Possible Pregnancy Symptoms: Late Period, Cramps & Light Bleeding

Question
Hello.  I am 32 years old and for the past 2 months my husband and I have been trying to get pregnant.  The first day of my last period was June 19th.   My cycle is typically 29 days long (has been 29 days for the past 3 months, but prior to that my cycle varied a bit as I was coming off the pill.)  Thus, I thought my period was due this past Tuesday  (7/17.)  For the past week, I've been experiencing cramps as if my period were arriving, but no period.  Today I've had slightly more intense cramping with very light bleeding (not at all like the bleeding during a normal period.)  I took a pregnancy test this morning and it was negative.

Could I still be pregnant or should I have expected a pregnancy test to be positive by now?  Typically I have ovulated very late in my cycle, so my thought is that because of the late ovulation, it may take longer for the HCG levels to reach a detectable level.  Or am I kidding myself?  I've never experienced cramping or bleeding like I have now so I'm a bit bewildered.  Also, I have been very constipated for 2 weeks, which I know can be a sign of pregnancy.

Thanks for your advice.

Answer
Dear Heather,

If you know that you ovulate late in your cycles, then your theory is correct. The later you ovulate, and thus conceive, the later a pregnancy test will get a positive reading. The hCG level will typically be high enough to detect by approximately 2-3 weeks after conception.

Although many HPTs claim accuracy on the 1st day of a missed period, I usually recommend that women wait until after the full week of a missed or spotty period before testing for pregnancy. This tends to minimize the incidence of false negative results for those whose hCG levels are just not quite high enough yet. Make sure when you test that you use 1st morning urine to get a concentrated sample for the most accurate results.

As for symptoms - most symptoms related to early pregnancy are hormonal in nature. They are the very same symptoms which can occur with hormonal fluctuations within your cycle. That is why diagnosing a pregnancy based on symptoms alone is just too difficult. You really have to have a positive pregnancy test for confirmation.

I hope this information has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda