Free tool
Luteal phase calculator
The luteal phase runs from the day after ovulation to the day before your period. See your dates for the next three cycles.
What is the luteal phase?
It is the second half of your cycle, from ovulation to your period. After the egg is released, the empty follicle becomes the corpus luteum and makes progesterone. If there’s no pregnancy, progesterone and estrogen fall at the end of the phase, and your period starts.
That fall is what many people feel as PMS. The luteal phase is where mood, sleep, appetite and patience change most.
How long is the luteal phase?
Usually 12 to 14 days, and it stays fairly steady from cycle to cycle. That is why the calculator counts back 14 days from your next period to find ovulation. A luteal phase shorter than 10 days is sometimes called a short luteal phase and is worth raising with a doctor if you are trying to conceive.
How to feel better in the luteal phase
Sleep and blood sugar matter more in this phase than in any other. Regular meals, less alcohol, daylight and movement all help. So does lowering the stakes: put the hard conversation after your period if it can wait. When a moment still boils over, a slower breath and twenty minutes before you reply do more than willpower.
Questions people ask
Is the luteal phase before or after my period?+
Before. The luteal phase starts after ovulation and ends when your period begins. It is the second half of your cycle.
Why do I feel worse in the luteal phase?+
Progesterone rises after ovulation and then falls with estrogen before your period. Some brains are more sensitive to that shift, which shows up as irritability, low mood, anxiety and poor sleep.