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Luteal Phase Defects 101

What it is, why it happens, and how to fix it.

What is a Luteal Phase Defect?

Okay, friend — let’s talk about the second half of your cycle (the luteal phase). This is the time after you ovulate and before your next period starts. Ideally, this phase lasts around 12-14 days and gives your body enough time to make progesterone — the hormone that helps support early pregnancy if you conceive.

A luteal phase defect (LPD) means this phase is too short or your body isn’t making enough progesterone. And that’s a problem because progesterone’s whole job is to make sure your uterine lining is nice and cozy for an embryo to implant. Without enough of it, getting (and staying) pregnant can be tough.

This is something that I have personally experienced in the past and I know how frustrating it can be!

 

Signs of a  Luteal Phase Defect

If your luteal phase isn’t doing its job, you might notice symptoms like:

  • Your period showing up less than 10 days after ovulation
  • Spotting for several days before your period actually starts
  • Trouble getting pregnant — even if you’re timing everything right
  • Chemical pregnancies (very early miscarriages)

 

Why Does This Happen?

There’s no one reason, but a few common culprits include:

🚨 Hormonal Imbalances – Low progesterone (obviously), but also things like thyroid issues or high prolactin can mess things up.

💥 Stress Overload – When you’re stressed, your body pumps out cortisol — and unfortunately, progesterone takes a backseat.

🥚 Weak Ovulation – If ovulation itself wasn’t super strong, your body won’t make as much progesterone after).

🍫 Nutrient Deficiencies – Being low in certain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can make it harder for your body to make enough progesterone.

🧩 Underlying Health Issues – Conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, Hashimoto’s, or insulin resistance can all contribute.

 

How This Affects Your Fertility

Here’s the deal: even if you ovulate, a weak luteal phase means:

  • Your uterine lining might not be ready when the embryo shows up.
  • Progesterone levels could drop too soon, making it hard for implantation to stick.
  • You could be losing pregnancies before they even show up on a test (sometimes called chemical pregnancies).

 

How to Fix It (Naturally)

The good news? This is something you can absolutely work on. Here’s how:

🥑 Nourish Your Hormones:

  • Load up on B Vitamins (chicken, bananas, dairy)
  • Get enough minerals (leafy greens, liver, meat, eggs)
  • Don’t skip healthy fats (salmon, avocado, olive oil)

🧘‍♀️ Manage Your Stress:
Stress isn’t just mental — it directly messes with your hormones. Think: meditation, walks, reading, sleep.

📊 Track Your Ovulation:
If you’re not ovulating regularly, your luteal phase doesn’t stand a chance. Ovulation support = luteal phase support.

🩺 Test Your Hormones:
Progesterone bloodwork multiple times throughout your luteal phase—1X 7 days after ovulation at minimum—can give you an idea of what’s happening.

 

We Can Help!

As someone who used to have LPD, I know what it takes to fix it. Luckily, it isn’t rock-science. It just involves understanding your specific fertility gaps and addressing them from the root cause.

✨ “I'm proud to say that my ovulation seems to be optimized fully with healthy production of progesterone, a hormone that I was severely lacking before.” — R.R.

✨  Liz lengthened her luteal phase and increased her progesterone to get pregnant and avoid miscarriage.

✨  Hayley turns around her low progesterone during pregnancy, has amazing pregnancy & meets her baby

Our practice, The Greenhouse, is exclusively dedicated to supporting your fertility. We have helped many, many women fix their luteal phase defects and progesterone deficiencies so that they could finally get pregnant (and feel like themselves again!). We can help you get the answers and support that you so deserve.

Apply for progesterone support here.

 

Learn More

📰 4 reasons your luteal phase is low (and your progesterone is low, too)

📰 When your client increases her luteal phase, boosts her progesterone, gets pregnant and avoids miscarriage.

📰 My client fixed her luteal phase defect by doing these 2 things.

📰 Low progesterone? You might want to check your thyroid. 🦋👇

📰 Raise Your Progesterone by 10% Naturally

📰 The truth about making more progesterone...

📰 Progesterone - not Estrogen - is the real female hormone

📰 5 Fertility-Supportive Snacks

 

References

  1. Ammar, A., et al. (2023). The role of metabolic and inflammatory factors in luteal phase deficiency: A review. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 14, 1154873. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1154873
  2. Bates, G. W., & Legro, R. S. (2022). Long luteal phase defects: Diagnosis and management. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, 65(3), 527-538. https://doi.org/10.1097/GRF.0000000000000689
  3. Hammond, K. S., & Leach, L. (2017). Nutritional influences on luteal phase health. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 45, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.03.001
  4. Soules, M. R., et al. (1997). Luteal phase deficiency: Characterization of reproductive hormones over the menstrual cycle. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 82(3), 661-666. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.82.3.3817 
  5. Vega, G., et al. (2018). Stress, cortisol, and luteal phase defects: What's the link? Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 16(1), 93. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-018-0405-x

 

*Not medical advice. Always discuss changes to your healthcare routine with your doctor.