How Short Cycles Can Significantly Reduce Your Fertility: And what you can do about it.
Short cycles can make getting pregnant much harder. Research shows that having a cycle of 26 days or less decreases the chances of conception by over 50%.
Many women have shorter cycles. Since it’s only a few days shorter, they often think it isn’t a big deal—but it is!
Once again, just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s normal. Your menstrual cycle plays a crucial role in fertility, providing valuable information about how fertile your body is. IVF can only increase your chances of getting pregnant by an average of 34%. So, if you have a short cycle, taking steps to improve it—potentially increasing your chances of conception by 50%—is definitely worth considering.
How does my short cycle impact my fertility?
Let me give you a little background on reproductive physiology to help make sense of this. Don’t worry—I’ll keep it simple!
You probably know that, ideally, you should ovulate on cycle day 14. This is the optimal time needed for the follicle (your unfertilized egg) to mature. Typically, in a conceivable cycle, you will start your period 14 days after ovulation, which is why a 28-day cycle is considered the most fertile.
Now, if you ovulate early—say on cycle day 12—you will menstruate on cycle day 26. For optimal fertility, your follicle needs the full 14 days to prepare for the next step. If ovulation happens earlier, the follicle may be underdeveloped, and if fertilized, it could compromise the quality and development of your embryo.
You need a strong egg to create a strong zygote, which will grow into a strong fetus and, ultimately, your strong baby!
A short cycle doesn’t mean you’ll never get pregnant, but it does make it more challenging
Let me give you a little background on reproductive physiology to help make sense of this. Don’t worry—I’ll keep it simple!
Ideally, ovulation occurs on cycle day 14, giving the follicle (your unfertilized egg) enough time to mature properly. In a conceivable cycle, your period typically starts 14 days after ovulation, which is why a 28-day cycle is considered the most fertile.
If you ovulate early—say on cycle day 12—you will start your period on cycle day 26. For optimal fertility, your follicle needs the full 14 days to develop. If ovulation happens too soon, the follicle may not be fully mature, and if fertilized, it could affect the quality and development of your embryo.
A strong egg creates a strong zygote, which develops into a strong fetus and, ultimately, a strong baby!
How you can set things right
We’ve done this for patients in our clinics for over 20 years. We take the time to meet with patients, figure out all of the factors that are impacting their cycles and create highly customized, multidisciplinary interventions to correct them. In fact, the women in our pilot last year increased their natural pregnancy rates by over 175%.
Want to learn more? Schedule a quick 15 min free chat with us to learn more about how fertile your cycle is and what we can do to help!
We’re rooting for you!
Kirsten