Everything You Need to Know About the Luteal Phase of Your Menstrual Cycle
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Medically reviewed by Renita White, MD
Your luteal phase is the part of your menstrual cycle that occurs after ovulation and up to when you get your period. During the luteal phase, your body is working to support a possible pregnancy. The luteal phase is also when you may experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, including mood swings, fatigue, bloating, and food cravings. It’s normal for luteal phase lengths to vary, but people who have shorter than normal luteal phases may have trouble getting pregnant.
What Happens During the Luteal Phase?
The menstrual cycle is divided up into four different phrases: the menstrual phase, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase. Here’s what to know about the first three phases, before the luteal phase:
The menstrual phase is when you get your period, and during this time, the main hormones of the menstrual cycle—estrogen and progesterone—are low
During the follicular phase, your body is preparing to release an egg for possible fertilization; the follicular phase is marked by high levels of estrogen
During ovulation, follicle stimulating hormones (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) facilitate the release of an egg from your ovary
The luteal phase is the phase that occurs in the second half of your cycle, right after ovulation. It lasts roughly two weeks. It’s dominated by the hormone progesterone, which is secreted by the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum is a mass of cells that forms on your ovary after the egg is released during ovulation.
Progesterone secreted by the corpus luteum has several important roles during the luteal phase:
Thickening the lining of your uterus to support a possible pregnancy
Helping support the growth, proliferation, and implantation of a possible fertilized egg
Thickening your cervical fluids to protect against bacterial growth or other infections
Slightly increasing your overall body temperature to support a possible pregnancy
Related: Two Periods in One Month: What Does It Mean?
Symptoms of the Luteal Phase
Some of what happens in your body during the luteal phase won’t be felt by you. For example, during this phase, the lining of your uterus thickens and this doesn’t produce symptoms. However, the hormone that dominates during the luteal phase—progesterone—can cause symptoms that you may notice.
Everyone is different and experiences the symptoms of the luteal phase differently, but some possible symptoms include:
Thickened, pasty, or sticky cervical mucus; this differs from the cervical mucus you may experience during ovulating, which is usually clear and slippery
Mood changes, including increased stress and anxiety
Increased food cravings and binge eating symptoms
Toward the end of your luteal phase, as your period gets closer, you may experience symptoms of PMS. Not everyone experiences PMS, and symptom severity can vary.
Some of the most common PMS symptoms associated with the luteal phase are:
Bloating and weight gain
Cramps and stomach aches
Back pain—low back pain in particular
Appetite variations and food cravings
Tender, swollen breasts
Slowed bowel movements and constipation
Exhaustion
Mood swings, including anger and irritability
Depressed mood and crying
Restlessness
Related: 4 Surprising Period Signs
How Long Does the Luteal Phase Last?
The luteal phase begins as soon as ovulation is over and the corpus luteum begins to form. It lasts until the corpus luteum begins to degenerate and ends with the shedding of your uterine lining (your period). The average length of a luteal phase is about 12-14 days, but it can vary quite a bit. It’s normal for the luteal phase to last anywhere from 11 to 17 days.
If you are tracking your cycle by taking your basal body temperature, you will be able to track the length of your luteal phase. Tracking your basal body temperature involves taking your temperature with a basal body thermometer as soon as you wake up and before you get out of bed. After ovulation, your basal body temperature rises between 0.5 and 1 degree Fahrenheit. Your temperature stays elevated throughout the luteal phase, and drops in the days before your period begins.
Short Luteal Phase
Most luteal phases last about 12 to 14 days, but it’s normal for them to be as short as 10 days. When a luteal phase is nine days or less, it’s considered a short luteal phase. Up to 5% of people experience short luteal phases during their reproductive years.
Sometimes short luteal phases don’t cause issues. However, short luteal phases have been linked to a higher risk of the following:
Spotting several days before an expected period
Irregular menstrual bleeding
Fertility issues
Recurrent pregnancy losses
Long Luteal Phase
A long luteal phase is when your luteal phase lasts longer than 17 days, or when your period comes more than 17 days after you ovulate. Long luteal phases are less common than short luteal phases, but they do occur.
It’s not clear how a longer-than-normal luteal phase affects people or what causes them exactly. However, there is an association between hormonal imbalances and long luteal phase. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is sometimes associated with a long luteal phase.
Related: Here's How PMS Can Change In Your 20s, 30s, 40s
What Is a Luteal Phase Defect?
A luteal phase defect occurs when you aren’t secreting normal amounts of progesterone during your luteal phase. This is also referred to as luteal phase deficiency. When luteal phase defects occur, early pregnancy loss is common, because your body isn’t producing enough progesterone to support embryo growth and implantation. You are also less likely to grow your uterine lining sufficiently to support a pregnancy. People with luteal phase defects might experience recurrent miscarriages.
If your healthcare provider suspects that you may have a luteal phase defect, they will examine you and do blood work to check your hormone levels. They will also evaluate you for any underlying conditions which may be contributing, including hypothyroidism (lower than normal levels of thyroid hormones) and hyperprolactinemia (higher than normal levels of prolactin).
Treatments for luteal phase deficiency include:
Clomid, a medication that causes your ovaries to produce and release more eggs
Letrozole, which decreases the amount of estrogen your body makes
Progesterone supplementation, so that you can have normal levels of progesterone circulating in your bloodstream
Related: How to Induce Your Period
Tips for Improving Your Luteal Phase
People who have luteal phase defects will need treatment from a physician, usually in the form of medications that can balance your hormones. You may also need treatment for any underlying conditions that may be causing the luteal phase defect.
If you are experiencing PMS symptoms during your luteal phase, you are not alone. If the symptoms are making it difficult for you to function, you should speak to your healthcare provider. Medication—such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), birth control pills, and NSAIDs for pain relief—may be suggested or prescribed to help with PMS symptoms. Sometimes a type of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is successful at managing PMS symptoms.
Lifestyle modifications can also help with PMS symptoms during the luteal phase. These include:
Exercise
Massage
Eating a balanced, varied, nutrient dense diet
Increasing complex carbohydrates in your diet
Reducing stress
Making sure to get enough sleep
Related: What Can Delay Your Period?
A Quick Review
Your luteal phase is defined as the roughly two week period between when you ovulate and get your period. During this time, your body is doing the work to support a possible early pregnancy. You are likely to feel a little more fatigued and moody, especially during the second half of your luteal phase, when PMS symptoms start to kick in.
People who have shorter than normal luteal phases or have luteal phase defects may have trouble getting pregnant or staying pregnant. If you have questions about your luteal phase or if you think you're having issues related to it, please reach out to your healthcare provider, such as an OB-GYN or midwife.
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