Missed Period - Periods and Pregnancy

When you're trying to conceive, you more than likely count down the days to your next period. You're hopeful that it will not arrive because it is one of the first big signs that you might be pregnant. While there are many different at home pregnancy tests that advertise the ability to detect the pregnancy hormone in your body up to five days prior to missing your period, it's not a method that works for all women. It all depends on the amount of the pregnancy hormone in your body, which means you might not get a positive test until after you miss your period.

Does a Negative Pregnancy Test Completely Rule Out Pregnancy?

However, what happens if after missing your period you take an at home pregnancy test and the result is still negative? Women who are not trying to conceive and miss their period are usually happy with a negative test result, assuming that there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for their missed period. However, if you are trying to conceive and your pregnancy test says you're not pregnant even though your period never arrived, you will have concerns. First and foremost, a negative pregnancy test result after a missed period does not necessarily mean you are not pregnant.

Pregnancy Test Sensitivity

One reason behind a negative or false pregnancy test and a missed or late period is the sensitivity of the pregnancy test you use. Home pregnancy tests are used to determine whether or not there is any hCG in your urine. Depending on when you ovulated and when you conceived, the level of hCG in your body might not be enough to make the test you are using appear positive. You can either wait 48 hours to try another test or you can use a more sensitive pregnancy test. The sensitivity levels of each test you have to choose from are listed on the box in the store.

Missed Period, Negative Test, Wrong Time of Day

One of the most common reasons you might see a negative result on your at home pregnancy test is because you are taking the test at the wrong time of day. Typically, the amount of hCG in your body this early in pregnancy is more prevalent first thing in the morning. The longer you go without using the restroom, the more hCG appears in your urine. If you are not using the first urine of the morning to test, your chances of receiving a false negative increase.

Not Following Test Instructions

Everyone is guilty of occasionally skimming through instructions because they think they know exactly what they are doing. It's probably why so many men end up with extra pieces and parts after assembling the children's Christmas presents. If you do not carefully read the instructions on your particular home pregnancy test, you may get a false negative result despite the fact that your period is late. All tests are different. If you do not hold the stick in your urine long enough, check the result too soon, or wait too long to check the result, you might not get an accurate reading.

You're Too Early

Even if you think you are positive that your period is due on a specific day, you might be wrong. Your period could change anytime. This means that your body might ovulate a little later than usual on any given month, pushing back the start date of your period by a few days. When you think you've already missed your period, you might be wrong. This could be another reason for a false test result.

What To Do Next?

Just because you receive a negative result on your pregnancy test with a late period, it doesn't mean you are not pregnant. However, it also doesn't mean you are. Too much stress, a drastic change in diet, a change in your hormones, medications you might be taking for illness, and illness itself might cause you to miss a period or experience your period later than usual one month. The best thing you can do to rule out or confirm a possible pregnancy or other health issue is to contact your doctor. Your doctor can order a blood tests that will definitely show whether or not you are pregnant. If you aren't pregnant, your doctor can perform some other tests to rule out any health issues from which you might be suffering, such as a tubal pregnancy or infertility.

If you want to perform another home pregnancy test before you call your doctor, make sure you carefully read the instructions, follow them exactly, use your first morning urine, and wait 48 hours to test again. The reason you should wait 48 hours is that hCG levels typically double in that amount of time, which gives you a better chance of receiving a positive pregnancy test result if you are truly pregnant.

For more information, please visit: http://www.negativepregnancytest.com

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