How to Detect a Luteal Phase Defect

There are many causes for infertility, or the inability to get pregnant within one year, and one of them is the luteal phase defect. The luteal phase is the time period between ovulation and menstruation; and it needs to be longer than 10 to 12 days; with the average being 14 days long. Women with a short luteal phase, or a luteal phase defect, cannot sustain a pregnancy because the uterine lining begins to break down before implantation can occur.

Things You'll Need

• Menstrual chart
• Basal body thermometer
• Ovulation prediction kits

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Instructions

• 1

  Track your menstrual cycle, including when you ovulate and how long your luteal phase is. Use ovulation predictor kits to help determine the day you ovulate. Maintain a chart throughout each menstrual cycle and count the days of your luteal phase every time. If it is less than 10 to 12 days long, you should consult your doctor.

• 2

  Chart your basal body temperatures. After ovulation, the progesterone levels in your body rise, causing your temperature to rise. If after the thermal shift -- the rise in temperature after ovulation -- your temps do not remain high, you might have a luteal phase defect.

• 3

  Have your progesterone checked. If you suspect a luteal phase defect, your doctor can give you a progesterone test at seven days past ovulation. This is also called a 7DPO test.

• 4

  Get an endometrial biopsy. This outpatient procedure is perhaps the most effective way to determine if you have a luteal phase defect. During the biopsy, the doctor will remove a sample of your uterine lining, two days before you expect your period.