Understanding Early Pregnancy Symptoms & Negative Tests

Question
Hello. Earlier this month, I figured that I would ovulate on the 5th of October, I had intercourse on the 4th. For two weeks I have been having pregnancy symptoms. Early on, there were two days, with a day in between of very scanty blood, then nothing. I decided to wait to test on the 19th for pregnancy, but today the 18th, after I got home from work, I had scanty blood again, then nothing, I broke down and took the test and it showed negative, now I'm feeling a little crampy, is it too early for positive results or with blood and crampiness, is this a period. My breasts have been extra sore, a lot of digestive problems, mood swings, some nausea. What is my problem?  

Answer
Dear Claudette,

Did you mean you thought you would ovulate the 5th of November? You said "earlier this month" so I will assume that is what you meant.

If you anticipated ovulating on 11/5, then that would put your LMP starting approximately 10/22. Is that correct? If so, then you would just now be expecting your next period. And it may very well be too early for a HPT to pick up the pregnancy hormone in your urine, especially if you did not use 1st morning urine for a concentrated sample that has been in the bladder for at least 4 hours.

I'm not sure when the "early on" was that you referred to that you had some scant bleeding, but many women experience light bleeding approximately 6-12 days after conception, called implantation bleeding. So this would be a possibility for that bit of bleeding.

Not knowing what your cycles are normally like - whether you normally have a lot of hormonal symptoms or if a bit of spotting in between cycles is completely abnormal for you - it's difficult to assess whether you have tested too early or are just getting ready to have another period.

My advice is to wait until you have actually missed a full period (not just a couple of days late) and then take another HPT. Make sure to use 1st morning urine for the most accurate results. If that is also negative, and you still feel that you may be pregnant and don't trust those results, you can go to your local clinic or doctor's office and get a blood pregnancy (serum beta hCG) test which would pick up the pregnancy hormone at very low levels.

I hope I've helped you and I wish you great luck! Please write again with any further questions.

Brenda