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@fotolori1: I'm not a pro at these things but I'm pretty sure I had an 11 day LP the first pp cycle that I O'd AND I know that I've had cycles where I didn't O so I don't think that is "necessary" to have af arrive..... infact if I'm not mistaken there is a whole gallery option on FF called "anovulatory"... isn't that without O'ing?

I think his statements are generally true but that there is an exception to every thing.

#1 is kinda true. I had 28 day cycles the LP is usually the same number of DPO every cycle. If I ovulated on CD 14 I knew that in X amount of days AF would come (usually 14DPO). BUT if I ovulated on CD 12 I would get AF on CD 26, still 14 DPO. Etc. It can very a day or two but usually your LP is the same ish every month. The number of days before O can change because of delayed O. Does that make sense

No, and no. In that your LP should be somewhat consistent, but not necessarily 14 days. 14 days give or take a couple might be a healthy number, but for instance you could consistently ovulate on day 16, have a 12 day LP and end up with a 28 day cycle. Some people have a 9 day LP (there would be an issue there). And you could have a 28 day anovulatory cycle!

This doesn't sound like a doctor I'd go to for TTC advice...

No and no. Unfortunately I hear about gyns giving out not so great cycle/ttc 'facts' all the time.

Luteal phase is usually relatively consistent for each woman but can vary widely...like 8 days to 18. Mine are typically 11.

Regular periods often indicate ovulation, but not always. And regular ovulation isn't a guarantee of pregnancy.

@fotolori1: On #1 he is generally right EXCEPT that your LP should be a consistent length for YOU! My LP is typically 16 days so if I ovulate on day 12 I still have a 28 day cycle, just like @Sugar.Biscuit: and @Dandelion: mentioned

#2 he is wrong. Pick up a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fertility if you are interested in the technical explanation but it is possible to have a period without ovulating

Is this a GP/PCP or a GYN?

ETA: I was slow to post this and see that @evansjamie: @MerryC: @lindseykaye: @spaniellove: all have similar comments

No Like PPs have said, those are things that are "in general" true for a textbook TTC case. However, my LP was never longer than 12 days and I know that for certain from tracking ovulation using BBT.

I also had regular periods for awhile without ovulation.

Unfortunately it seems like a lot of doctors who aren't specialists (and even some who are) keep these misconceptions going.

@fotolori1: You could start temping now for sure since you would only be CD6 today. At least you could start tracking your temps to get an idea of when/if you ovulate.

Wrong on both. My LP is 13 days. He is right that FP can change month to month but your LP is more consistent. That doesnt mean its always 14 days though.

It's very likely that you are ovulating normally since your cycles are very, well, normal! If you want to confirm if you're ovulating (and when so you can plan BD) use OPKs and track your basal body temperature.

Some people have a very short LF, others have a LF even longer than 14 days. Maybe what your doctor meant is that your LF is usually pretty consistent from cycle to cycle, while your Follicular phase can vary more.

Make sure if you're going to temp you get a basal thermometer and be sure to take your temp in the morning, at roughly the same time, before you get out of bed! I wasn't consistent about taking it at exactly the same time, but I was still able to see the biphasic pattern clearly.

And I agree with @pui. fertilityfriend.com has a ton of resources! And also, the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility is very good at explaining exactly what's going on!

If you've never charted your basal body temperature or cervical mucus, I suggest trying that to try to figure out when you are ovulating. A good book to teach you how (and dispell cycle related myths) is Taking Charge of Your Fertility. They have it at Amazon and many book stores, and I believe she has a whole section on charting to help get pregnant. Charting will help you figure out your luteal phase, when you're ovulating, etc, etc.

I also agree with others that your doctor is wrong on both counts. Like a previous poster, I charted to avoid for several years. Even with a pretty standard cycle length of close to 28 days (28-30) my luteal phase was only 10-11 days (at least before I got pregnant) because I ovulated a little later in the cycle.

I don't agree with what he said based on the very good explanations other people have provided for you.

In general, a red flag is raised for me when there are a lot of absolutes thrown around--definitely this, always that.....

I second all the people who said your doc's advice is a dud! Luteal phase is generally consistent within a few days for any given woman, but may range from 8-17 across women. Less than 10-12 might cause issues maintaining pregnancy, so it's good you're thinking of tracking it. Follicular phase varies a lot for some women based on stresses and things.

For night shifts, they say just take the temp immediately upon waking from your longest stretch of sleep, no less than 3 hours. In my own personal experience, daytime sleep made for some screwy temps, but often still showed a shift that could be interpreted. It might be tough if the swap from day to night happens just before ovulation. I'd recommended you double-check by tracking your mucus patterns and the OPK since you have them already.

#1 is def wrong. I am living proof. My doctor confirmed my LP was only 6 days long (last year when we first started TTC our son) with ultrasounds by measuring uterine lining thickness and looking at follicles and confirming I had ovulated on day 17 but got my period on day 23 which was only 6 days later. Then, I got pregnant ONLY with the help of progesterone to increase length of LP. Then- I got pregnant once more, only to lose the baby because I didn't use progesterone and my LP was still very short.
So, no....LP aren't always 14 days.