QuestionI am 5 days late with my period. I should have started last friday, and I am like clockwork. I had an hcg blood test the day before my period was due, because I have had pregnancy symptoms. It came out negative. I had another one yesterday 9/30, and that too was negative. Meanwhile, my breasts are sore, I am totally exhausted, and emotional. Is it possible to still be pregnant even though the tests say no? I am wondering if I ovulated close to the day my period was due, and perhaps thatcould be throwing things off. My friend was a week late and her hcg only registered as 3, and ended up having a healthy pregnancy.
AnswerDear Kim,
As far as your cycles go, if you had a history of 28 day cycles, you would have been ovulating on approximately cycle day 14. Ovulation takes places 14 days prior to the beginning of the next period. So if your cycles were irregular or much longer than 28 days, then I suppose it could be possible for ovulation to have taken place that late in the cycle. But realize it would then push back an expected period date 14 days.
If you had a serum beta hCG test done - a quantitative blood pregnancy test - that test gives an actual amount of hCG in the bloodstream and is pretty conclusive. If you have had unprotected sex in the last cycle or two, then obviously there has been opportunity for conception to have occurred.
Now, you are early yet. The presence of hCG can typically be detected in the maternal serum 24-48 hours after implantation. It can be found in the maternal urine just a few days later. Implantation typically takes place 6-12 days after conception. So, for instance in the case of your friend, she may have conceived a pregnancy and the fertilized egg may not have actually implanted until the 12th day. hCG levels would not have necessarily have been detectable several days past the day her period was due/missed. This is why I always suggest that women not test for pregnancy until the full week after a missed period.
My suggestion would be to wait another 7-10 days and re-test. If those results are also negative, then I would wait and see if your period returns with the next cycle. It is not unusual for women to skip a period at one point or another in their lives. The general recommendation is that if you miss three consecutive periods and pregnancy is not the reason, you should see your doctor so that a cause can be determined.
I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.
Brenda
