mg Agnus Castus could be one to try. This Agnus Castus brand also comes with added vitamin C, another hero supplement to lengthen luteal phase. 

Vitex / Agnus Castus is not recommended during pregnancy. If you are trying to lengthen your luteal phase to get pregnant, you will need to stop taking Agnus Castus once pregnancy is confirmed. I used to take Agnus Castus in the first half of my cycle and then stop after ovulation if I was actively trying to conceive that month. Agnus Castus is also not recommended whilst you are breastfeeding, as it can interfere with your prolactin levels. 

Inositol for lengthening luteal phase

​This is one for people with PCOS symptoms. Inositol increases progesterone and improves insulin resistance. 

The two most common forms of Inositol are Myo-inositol and D-chiro inositol. In cases where a shortened luteal phase is attributed to estrogen dominance or insulin resistance-related PCOS, D-chiro inositol or myoinositol may prove advantageous.

The optimal approach is to combine both myoinositol (MI) and D-chiro inositol (DCI). This combination is favoured because MI enhances ovulation, while DCI helps lower insulin levels in the body. A 40:1 ratio of myo-inositol to D-chiro inositol is the recommended inositol dosage. 

Progesterone supplements for short luteal phase

Last on our list of ways to lengthen a short luteal phase is progesterone supplements. 

If you’ve read to the end of this list of simple ways to lengthen your luteal phase, you may have noticed that increasing progesterone is the key factor when it comes to fixing a short luteal phase. 

Many women undergoing IVF and fertility treatments will be prescribed progesterone supplements to encourage an egg to safely implant and to decrease the chances of miscarriage. 

Natural progesterone cream is the most popular progesterone supplement. You can also get oral progesterone tablets. But, due to the way the body breaks down progesterone, a person would need to consume a significantly higher dosage of oral progesterone compared to using progesterone cream topically or vaginal pessaries.

Progesterone cream is not available to buy over the counter in the UK. Your doctor can prescribe it, or you can buy progesterone cream online from countries outside of the UK. Tommy’s has an extensive article about getting progesterone prescribed to prevent early miscarriage.

There are many simple ways to lengthen your luteal phase

Remember, it can take up to 3 months to see the maximum change to your luteal phase, but you might start to see a difference within the first cycle of making these changes. 

To lengthen your luteal phase, adjust your diet and exercise patterns, and try some vitamin C and D. If you have PCOS symptoms, give inositol or agnus castus a go. If you are experiencing days of early spotting before your period, or have experienced miscarriages due to your short luteal phase, speak to your doctor about progesterone supplementation.