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Wondering why you’re experiencing bloating and frequent mood swings in your luteal phase?
Is it normal? Or does it indicate pregnancy?
Luteal phase symptoms, such as bloating and mood swings, occur due to rising progesterone levels.
But there’s a plot twist: Progesterone rises after ovulation irrespective of whether fertilization has occurred. This is why it can be hard to tell if your premenstrual symptoms (PMS) are a sign of early pregnancy or not.
Keep reading to get a much better understanding of what’s really going on in the luteal phase and what symptoms you can expect.
Key Takeaways
- The luteal phase is the last phase of your menstrual cycle (coming after your ovulation).
- During the luteal phase, your progesterone levels rise to help your uterus support a potential pregnancy.
- Rising progesterone levels can lead to many symptoms. Some of these include: 1) bloating 2) constipation 3) breast tenderness 4) increased urination 5) moodiness.
- Many luteal phase symptoms are similar to early pregnancy symptoms. So if you think you’re pregnant, don’t rely on symptoms alone. Take a pregnancy test instead.
- If your luteal phase symptoms are uncomfortable, you can manage them. Try getting more sleep, managing your stress, eating a balanced diet, and relaxing whenever possible.
- Having a short luteal phase (less than 11 days), a long luteal phase (16 days more more), or a luteal phase defect can make pregnancy more challenging.
What Is the Luteal Phase?
The luteal phase is the last phase of your menstrual cycle that comes after ovulation.
There are four phases in your menstrual cycle: menstrual phase, follicular phase, ovulatory phase, and luteal phase. As you can see from this sequencing, the luteal phase happens after ovulation and before your next period.
Here’s everything that happens during the luteal phase:
- The follicle that released the mature egg during ovulation turns into a structure called the corpus luteum.
- The corpus luteum begins secreting progesterone. This causes your overall
- As progesterone levels rise, it helps thicken the uterine lining, also known as the endometrium, to support implantation.
From this point, there are two major outcomes: Either you’re pregnant or not.
Here’s what will unfold in the luteal phase if you do become pregnant:
- Implantation occurs most commonly between 8-10 Days Past Ovulation (DPO).
- Your progesterone levels keep climbing (aka you can expect more pesky hormonal symptoms)
- Your body begins producing the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Know more: How Long After Implantation Does hCG Rise?
Here’s what will unfold in the luteal phase if you don’t become pregnant:
- The corpus luteum dissolves, starting around 9 DPO – 11 DPO (days past ovulation).
- With the corpus luteum dying out, your progesterone levels will begin to die down.
- Your body prepares to shed your bulked-up uterine lining, and that’s what your body releases during your period.
Clearly, there’s quite a bit that goes on during this phase of your menstrual cycle. So it’s only natural for you to wonder how long to expect this all to take. More answers on this next!
How Long Is the Luteal Phase?
Luteal phase length can vary slightly from woman to woman. But in general, a “normal” luteal phase is about 12 – 14 days long.
If this phase lasts 9 days or fewer, it’s considered a short luteal phase. A short luteal phase can pose additional challenges if you’re trying to conceive. This is due to your body not having enough time to prepare for and support a pregnancy properly.
A long luteal phase may be considered one that lasts 16 days or longer. It can indicate a hormonal imbalance like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). It can also affect how long it takes you to conceive. So if you’ve been experiencing fertility challenges, consult with a doctor.
However, in some cases, having a long luteal phase can be normal and may not cause any issues.
Know more: How to Lengthen the Luteal Phase? Fertility’s Game-Changer!
Regardless of your luteal phase length, you’re likely to experience a range of PMS symptoms. Move along to the next section to get a glimpse at what these symptoms are!
Common Symptoms in Your Luteal Phase
How you feel at different stages of your menstrual cycle depends a lot on your hormone levels. And remember, most symptoms of luteal phase can be traced back to rising progesterone.
Curious to know exactly how your hormones cause so much craziness during this time in your menstrual cycle? Take a look at the table below!
Symptom | Why it happens |
Increased tiredness or fatigue | Once metabolized, the hormone progesterone turns into a neurosteroid called allopregnanolone. Allopregnanolone has been proven to have a sedative effect. Hence why you may feel extra fatigued or drowsy when progesterone increases. |
Bloating and/or constipation | Increased progesterone can lead to a slowdown in your GI tract. When food moves more slowly through your intestines, it can make you feel gassy and constipated. Progesterone is also linked to water retention, a common cause of bloating. |
Cramps and/or abdominal discomfort | All that constipation and bloating can cause you to feel general abdominal discomfort. To top it off, in the late luteal phase, your body produces an increased amount of prostaglandins. This hormone-like substance can lead to increased uterine contractions which is why you may experience mild or painful cramps. |
Mood swings | Allopregnanolone, a metabolized form of progesterone, plays a role in your emotional processing. This is a likely cause for your luteal phase emotions being all over the place. |
Breast pain or breast tenderness | Tender or sore breasts after ovulation is normal. This is from high progesterone levels causing extra blood flow to your breasts. |
Frequent urination | Higher amounts of progesterone lead to more frequent bladder contractions. This is why you may feel the urge to pee more frequently. |
Backache | Increased levels of progesterone make your ligaments more lax. This relaxation of the ligaments can feel uncomfortable or even painful. |
Changes in vaginal discharge | During the luteal phase, you usually have less vaginal discharge. Due to your decreasing estrogen levels, it’s also likely to be more sticky or clumpy in texture. Know more: Luteal Phase Discharge |
Do some of these symptoms sound like early pregnancy signs?
That’s because many PMS symptoms do overlap with symptoms of early pregnancy.
So how’s a gal supposed to decipher luteal phase symptoms when pregnant vs. luteal phase symptoms when not pregnant? Let’s discuss.
Luteal Phase Symptoms: Pregnant vs. Not Pregnant
Pregnant or not, the symptoms in the table above are possible during your luteal phase.
That said, if you are pregnant, your hCG levels will also begin to rise. Throwing this extra hormone into the mix can cause some additional symptoms.
Here are some potential pregnancy signs to look out for in addition to luteal phase symptoms:
Implantation bleeding
Implantation bleeding is light pink or brownish bleeding that lasts 1 – 2 days. Most pregnancies don’t have implantation bleeding, but for the ones that do, it happens within 6-12 DPO.
Implantation cramps
Implantation cramps feel like a dull to mild aching that lasts several days. You would feel it around the time of implantation (again, around 6 – 12 DPO).
Food cravings/aversions and heightened sense of smell
Researchers haven’t quite concluded exactly why pregnant women experience these changes in taste and smell. However, it may be related to cognitive changes in the brain that occur during pregnancy.
Darker areola
The areola is the circular area around your nipple. Higher progesterone and estrogen levels in early pregnancy can lead to darker areolas.
Increased vaginal discharge
When you’re pregnant, you may notice that you have more vaginal discharge than normal. This is caused by your rising estrogen levels.
A word of caution: While the above symptoms can be seen in early pregnancy, they don’t confirm pregnancy. At the same time, not having the above symptoms doesn’t mean that you’re not pregnant.
It’s good to be aware of subtle changes in your menstrual cycle. But a pregnancy test is the only way to confirm a pregnancy officially.
Symptoms or no symptoms, here are some tips for pregnancy testing:
- Wait to test for pregnancy until at least the day of your missed period. (This is usually 14 DPO or a few days later.)
- Most home pregnancy tests will register a positive result for hCG levels greater than 20 mIU/mL. (This means if you test too soon, your hCG levels may be too low. This would cause you to get a negative result even if you are pregnant.)
- If you get a negative pregnancy test even after your missed period, until one more week. Then test again.
Know more: How Long After Ovulation Can You Test for Pregnancy?
Pregnancy aside, if your luteal phase symptoms are causing you extra discomfort, don’t despair. There are some ways you can cope with these pesky symptoms.
How to Manage Luteal Phase Symptoms?
You may not be able to eliminate your luteal phase symptoms.
But here are some relatively simple things you can try to get at least a little relief:
- Make small changes to your diet. Eating lean proteins and whole carbohydrates can help with regulate your hormone levels. Here are the best foods to eat during your luteal phase!
- Engage in gentle exercise and stretching. Stretching and moving your body can improve your blood flow and reduce some of your luteal phase pain.
- Try relaxation techniques. Try deep breathing, a warm bath, or mindfulness exercises to lessen your discomfort.
- Get enough sleep and manage stress levels. Getting adequate sleep and reducing stress are vital to avoiding hormonal imbalances. When possible, it’s a good idea to avoid scheduling stressful appointments or events during this time in your cycle.
Of course, if you’re not able to find relief during your luteal phase, talk to your doctor. They can offer additional suggestions based on your unique medical history.
And just so you know! One factor that could worsen luteal phase symptoms is having a luteal phase defect. Keep reading to learn more about what a luteal phase deficiency is.
What Is a Luteal Phase Defect?
A luteal phase deficiency or defect simply means that your body has challenges with either producing progesterone or properly responding to it.
A luteal phase defect may pose extra struggles if you’re trying to get pregnant. This is because the lack of progesterone doesn’t support your uterus for pregnancy the way it needs to.
There are several conditions that can cause luteal phase defects. If you have concerns, please take a look at the article linked below. And know that you’re not alone!
Know more: Your Guide to Luteal Phase Defects
How to Track Your Luteal Phase?
Knowing the patterns of your unique cycle can be helpful when it comes to TTC and staying on top of your overall health.
A great way to do this is to take note of your symptoms and track your cycle length. A fertility app like Inito allows you to do exactly this.
And if you want an even more complete picture of your cycle, the Inito fertility monitor can help. Inito’s monitor gives you precise numerical values of your fertility hormones (LH, estrogen, PdG and FSH) all on one test strip to track and confirm ovulation.
And since Inito can confirm if you ovulated, you’ll also get accurate data on your luteal phase length. No more guestimating and worrying about having a short luteal phase. You’ll know for sure.
FAQs
There’s no right or wrong way to feel during your luteal phase. Symptoms during this phase of the menstrual cycle can vary from woman to woman. But increasing progesterone levels can make you feel a range of symptoms including:
- Bloated and constipated
- Extra tired
- Sore breasts
- More frequent urination
- Moodiness and anxiety
- Abdominal discomfort
- Back ache
Since the luteal phase can be a time of uncomfortable symptoms and more unpredictable emotions, it’s usually best to avoid putting yourself in overly stressful situations during this time (like starting a new project or going to too many social outings). Avoiding overly processed, nutrient-deficient foods and pushing your body too hard physically can be helpful during this time as well.
Feeling sick during the luteal phase of your menstrual cycle is most likely due to hormonal changes. Once you ovulate and enter the luteal phase, your progesterone levels rise while your estrogen levels fall. Some women are more sensitive to these hormonal shifts and can experience symptoms that make them feel sick like bloating and abdominal pain.
During the luteal phase, it’s not uncommon to feel like your emotions are all over the place, thanks to those changing hormones. Higher levels of progesterone are known for causing moodiness, including feelings of anxiety and depression for some women.
Yes, it is possible to notice facial changes when you’re in your luteal phase. (Thanks again, changing hormones!). When your progesterone levels are high, it can cause water retention and dilated blood vessels. This can result in having a puffier, fuller face that looks reddish or flushed. Some women also experience acne breakouts due to hormonal changes in the luteal phase.
In your luteal phase, if you’re pregnant, your vaginal discharge may be thicker and creamier (usually in a whitish or slightly yellow color). It’s also likely to increase in amount. This is different from normal luteal phase discharge, which is more thick and scanty.
The only day of your luteal phase that you’re likely to have a good chance at conceiving is within the first day after ovulation. This is because after you ovulate, the egg only survives for 12 – 24 hours in your reproductive tract. So if there is no male sperm already there or there shortly after ovulation, then fertilization won’t happen.
That said, the luteal phase is when implantation happens. So if the egg was fertilized after ovulation and it successfully implants, this is the time of your cycle when a pregnancy would officially begin.
Yes, the luteal phase of your cycle is when a pregnancy test can be positive, but not until later on in your luteal phase (around 12 – 14 DPO). This is because implantation occurs around 6 DPO through 12 DPO, and it takes several days after implantation for hCG to rise to a detectable level.
Know more: How Long After Implantation Does hCG Rise?
Was this article helpful?
- The Normal Menstrual Cycle and the Control of Ovulation
- Progesterone – Friend or foe? – ScienceDirect
- HCG (Urine) – Health Encyclopedia – University of Rochester Medical Center
- Pregnancy | FDA
- Olfaction in pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analysis – PubMed
- A prospective evaluation of luteal phase length and natural fertility – PubMed
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