Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Home Pregnancy Tests

Question:
My husband and I are trying to get pregnant. I am late this month, and didn't have a normal cycle last month. My cycle is usually no more then 26 - 27 days long. Today is day 28 of my cycle and I have had no sign of a period. I tried a home pregnancy test this morning and it came back negative. I have been having every sign of being pregnant, such as breast tenderness, breast enlargement, headaches, frequent urination ( and I haven't really been drinking that much), upset stomach but usually at night, weight gain (and I haven't been eating that much),etc. Has anyone had any bad experiences with home pregnancy test. I tested this morning with Fact Plus. I am going to try testing again with Clear Blue tomorrow morning. This is my first pregnancy so I need as much advice as possible.

Answer:
It's possible that the stress of trying to conceive delayed ovulation, which would cause a longer than normal cycle. Some people chart basal body temperature, so they know when they ovulated, which will tell you when to expect your period. Taking Charge of Your Fertility, by Toni Wechsler, is a book you might find useful. Early pregnancy signs are pretty much the same as PMS symptoms. (And my experience has been that if I'm looking for pregnancy signs, I notice a lot of them, even when I later discover I wasn't pregnant). Fact Plus is one of the least sensitive tests out there. Clear Blue is much more sensitive, but there are some that are even more sensitive than Clear Blue. There is a comparison chart of the lowest level of hcg detected by the various brands of tests here: http://www.babyhopes.com/hpt.html (The lower the amount listed, the more sensitive the test is.) hcg is the hormone that pregnancy tests look for to determine if you're pregnant. You only produce it when you are. The amount of it doubles fairly rapidly early on so by waiting a couple days and using a more sensitive test you should get a more accurate result. Here's some baby dust for you ~*~*~*~*~.. If you've had some unusual cycles, then possibly it may still be a bit early. If you get a negative tomorrow, I'd probably wait a week and if there is still no af, test again. Good luck!