Understanding Ovulation and Luteal Phase Length

Question
In one of your responses to someone, you stated that you always ovulate 14 days before your next period.  How do you explain luteal phases of anything other than 14 days?

Blessings,
Tania

Answer
The time from ovulation to the start of the next cycle is 14 days in a healthy woman with no defect in her luteal phase. The luteal phase is merely the number of days from the rise of progesterone to the start of the next period. Sometimes, a woman can have a "luteal phase defect" where it is shorter than normal and she will get her next period earlier than normal. In a woman with luteal phase defect, she may ovulate much earlier than  we would expect, or she may not ovulate at all. We usually will give progesterone supplementation to try to return the Luteal phase to normal. In 99% of cases, ovulation occurs 14 days prior to the first day of the next period. If the woman has a 28 day cycle, this is on cycle day #14. If she has a 30 day cycle, ovulation is on cycle day #16,. etc. If a woman has an abnormal luteal phase, it must be evaluated.