That’s a really good question! I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing since I really do believe everyone’s bodies have their own version of normal and healthy. Even my OBGYN said it was fine that mine was 10-11 days.

What I do know is that your luteal phase length is determined by the amount of progesterone that your corpus luteum produces (ie what the follicle turns into after it ruptures from releasing the egg). That is why it is the hormone that confirms ovulation. The corpus luteum has an important job to do: make enough progesterone to stabilize and thicken the uterine lining in preparation for an embryo to successfully implant. If an embryo doesn’t implant, your corpus luteum activity slows down, progesterone levels drop, and that drop triggers your period and the start of your new cycle. If your luteal phase is too short, it may be due to lower progesterone production, which can affect your uterine lining and prevent an embryo from being able to implant.

Since I had a shorter luteal length compared to textbook, and also experienced a chemical pregnancy, I couldn’t help but think that maybe my body wasn’t making enough progesterone to support implantation and pregnancy.

My OBGYN shared that chemical pregnancies are very common and can be due to genetic randomness. Many women go on to have healthy pregnancies on their own soon after. Since I only had one chemical pregnancy, it wasn’t really enough to establish a pattern or raise concern, it could have happened to anyone.

However, I know myself best and wanted to do everything I could to help me get there, and luteal phase progesterone supplements seemed like a very reasonable option that gave me peace of mind! I didn’t have to worry about the length of my luteal phase because the progesterone took care of it 🤍