Before seeking any related treatments to the luteal phase defect, you must understand what exactly it is. The luteal phase occurs in the latter half of a woman’s menstrual cycle when fertilization and implantation occurs, and is defined from ovulation until the start of the next menstrual cycle. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
So, any disruption in the menstrual cycle may be cause for concern, because it could be a sign of infertility. How does this happen? If the luteal phase takes less than 12 days, then the uterus does not have enough time to set the nourishing growing lining for the fetus or, due to the lack of this important hormone, to preserve the pregnancy during the first trimester.
Some easily detectable signs of the luteal phase defect are: a too short or a too long menstrual cycle, low progesterone levels, irregular basal body temperatures after ovulation, back pain, loose stools or bleeding during the luteal phase.
There are many natural pregnancy tips to help correct the luteal phase defect, to assist you in regulating this portion of your menstrual cycle, to maximize your chances at conception. The first thing you should do, if you are one of the women who are suffering from this condition, is to be very careful about your diet. Why? Because a diet that could determine a higher fertility level should include:
Vitamin C improves hormone levels and consequently increases fertility. You can easily get Vitamin C by eating foods such as broccoli, bell peppers, oranges or Brussels sprouts. Vitamin C tablets can also be added to your diet. A new study published in Fertility and Sterility (2003;80:459–61) has shown that adding 750mg of Vitamin C per day increases fertility in those suffering from luteal phase defect.
Essential acids and omega 3 fatty acids are also important for the production of hormones. You can find essential fatty acids in foods like walnuts, flaxseed, salmon, shrimps, scallops and sardines.
Green leafy vegetables are especially rich in B vitamins, and are very good for keeping a proper hormonal balance. Read more below about the addition of Vitamin B6 to your diet to help lengthen a shortened luteal phase.
For once, cholesterol is not a bad thing. ‘Good’ cholesterol from coconut oil, eggs, and the fats from organic and animals that are grass-fed are beneficial due to their effects over hormone production. Foods rich in these substances are: raw milk, grass-fed beef, 100% natural yogurt and coconut oil, kefir, butter, and eggs.
Chaste berry increases your progesterone level. This is an herb that helps to increase the length of the luteal phase, by helping the body to produce more luteinizing hormone. It is also known as Vitex Agnus Castus and can be found in tablet form in health food stores. It helps the body produce luteinizing hormone (LH) which elevates progesterone levels during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.
Progesterone is produced by the body in the second half of the menstrual cycle, during the luteal phase. Progesterone causes the basal body temperature to rise and helps the lining of the uterus to thicken for a possible fertilized egg to implant. Progesterone is what sustains a pregnancy, after implantation.
When your progesterone levels are low, you will experience a luteal phase defect, or a shortened luteal phase, which is not long enough to sustain a pregnancy. Progesterone cream will help to elevate your progesterone levels.
Vitamin B6 can be found in foods such as: tuna fish, liver, bananas, salmon and many other green vegetables. Vitamin B6 has been widely studied to be effective at 50 mg a day to help to correct the luteal phase defect.
Women who have a luteal phase defect have been found to have lower levels of antioxidants than healthy women. The most important antioxidants for fertility are: lipoic acid, vitamin E, vitamin C, CoQ10, glutathione, gingko biloba. These are antioxidants that you can get easily from a large variety of foods.