QuestionAge: 25
Children: none
First Day of Last Cycle: October 3, 2005
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I need some help to clarify what could be going on with my body.
My cycles typically last 7 days, which would make the last day of my last period around the 9th or 10th of October. My boyfriend came to visit me for a few days later that week and we were "together" only on October 14.
My cycles are relatively regular, fluctuating one day later or earlier from the last cycle. I started a new job at the end of October that is much more stressful and physical than my prevous one and noticed around November 6 that I was late. I thought it was the stress of my job and decided to wait a while for it.
On November 18 I thought I had started my period but noticed the next day that I was no longer bleeding. I did some research and found that some females experience a day or two of spotting when an embryo embeds itself into the lining of the uterus. Looking back on my calendar, the numbers didnt add up.
I decided to check myself with a home pregnancy test and the result was faint but by the instructions it says I am pregnant. I am planning to see my doctor in the following week to make sure of my results, but if I am truly pregnant, would embryo implantation be so late on the calendar? What factors (if any) would make it happen later than normal? Is it possible that its a false pregnancy? And if so what are my next steps to take care of it?
AnswerIf the first day of your last period started on October 3, you would have ovulated around October 15 abd could only have become pregnant if you had sex on October 14,15,16, or 17. (We always count from the FIRST day of your period, not from the last day of the period). If you did become pregnant on one of those days, a pregnancy test would not show a positive result until 14-21 days later. The best time to take a pregnancy test is seven days after missing your next period. If your last period started on October 3, you were due for your next period on October 30. A pregnancy test taken after November 7 would be accurate. If you have any doubts, take two blood tests for pregnancy (Beta HCG), 48 hours apart. If there is a doubling of the results in 48 hours, it indicates a viable pregnancy. If the lines on the pegnancy test are not bold or dark, it is a negative test.
