Can You Conceive with Luteal Phase Defect?

Luteal Phase Defect, or LPD, can sound scary. It’s important to know that it can be difficult for your doctor to make an accurate diagnosis - because there is no single test that can determine it. But if your doctor suspects this is going on take heart, there are treatment options - and getting to the bottom of your particular fertility issue will be key. Read on to find out how fertility acupuncture can help LPD.

What is LPD? There could be one of two things going on: either your own progesterone is not sufficient enough to maintain a functional endometrium or your lining isn’t responding to the normal amount of progesterone that is being secreted. Some providers consider it an issue if it’s occurred for two consecutive cycles. Either way it’s your endometrial lining that takes center stage here - you might produce quality follicles and eggs each month, but the corpus luteum (a hormone secreting structure produced by the ovary) might not be functioning optimally to support your lining or your lining simply may not be responding correctly during the implantation window to the hormones being secreted.

So what can you do about LPD? The western medical approach is often to provide a synthetic version of progesterone, in the hopes that the problem will be corrected: often by flooding the system with large amounts of the hormone that the body might not be able to produce in smaller amounts on its own. The eastern perspective takes a more holistic approach: by working to correct the underlying issue and return the body to a balanced state we aim to help the body get to where it needs to be organically. Ultimately fertility acupuncture (along with Chinese herbs when appropriate) have been shown to help improve the endometrial lining and the body’s ability to produce its own hormones. And Chinese medicine can help you reach your fertility goals whether or not you are going through western medical interventions concurrently.

Chinese medicine is a wonderful way to get your body to where it needs to be. Most hormonal imbalances (which contribute to about 40% of documented cases of infertility) respond to traditional Chinese medicine - many of our patients with LPD have gone on to conceive and carry a baby to term. Wondering whether acupuncture for fertility can help you achieve your fertility goals? Contact Suzie at Husami Integrative Acupuncture in Paradise Valley to find out more.