QuestionQUESTION: Hi,
I am not sure who to write but am in need of some help..i usually am on a 29-31 day cycle and i got my period on April 16th and i had unprotected sex on the 28th and than i got my period on May 10th ( 23 day cycle) the period was unusual started with spotting and lasted about 3 days but only used approx 2 maxi pads during that time. Could i be pregnant? and if not would the short cycle change my n ext ovulation date? if so when would it be?
ANSWER: Dear Jessica,
Well, since it was a 24 day cycle, you would have been expected to ovulate on/about CD 12. Unfortunately, that puts you right at the date when you had unprotected sex. Also, it is not uncommon to have what is called implantation bleeding. Only about a third of pregnant women experience implantation bleeding but it can happen at the time the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. Implantation bleeding typically occurs 6-12 days after conception which is often right before you would expect to have a period. The difference is that it is shorter in duration and lighter in volume than a normal period. It can be pink, red, or brown in color. It sounds like this could be what has happened with you.
You will need to test for pregnancy to know for sure. Although some tests claim accuracy on the first day of a missed period, I usually suggest that women wait until the week after a missed or spotty period before testing for pregnancy. This tends to minimize the incidence of false negative results and also avoids wasting money on a test for a simple delay of a period by a few days. If you did conceive on 4/28, you should be able to get a positive result on a pregnancy test at this point. When/if you test make sure to use 1st morning urine to get a concentrated sample for the most accurate results.
I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.
Brenda
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QUESTION: Thank you for your response i did a test this morning and it was negative. Im guessing its just a messed up cycle but i have noticed my breast are more sore maybe i am ovulating again.. im really not sure what to think? I am crossing my fingers that it is a false negative!
AnswerDear Jessica,
The symptoms you describe are hormonal in nature and can also be related to hormone fluctuations within your cycle. That is why it so difficult to "diagnose" a pregnancy based on symptoms alone.
I would suggest waiting another 7-10 days and testing again. If those results are negative, you can either wait for the next cycle to see if your periods resume or have your doctor's office do a quantitative blood pregnancy test (serum beta hCG). That test will give an actual amount of hCG in your bloodstream rather than just a positive/negative result. Any amount of 25 mIU/ml or more would be considered positive for pregnancy.
Hope that helps. Be well!
Brenda
