# late ovulation and spotting



## katkat2014 (Nov 28, 2014)

As you can see from my signature I have been through a few icsi's and have never been pregnant. Before we figure out our next steps I would like to try naturally in between, hoping for a miracle. I have a regular 28-29 day cycle and bleed for 4 days (2 days medium, 2 days light). I spot about 2-4 days before each AF which worries me. I even spotted on my ICSI although my progesterone level tested was fine. I ovulate around days 17-20 and seem to have a short luteal phase of probably maximum 10 days. Would anyone know how to balance my hormones and increase the luteal phase and shorten the follicular phase? Would taking progesterone pessaries help ( I have some leftovers)? Do you know if spotting means low estrogen perhaps? My lining on a natural cycle is about 7.8mm. I hope someone can help!


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## Dory10 (Aug 6, 2013)

Hi katkat

Have you had a day 21 test done on a natural cycle?  As you ovulate slightly later than day 14 it might be worth having this done but 7 days after ovulation rather than day 21 more like days 24-27?

Good Luck  

Dory
xxx


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## katkat2014 (Nov 28, 2014)

Hi Dory, yes I have done this on day 25 and level was 36.7 which indicates ovulation. But I feel that from about that day or the next onwards I start spotting.  I was wondering if levels suddenly drop sharply. The odd thing is that my temperature stays up till af arrives. ... all very strange. I just don't understand the science behind it


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## Calluna (Jun 14, 2012)

Hi Kitkat,

Just a thought but have you had your thyroid checked? This is exactly what my cycle does when my thyroid is playing up - my cycle stays at 28 days ish but my ovulation moves later and my luteal phase gets shorter. My progesterone level confirms ovulation but then AF seems to start gradually, with temp remaining high until I get full flow. Since I got my thyroid properly treated my cycle has been much better so far - luteal phase up from 9 to 13 days and ovulating earlier in the cycle. 

x


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## katkat2014 (Nov 28, 2014)

Hi Calluna,  thank you so much for your reply and suggestions. If you mean TSH then yes I tested it and it was just 1.8 which I think is quite good/low. I didn't test anything else though. Was there anything else Ai should have checked? I read something about anithyroid antibodies etc

I find it so frustrating that the GP'S don't seem to have a clue and the IVF specialist only wants to push you to do IVF and there is nobody that investigates this properly... am not sure if I am the only one that feels like this but I am kind of lost


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## Calluna (Jun 14, 2012)

Hi Kitkat,

I completely agree that these things should be better investigated/treated. A TSH of 1.8 doesn't suggest a thyroid problem but then it doesn't rule one out either. Like you say, they need to test other things to be sure - TSH, FT4 and FT3 as a minimum. When I first had my thyroid tested my TSH was over 3 and FT4 was at the bottom of the range at 10ish. I had it retested and my TSH was 1.4 and FT4 12ish. At the time I decided I probably didn't have a thyroid issue because the TSH was fine the second time but it did keep playing on my mind that the FT4 was still towards the bottom of the range so I asked for another test and it came back with TSH over 3 again. It wasn't until I had some private tests that I found my FT3 was low (and my T3 in urine over 24 hours was half what it should have been). T3 acts on the corpus luteum to stimulate progesterone production so decent levels are crucial for maintaining the luteal phase:

http://joe.endocrinology-journals.org/content/158/3/319.full.pdf

So if I'd only tested TSH at the time of the second reading I'd have assumed everything was fine. There could of course be lots of other reasons for your cycle issues but it might be worth trying to get further thyroid tests to be able to rule it out (or not).

Hope you find some answers x


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## katkat2014 (Nov 28, 2014)

Thanks, calluna, really helpful of you!! I checked my THS before and it was 1.3 (year ago) so assumed all was fine. But I may have a look at those other tests. Just not sure if I can convince the GP to do any further testing and have paid so much privately that am kind of drowning financially ... ah well I guess we are all in the same boat!


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