In response to the Natural Family Planning teacher who wrote that every woman's luteal phase (the time from ovulation to onset of bleeding) is 12-14 days "always.": This is simply not true as any woman experiencing a luteal phase deficiency will attest to. A short luteal phase is a very real cause of infertility and must be considered. It is also very common to have a short luteal phase while lactating due to higher levels of prolactin. I am currently breastfeeding a 14-month old and my last cycle was 72 days long with ovulation occurring on day 67--obviously not common occurrence, but certainly within the huge range of normal for menstrual cycle variation, especially in lactating women. Perhaps it's nature's way of insuring that the baby is not displaced by another too soon. Please, please be careful when using the term "always."
-Barbara Cohen
Reprinted from Midwifery Today E-News (Vol 1 Issue 41, Oct 8, 1999)
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