Missed Period & Negative Pregnancy Tests: What To Do?

Question
I am 3 weeks and 2 days late fo my period. I am havein most of the symptoms for being pregnant. I have taken 3 home pregnancy test and they all have come back negative. What should i do?

Answer
Dear Brittni,

First, I want to make sure that you are using first morning urine when taking the pregnancy tests. This will give a concentrated sample for the most accurate results.

If you have had unprotected sex during the last cycle, then you have to consider pregnancy a distinct possibility. However, symptoms which are generally related to early pregnancy are hormonal in nature and can occur with hormone fluctuations within your cycle. This is why "diagnosing" a pregnancy based on symptoms alone is extremely unreliable.

If you are now more than 3 weeks late for your period, then the next period is due very soon. You can either wait to see whether you get the next period as expected and chalk this up to simply a quirky cycle with a skipped period for whatever reason, OR you can go to your doctor's office and request a quantitative blood pregnancy test (serum beta hCG). That test will give an actual amount of hCG (the pregnancy hormone) in your bloodstream instead of just a positive/negative result. Any amount over 25 mIU/ml would be considered positive for pregnancy.

Women can experience menstrual cycle variations (missed periods, long cycles, etc,..) for many reasons. Stress, depression, strenuous or excessive exercise, low body weight, obesity, sudden weight loss or gain, or even thyroid dysfunction can cause this. The general recommendation is that if you miss three consecutive periods and test negative for pregnancy, you should see your doctor so that a cause can be determined.

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

Brenda