I am not trying to get pregnant. At 24, I am actively trying to NOT get pregnant. However, my birth control use has been…less than perfect. I’m late. Five days late. I’ve taken three pregnancy tests over the last week (somehow I was convinced I would be late even before I was due to get my period, and, well, here we are). All negative, thankfully. But…I still haven’t gotten my period. And according to the internet (yes, I know, the LAST place I should go for advice, but, once again, here we are) at-home tests often can’t detect a pregnancy until a week or more after a missed period. I made an appointment at the college where I’m an instructor/grad student to have a blood test, but it isn’t until [name_f]Tuesday[/name_f], and I’m…well, ‘freaking out’ is an understatement.
So, talk to me about at-home pregnancy tests. [name_m]How[/name_m] accurate have they been for you, and how early? Have you ever gotten a negative a few days before a missed period only to get a positive a week or more after? Also, I went off birth control two weeks ago (ortho-tricyclin-lo, which I was only on for less than a month) – has anyone had a late period after stopping the pill?
Thanks in advance. One request: please don’t tell me that I’m an idiot. I know I’m an idiot. I really do.
I would never think to call you an idiot. These things happen. It would be hypocritical of me to judge since me and my SO weren’t exactly planning on this happening (but we are very happy that it is, don’t get me wrong).
I took one of those tests that are supposed to tell you a week before your missed period and tested 2 days after my period was supposed to start and it showed positive the moment I peed on it, but I let it sit the whole 5 minute or however long it said on the box just to make sure (because I was in pure disbelief, I honestly thought I was having period cramps and would start any minute).
I have heard other people say that they were well over a week late before a test showed positive, so I really don’t know what to tell you. Maybe try a bunch of different brands?
Also, it very well could be coming off the pill. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though the hormones are out of your system after a day or so, it can take a while for your body to regulate its ovulation cycle since if has become used to having those hormones fed to it.
Yes, I just had a late period after stopping the pill. I think I was like three days late.
In my experience, the first day of the missed period, the test will be positive when you are actually pregnant.
I’m not positive about this but I think that if you were on any birth control pill for less than a full month, you might have simply messed with your cycle by not continuing it until the end of that particular cycle. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if you had gone off the pill at the “right time” and had a period as expected in a previous cycle, your next cycle may have been wacky anyway.
I think the best thing to do would be to call your doctor and tell them what’s going on; they’ll either have you come in for a blood test or wait a little longer.
[name_f]My[/name_f] pregnancy test was positive when I was about three days late, and I’m now 5 months along. However, a few years ago I went 33 days between periods and I took a test and it was negative, and I wasn’t pregnant.
As others have said its possible that your period is going to be late due to you coming off of the pill. When I stopped taking the pill my cycle was extremely wacky.
If you’re more than 18 days since ovulation and still getting negatives, then it’s highly unlikely you’re pregnant. If you’re five days late then you’re probably about 19 days past ovulation (assuming your cycles are 28 days). A pregnancy test would have almost certainly shown positive by now if you were pregnant.
Birth control can mess up your periods massively! I’d say it’s extremely unlikely you’re pregnant and your body is just getting used to being off birth control. Good luck xx.
I would also guess it has to do with coming off the pill. It can take longer than normal to ovulate afterwards, and your period should basically always come 14 days after ovulation. So if you ovulated later than you expected to, then your period would seem late, although it really wouldn’t be, if you know what I mean. Since you don’t know when/if you ovulated, it’s not really possible to say if you’re actually late. But if you are, I think the tests are very likely to be accurate - periods can be late for all kinds of other reasons.
This happened to me when I came off the pill and I got a positive pregnancy test approx. two weeks after the date when I thought my period should have come - but really I suspect I got the positive on or around the day it was actually due. I was deliberately trying to get pregnant, though. If you’ve had unprotected sex, yeah, you could well be pregnant. But depending on when this happened, the odds are probably quite low and I would guess you’ll probably get your period in the next two weeks.
If you were on the pill for less than a month, and came off it only 2 weeks ago, that I would put money on that making you late. I feel like the BCP statement is the one you should have led this post with, because that’ll definitely throw your cycle off, and throw it off far, especially if you hadn’t been on it long enough to regulate your cycle in the first place.
As far as pregnancy tests, the website peeonastick.org actually compares pregnancy tests with how many days post-ovulation and the results. It’s pretty informative.
[name_m]Hi[/name_m] augusta_lee! You’re hilarious! Of course you’re not an idiot - I’ve definitely been there… a number of times. I do think that what other folks are saying is true - the pill is a bunch of hormones with the potential to completely deregulate your whole system - I mean, that’s what they’re MEANT to do. When I came off the pill, my cycles went haywire - 40 day cycles for four cycles!
When I got pregnant, I took the First Response [name_u]Early[/name_u] Detection test and got two negatives before I missed my period, even though it says it’s sensitive “up to 6 days before missed period.” I was then a day late, so I took a third test and it was positive - but I was only ONE day late. It really sounds like you’re probably in the clear and your lateness is due to the pill situation, especially if you’ve taken that many tests. I would probably be a crazy person and continue to test every day until the blood test for reassurance, but it does get pricey!
Peeonastick.org doesn’t actually exist anymore, but peestickparadise.com is a good newer site that basically does the same thing. Try to relax as much as you can. [name_f]Remember[/name_f], if worse-case-scenario you are pregnant, which sounds HIGHLY unlikely, you still have options in this country and it is your choice what to do about it - a tough choice with which no one wants to be faced, but nonetheless a choice. Good luck!
I echo everyone else, but want to add that as Swish said, although peeonastick.com doesn’t exist, some wonderful soul archived the site and you can still read it here: PeeOnAStick.com
I have had 4 kids and 4 pregnancies. After being only a few days late for my period I have taken an at home pregnancy test and it always said positive and always was correct. So if you have taken 3 and got negative, but are 5 days late, maybe your cycle is just a little off this month and your period will come any day now?
To echo what everyone else said, birth control effs you up!
Without taking the pill I am not super good at tracking my cycle, I usually have a vague idea of when to expect my period. So I have taken tests up to 5 or 6 days after my expected period before I got a positive - but maybe I was “expecting” my period on the wrong day or something.
When I was pregnant with my first I tested a few days before my period and it was positive. With my second I tested on the day my period was due and it was negative. Then I tested two days later and it was positive. Good luck!
[name_f]Aggie[/name_f], you’re not an idiot. It’s completely human. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] all’s ok and that you’ll stop stressing soon. I’m here from the ttc board to tell you that getting pregnant is difficult yo!!!
So are you switching birth control methods? Have you tried the copper IUD? It’s non-hormonal. Some of my health-savvy friends swear by it. It makes your period heavier at first, but that regulates after a couple of months. I’ve used a cervical cap called femcap, which is small and unobtrusive and obviously non-hormonal, with an organic spermicide. You do have to deal with putting it in, but you can leave it in for like 40 hours if you feel so inclined. I’ve considered getting this high-tech basal body temp birth control from [name_f]Canada[/name_f] called Ladycomp. It’s more than 99% accurate. Anyway, there are options out there if you don’t want to deal with the hormones.
Thank you, and thanks to everyone else who’s told me I’m not an idiot. I really needed to hear it.
I went off bc because my primary (male) partner moved away, and otherwise I am super strict about using barrier protection when I’ with men, thus negating the necessity of other forms of birth control. I considered an implant, but I heard they hurt like heck and I’m a huge wuss. I’m also severely anemic (the kind of anemic that requires biannual IV iron infusions), so a heavier period could actually be dangerous for me. I had not heard of the femcap, but I am looking it up IMMEDIATELY. This seems like a way better option than the pill. Thank you!!
[name_m]Hi[/name_m] you don’t seem like an idiot. [name_m]Just[/name_m] human!!
I just wanted to say that last year I used the same birth control as you. When I came off of it my next period was like 10 days late.
I used First Response early results. I had 1 mc and 2 babies. In the case of my mc I tested + 1day before missed period. The 2 babies both tested+ 4 days before my period. So I’m guessing unless you are using some jacked up off brand tests- not pregnant! nor an idiot.
I think many, many of us have been there and had a scare (Oh, just me? Okay.)
[name_f]My[/name_f] positive test showed up the day of my missed period, and the line showed up right away. I bet if I had tested a day or two before it would have been positive too. It’s probably the birth control for you. Hang in there!
Consider stress and other factors right now that could make your cycle longer. I started tracking mine in 2013 when we wanted to try having one, and I was shocked to see that my cycles ranged from 30-45 days, averaging 38 days. So many factors can make one cycle a bit longer than the others, such as stress, and since you mentioned grad school, I imagine at any time you could be under a lot of it!
That being said, I “knew” I was pregnant before I was even scheduled to be expecting my next period. I can’t tell you exactly what, but I didn’t feel normal – weird pimples along my chin, stomach issues, etc. They weren’t my usual pre-period symptoms. So I took a test before the date and test after test turned out positive, no negatives.
So do what you can to not freak out until the blood test.
And for your future reproductive health, I highly recommend the book “Taking Charge of your Fertility,” which really helped take the mystery out of my cycles!
augusta_lee - Thinking about you today and hoping you get the test results you’re looking for! Let us know so we can support you either way!!! Good luck!
