Late period - terrified. When to take pregnancy test?

I'm on hormonal birth control, and my period is like clockwork (maybe not down to the hour, but certainly down to the half-day). My boyfriend and I have sex on a regular basis (without condoms, since we're in a committed relationship and both tested)...and I'm now two days late.

When should I take a pregnancy test to optimize accuracy? I'm afraid that if I take it now, it might give me a false negative...

I'm not on any other medications and haven't had any major lifestyle changes like weight loss or stress that could potentially make a period late -- unless worrying about the late period is causing me enough stress to make it even later. How do people who have had pregnancy scares deal with this kind of stress? I'm finding it to be almost paralyzing, and it's preventing me from doing other things (not normal for me! I'm usually very chill). I don't know how I'll deal if I have to wait a few more days to take the test. And I can't even imagine my reaction if it comes back positive -- but at least then there's something I can do about it, whereas now it's just waiting and worrying and stressing...

Advice?

I think you can take one (certain brands) as early as 5 days before your period is due but don't quote me on that. When I was on the pill and didn't want to get pregnant or risk it I always used condoms as well just to be sure -given your reaction you might want to consider it.

If your period is late you can take a test and it will be 99.999% accurate.

The longer you wait the less likely that you'll get a false negative, but since you're already late the test will probably be quite accurate if you took it now. First morning pee will help as well, but it isn't necessary to wait. Don't lose sleep over it just so you can take the test in the morning.

I think the best thing is to take a test. If it is negative then you can breath easy, if it is positive it is not going to change a week from now so you might as well know now.

I think the best thing is to take a test. If it is negative then you can breath easy, if it is positive it is not going to change a week from now so you might as well know now.

I don't think I'll breathe easy; I don't know whether to trust a negative test at this point.

It should be accurate at this point. Best way is to do a test now. If its negative, good. And if you dont believe it still, test again in two weeks.

Why would you not trust it? They are pretty accurate. I have never had a false positive nor a false negative.

You're right laboheme, if you take a test now and you get a negative, you might still be pregnant but just not have high enough hormone levels for it to be detected. Most pregnancy tests claim to 99% accurate the first day of a missed period, but many aren't actually accurate enough to detect such low levels of hormones, especially if you have a "late" implantation. A test a week after the first day of your missed period would be considered just about failproof as far as detecting pregnancy.

Nevertheless, in your shoes I would still buy a two-pack of pregnancy tests now. If you're paralyzed from worrying, you might as well try to get some answers now. A positive will mean a pregnancy (of course), and you can think of a negative as "encouraging" news (better than a positive, right?!). (Test right when you get up in the morning to get the concentrated urine.) And then take the second test 5 or so days from now if your period still hasn't come. I just think doing something will feel better than not doing anything, even if a negative test could still be inaccurate at this point.

I always waited a week and the answer if positive was almost instanteous. You can have late implantation but I do not think false negatives are enormously common.

I always waited a week and the answer if positive was almost instanteous. You can have late implantation but I do not think false negatives are enormously common.

They are if you test very early - certainly they are very common if you test before your period is due, but even in the first few days after the period is due. Once you are 5-7 days late they get very very accurate.

Yes, I think I'll pick up a pregnancy test as soon as I can, which won't be for another couple of hours. Ack.

Of course, until I get my hands on one, I'm analyzing other things my body is doing (knowing full well that in my nervousness, I could be imagining things). I'm getting discharge similar to what I'd get around ovulation time, and every time I feel something come out, I keep hoping it's blood, but it's not...I'm feeling kind of gassy, but not constipated. I'm also getting over a yeast infection, but from what I gathered online, yeast infections don't really delay your period. Sigh. I'm going stir crazy.

Another related question that comes to mind: Do I tell my boyfriend? Or does that depend on the results of the pregnancy test? I really don't want to worry him, and I especially don't want him to start babying me. We have the same views on unwanted pregnancies, but I'm just wondering if I should be completely upfront with him about how I'm feeling right now (and how I might be feeling after the results).

They are if you test very early - certainly they are very common if you test before your period is due, but even in the first few days after the period is due. Once you are 5-7 days late they get very very accurate.

She said she is late already that is why I said it would be accurate. I would not tell anyone who was not due for their period that it would be super accurate. I know the difference. I have been pregnant 4 times.

So many pregnancy tests come as two for one these days. I'd go with the digital too, if you can.

The first time I was pregnant many years ago, my period was not like clockwork, so I didn't stress at first. Then I got a yeast infection. I hardly ever get them unless I've taken antibiotics. I read the little pamphlet that comes with the treatment, and it said one of the causes is pregnancy, so that made me take the test! You can sometimes get yeast infections due to hormonal changes, apparently. I'm just saying...

She said she is late already that is why I said it would be accurate. I would not tell anyone who was not due for their period that it would be super accurate. I know the difference. I have been pregnant 4 times.

I agree. My test came back positive far before it was "supposed to" as indicated on the box. I got my positive like 7 or 8 days BEFORE my missed period, which like I said, I didn't even know was possible, so once you are officially "late" I'd say I'd pretty much trust the results. My doctor has stated that the at home tests are more accurate than the ones they provide, as they detect a lower hormone because most women come to them AFTER they have been tested. OP- I'd take it now, if you don't trust it buy a 2 pack, take one now and one tomorrow or the next morning for reassurance, but I really think you're good now.

As for your boyfriend, that is your call, I know I didn't tell my husband (we weren't married at the time) until after I had gotten the results. We were not trying to get pregnant, so I was kind of in shock and wanted to process things before I said anything, and didn't want to worry him for nothing. Good luck!

If it were me, I would tell him. I used to have pregnancy scares all the time (as in, my crazy anxious mind would make me worry that I was pregnant even though there was almost no way I could have been as we were incredibly careful) and I did not share those with my boyfriend because they were due to my own fears rather than based in fact, and it didn't seem reasonable to unload on him. But in your case, your period is late, and it sounds like you're really feeling the stress and anxiety - and I think that not only is it part of the boyfriend job description to be a shoulder to lean on in hard times, but that he would also WANT to know about how paralyzed you are and want to help talk you through it. (This is assuming he is an upstanding boyfriend, which I'm guessing he is I think this is something that you two can take on together, rather than you being terrified in your corner by yourself and not sharing with him. If your views on unwanted pregnancies are the same, then you shouldn't have to worry too much about conflict with him.

Oh - and I wouldn't bother analyzing your symptoms. Once you're worried about pregnancy, you all of a sudden discover you have every pregnancy symptom in the book! There's just too much psychological going on to be able to tell from the "physical" symptoms you have whether or not you're pregnant.

I don't want to be argumentative, but most pregnancy tests are simply not THAT reliable until about a week after the period is due, for negative results. I wouldn't trust a negative test until it was a week after the period is due. See this link for example: link removed . Anyway, it's not a big deal, I also advise that laboheme take a test now, but if it's negative I would retest in a week to make sure.

Thanks to everyone for their responses!

I took a pregnancy test, and it came out negative...It's a mild relief, but I'm obviously still not 100% sure and will test again in a few days.

Of course, now I'm thinking of all the other things that could be wrong with me down there...I mean, even before I went on birth control, my cycles never varied by more than 1 day except for the first year or so. So really, I'm not that far from where I started worry-wise. Ugh, I hate being this nervous wreck of a person, since I'm normally not like this at all!

Phew! You're probably not pregnant then, but go ahead and wait a week to take the next one if your period doesn't how. And then, of course, if your period doesn't show up after yet another week, see your doctor. It's not uncommon for some women, even women who are regular, to have an extremely late period. Good luck!

Good news so far laboheme! Hope your period shows up ASAP.

My period would always start the morning after the day I took a pregnancy test...such a joker she is

I bet you'll get yours soon now that you've felt some relief at least and aren't as stressed!

My period would always start the morning after the day I took a pregnancy test...such a joker she is

 

I bet you'll get yours soon now that you've felt some relief at least and aren't as stressed!

Still nothing. New question: do I wait until my period shows up (if it ever does!) to start a new pill pack, or do I continue taking the pills as scheduled even if Aunt Flo never comes to town?

If Your that worried go to your doctor and tell them whats going on cuz you don't wanna take them if you are preggers it can really screw things up.. and ask your doctor to do a blood test that will show you forsure or not if your preggers.. in the mean time use condoms i suppose.

Still nothing. New question: do I wait until my period shows up (if it ever does!) to start a new pill pack, or do I continue taking the pills as scheduled even if Aunt Flo never comes to town?

You test prior to starting the pill pack and if it's negative but no period call your doctor before taking a pill.