Perimenopause & Potential Pregnancy: What to Know

Question
Thank you for your assistance.  I am 41 years old...about to be 42 in May.  For the past year I have had light periods 1-3 days.  Very consistently every 28 days.  My last period was on Feb 24th.  I expected this months period on March 23rd or 24th.  Today is March 28th and I have not had a period...not even any spotting.  I did have unprotected sex on March 7th...two days ahead of the 9th...ie Fertile day.  My new husband and I have thought about having another child...hoping for a girl since there are five boys between us...yet have only considered it if it happens naturally and during a brief window of this past year....so a pregnancy isn't necessarily a bad thing.  The issue is that I have taken two pregnancy tests..one the day my period was due and didn't happen(I can usually rely on it that accurately) and one just today and both tests were negative. Since these tests can detect hcg up to 5 days ahead of a missed period and I am 4 days past...with no room for error on my dates...should I assume that this missed period is not a preganancy but rather the beginning of the next phase of perimenopause.  I am not feeling any pregancy symptoms...although never really did to any significant degree this early on.
I have been in good health otherwise.
Again thanks
Joyce

Answer
Dear Joyce,

Well, first off - some tests do claim accuracy that early, however I do not recommend taking them that soon. I typically suggest waiting until after the full week of a missed period before testing to minimize the incidence of false negatives. Some women have reported not getting a positive reading until as long as after the 6th week. This isn't the norm, but it has been reported.

The beginning of peri-menopause is a possibility, but it tends to begin gradually, with periods stretching out to 30 or 31 days.

If you continue to suspect pregnancy, my suggestion would be to try testing every 5-7 days for the next few weeks or until you have a period to rule pregnancy out.

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

Brenda