Period Hasn't Started but Have Negative Pregnancy Test Results!

Updated on January 04, 2009
S.B. asks from Bonnots Mill, MO
33 answers

I was due to start my period Dec. 29th. I waited until Dec. 31st to take a home pregnancy test and it was negative. It is now Jan. 1st and I still have not started my period. My questions are...could I still be pregnant? Didn't I wait long enough to take the test? Could it be a false negative? Have any of you had the same experience? I just haven't been this late before. I am not on birth control...went off 3 months ago. We aren't really trying to have our third child yet...I really need to lose some weight first. I don't want to have a baby at the weight that I am at due to the risks...so I am a bit worried about it! Can you start your period 4 to 5 days late? Any advice would be greatly welcomed here...you ladies are always good at easing my worries! ;)

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So What Happened?

Thanks so much ladies...once again you helped me through a time of worry!! I waited a couple more days and took another HPT and it was negative as well. When I still hadn't started over a week late...I went to the Dr. and got a blood test. It was negative as well. So I now can concentrate on getting this weight off and getting healthy before adding another child to our family. Thanks again for all your advice...it really did help me to calm down a bit and not worry so much...you ladies are always there for me when I need you! ;)

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F.M.

answers from Kansas City on

False negatives are a lot more common than false positives. I know that I never get a positive test for over a week after being late. And, as the years go by, things can get a little off kilter, and since you've only been off the BC for just 3 mos, it would be more likely to be hormones being off than being pregnant. Although, I would test again if you still don't start.

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K.H.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi,

I think you should wait a few more day's to take a test. I also agree that you can not tell this soon on a OTC test.

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B.S.

answers from Joplin on

Yes, you could be getting a false negative ..... try again in a week. That happened to me even at the doctor's office.

Yes, you could just be that late. I have been as late as two weeks before with no apparent reason other than holiday stress.

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S.M.

answers from St. Louis on

Hello and Happy New Year! Your period can always vary a few days due to stress or illness. Some medications can even alter it. If you recently stopped taking birth control your periods will change quite a bit to. When I stopped taking the pill recently... mine went from being 28 day cycle to being 42 days! I freaked out for like 3 months in a row! :)

On another note, OTC pregnancy test are not always accurate. Most of them are pretty reliable... but not always. I am on the board of directors for a pregnancy care clinic in my town. They give FREE pregnancy testing and thier test are urine test but are similar to test given in the dr. office and are more reliable than OTC. Here is a phone number to find a Pregnancy Center/Clinic near you if you are interested: 1800-395-help.

Otherwise... just call your OBGYN and see what they would suggest. Mine sent me to the hospital for a blood test to confirm a positive test before they made an appointment.

Hope this helps... let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck! :)

2 moms found this helpful
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L.K.

answers from St. Louis on

I have gone through this while trying to get pregnant, and also when I wasn't. Neither times was I on any birth control, and I am one that has always been like clockwork with my periods. I too took pregnancy tests that said negative. I was up to 10 days late, then it came...heavier than usual. I went to the doctor and she ran tests to see why my body did this, and they found nothing. So, sometimes it's just worry and stress that causes us to be late. If you really want to know, go see your doctor. In the meantime, try to not think about it, and it will probably come. Good luck on your trying to conceive! I hope someday that test will be positive!

1 mom found this helpful
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K.C.

answers from Wichita on

Hi S.!
My periods have rarely been regular. I have had periods every other month since my daughter was born & died 4 1/2 years ago. I did have a 2nd boy almost 2 years after our daughter was born.
I am over weight for my height, so that may be why. Stress also doesn't help. If you don't want to worry about getting pregnant while you are loosing weight you need to use some kind of protection, but don't use Depo-provera! It made me gain a lot of weight!

God Bless!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.J.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi Shelly,
If you have never been that late before then if you have recently put on more weight or lost weight quickly that can have effects on your cycle. Also if you are or have recently been under a lot of stress that can also cause a late start. I would say give it another week and if you don't have anything then best go see the dr. I have known people that have been pregnant and had not been able to get a positive home test..they had to get their blood tested. Good luck sweetie. I hope all works out well for you!

1 mom found this helpful
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A.D.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi S.,
I know how frustrating a late period can be! I went thru something similar a few months back, and it turned out that I had a cyst on my ovary that made me feel like I was preggers, but unless it was immaculate conception, it couldn't be! LOL I was almost 20 days late (I am usually very regular) and when the cyst finally ruptured (ouch) I had a very very heavy, rough period. After that everything has been back to normal, except that my cycle has been a little shorter.
The blood tests (and urine tests) that you do can come back negative for quite a while as a false negative if you conceived later than expected, but the blood tests are VERY sensitive to the hormone HCG which confirms a pregnancy (even if it is not a viable one...such as an early miscarriage, ectopic, molar, etc.) Even an early miscarriage would show up as a very low + HCG on the blood test.
It is also true that stress, and even "thinking" you might be pregnant can delay a period, but it will eventually come on if you aren't preggers. Also, additional weight gain can affect a period, as can air travel and time zone changes, anesthesia, and certain medications for unrelated things. Go ahead and see your doc for a blood test, and possibly an ultrasound to rule out any cysts (they can happen to anyone, and are often asymptomatic and they usually resolve on their own and things go back to normal.) If it turns out everything is fine and you want to try to bring on your cycle, you can try looking up parsley tea...it tastes gross after about 4 cups, but I tried it, and it worked in 3 days. DO NOT USE IT before you confirm you are not pregnant with a blood test.
Hope this helps a bit!

1 mom found this helpful

M.B.

answers from St. Louis on

My last period was 15 days late. By the time you are a couples days late on your period that is not too early for correct results on a pregnancy test. I am a pregnancy test expert because my periods are so crazy. You can wait a couple more days and take another one but Im going to warn you, you are going to waste your money. Being on birth control you are probably used to regular periods. Me never being on birth control is used to my crazy unpredictable periods. Like I said my last period was almost 15 days late, sometimes its five, sometimes its early! You will probably start very soon. Also my friend had problems and wasnt ovulating and she didnt have a period for 6 months! If it gets that crazy you will have to get it checked out! Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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B.C.

answers from Joplin on

S.,
Stress can cause a delay, a new exercise routine, change in diet can cause a delay. I have skipped periods before due to stress, I have never had a very reliable cycle though. If you don't start your cycle in another week or two...I would make an appointment with your OBGYN just for peace of mind.
Good luck!
B.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

well, it could be stress- worrying about getting pregnant, or once you are in your 30's your periods start to change- perimenopause, and what type of bc were you on? Coming off the pill can make your hormones funny for awhile- especially if you are carrying extra weight (sorry) the fat stores estrogen and can mess with your cycles- you might need to look into progesterone cream to level things out for awhile. So, advice- don't stress so much :)- I know, I have 9 kids- try looking at your diet- eat lots of dark, leafy greens, they are good for iron and folic acid- especially if trying to get pregnant, lean meats, eggs, good fats, lots of water, etc. And let us know what happens :) S.- mom of 9

1 mom found this helpful

A.S.

answers from Kansas City on

It's possible you ovulated late this cycle, which would mean your cycle might be longer than normal this time. Especially since you just stopped birth control a few months ago. It can take your body a while to even out and go back to normal. Wait another week and take another test, or make an appointment with your doctor for a blood test.

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C.K.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi Shelly!

Well there could be a number of reasons why you could be late....stress can make your period be up to a week or so late (been there done that)....but if you are pretty regular than normally a few days lapse is pretty normal. I know when I got off the pill- my period was not accurate or reliable a it was on the pill for the first 6 months....when I did get pregnant (I am three months along now)- I had to wait two weeks after my missed period to get a positive. Depending on the time of fertilization- it can take up to a week for your body to even hit the higher hcg levels for a pregnancy test to pick up. I would wait another week or so- then retest and see what happens. Not wanting to scare you- but my dr told me that the most fertile you are is when you get off birth control so if you do not want to get pregnant you need to be very careful after stopping the pill or any other form of birth control.

Good luck!

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S.D.

answers from Topeka on

Yes you can have a late period it all has to deal with thiose pesky hormones and stress.However In June was my last menstrual cycle had an annual exam end of June and they did do an in office test and it was negative only a week later it came back positive so yes I was pregnant no period it's different for everyone some don't have a positive at home test till weeks later it measures the HCG level the only hormone you have to detect pregnancy.Wait a few days and retest if still negative call the drs office and get a blood test done.

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S.T.

answers from Kansas City on

I wouldn't worry too much yet. You can start your period a whole week late and be fine. Have you been stressed from the holidays? Stress can make you late. Also, worrying about being late and possibly being pregnant can make it even later. Try to relax and stop worrying about it. Make sure you calculated your dates right too. If you haven't started by Monday, take another test. If you are pregnant, you might just be testing too soon. It can take a while for the pregnancy hormone to build up enough for the test to show it. Good luck!

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C.L.

answers from Kansas City on

I'm not on BC either, and my period is fairly normal, and I've been up to a whole week late before, just because my body wanted to I guess?! LOL Wait a few more days, and if it's still not here, you could always try another home test, or go to your Dr for a blood test. Best of luck!

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L.B.

answers from St. Joseph on

Yes, you can definitely start late and worry or stress may add to it...in fact, just this month, I was off by 9 days. And as for the pregnancy tests, rarely do they give false positives any more...the ones you buy over the counter are the exact same type (dip method) they use in Dr. offices.

I am in the same boat as you with the weight and 3rd child...all I can say, is keep some kind of birth control or just abstain until your ready. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.G.

answers from St. Louis on

Your body is used to the pill and it may take it time to find its own natural cycle, dont worry too much. Although you did say you were not using birth control, I am assuming that you are using some kind of protection. If you are not using some kind of protection then your fears may well be justified. Going off of the pill makes you vulnerable to getting pregnant. So if you are not using a condem or another method then you may want to make sure you are not pregnant. If you are not then I would suggest using one until you are ready to start trying again.

As far as regularity goes, I have never been regular in my life. My periods were any where from 2weeks to 2months apart and everything in betwee. If you find out you are irregular, enjoy the long spaces between and try not to fret too much.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.B.

answers from Kansas City on

u can start very late just b/c of stress. They reccomend waiting until you have missed two cycles before a preganancy test is very accurate but the early tests can tell you about 2weeks after you should have started. Within 4-5 days a hospital isn't even likely to be able to tell you... the hormone that makes a positive has not accumulated enough yet

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F.E.

answers from Kansas City on

I recently found out that I am pregnant. I took a home test when I was 4 days late with my period and it said negative. Then I took another test when I was 8 days late and it said positive! You may just want to wait another day or two and take another test...

Marie E

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S.H.

answers from St. Louis on

anything can happen...you could be late, you can even skip a period....without rhyme or reason. If this happens more than once, then please do consult your doctor. Sometimes the answer is medical, sometimes it's emotional stress... which the holidays will do to lots of us!

As for pregnancy tests, my results were different with each pregnancy (4)...with one of my pregnancies ending up with negatives at home & requiring a lab test to prove positive at 7 weeks. So, again, anything can happen!

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J.H.

answers from Wichita on

Hi S.,

If you are really concerned, I would go to the doctor's for a blood test, not the urine test.

The urine tests for I believe Lh hormone, someone correct me if I am not remembering correctly. If the Lh hormone is low it will not indicate a pregnancy. You need a higher reading to complete a pregnancy.

I too went through were I didn't have a period for three months almost four. I had several of the signs of being pregnant but the tests always came back negative. I went to the doctor, did the urine test, came back negative. He then sent me home. Soon after I had the WORST cycle ever with extreme bleeding. My signs of beeing pregnant also left.

I did my own research. Comes to find out if you don't have enough of this certain hormone not only will your pregnancy test come back negative but you will also have a miscarriage.

I have not had a period like that one time ever. Nor have I gone that long without cycling. So it is my belief that I in fact was pregnant, had low Lh hormone, and had a miscarriage. I sure wish I had a blood test done to confirm.

My advice, check with your doctor with a blood test to know for sure.

Best Wishes,

J. H

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G.C.

answers from Kansas City on

You have to wait at least one month before taking a pregnancy test and yes you still could be pregnant even if the home test shows up negative. You can start your period 4-5 days late I have. You can go to the health clinic in your neighborhood and get a pregnancy test done and it shouldnt cost hardly anything if anything at all.

Hope this is helpful

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A.B.

answers from St. Louis on

Stress can make your period late, among other things. I would wait another day or two and take another test, I don't think it is necessary for a blood test at this point if your late period is your only symptom of pregnancy.

Something I haven't seen mentioned yet is that there is no hard and fast rule that a woman's cycle HAS to be 28 days. It definitely varies from woman to woman and can change, especially after you have kids. For me personally, my shortest cycle since I went off the pill in May has been 59 days, my next cycle lasted 107 days, my current cycle is around 60 days now...I'm definitely not pregnant.

If you seriously want to avoid, you may want to consider getting a basal body thermometer and looking into charting so that way you can keep track of when you ovulate...I highly highly recommend the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" for people both trying to conceive and trying to avoid naturally.

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V.G.

answers from St. Louis on

If you have not done anything to get pregnant get a massage (not fom Hubby), pamper yourself and RELAX.

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E.K.

answers from Lawrence on

S.,
I will tell you I had a similar experience. I was also a few days late with my period when I was trying to get pregnant. I took several tests, even had a blood test done, all negative. In the end I wasn't pregnant but ended up starting my period about 6 days late. But if you still feel like you have the wrong results, I would say call your OB or even your GP.
Hope you get an answer soon!
E.

D.H.

answers from Kansas City on

Could be you are not ovulating. I went thru that where I wasn't ovulating and had to be given hormones to get my body to start back up. If you don't start in the next two weeks, take another pregnancy test and if it is still negative, call your doctor. Good luck and God Bless.

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R.H.

answers from Kansas City on

It's very possible to start late. I know women who were over a week late for their periods and weren't pregnant. Or if you are pregnant, it may not be a false positive, but it could be that the hcg levels aren't high enough yet to register on a pregnancy test. I would say if you haven't started your period after being a week late, then test again. If the test is still negative, go see your Dr. for a blood test to confirm one way or the other

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M.M.

answers from St. Louis on

Some pregnancy tests are not accurate until one week past the missed period so you may want to double check the box, or retest after a week. My first pregnancy I got a negative result right after the missed pregancy but it was positive after a week.

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V.F.

answers from Topeka on

Everyone is different but my periods were always between 24 and 29 days so I never knew exactly when to expect them. I only used NFP so I usually knew if and when I was pregnant. Our 3 children were all planned.

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A.T.

answers from Terre Haute on

Yes, you can start your period later... stress can hold it back, a luteal phase can be longer then usual, or you could be PG, and you just haven't got enough hormone in your system to pick it up. I would wait a few more days, take another HPT, and then if no sign of either, call the dr to set up a blood PT. Once that is done, if you are not PG, you may want to make an appt to get things rolling again. Hope that helps.

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S.V.

answers from St. Louis on

You may have to wait a week or two to get a positive test. I took 7 (!) right when my period was due and they all came out negative, now I am 22 weeks pregnant. The tests will give a false negative, but almost never a false positive. Good luck!

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R.C.

answers from Wichita on

First off, I have always had a long cycle, and it varies some, so I have taken pg tests lots of times just to be sure. It wouldn't hurt to wait a couple more days and take another test, but most likely it will be negative too, and your period will start any day now. If I get worked up about it, it won't come until after the test, that's the one thing I can count on!

But there are 2 flags I saw in your post. First, you were on the pill. Second, you have a weight problem. Both of these can be related to/cause hormonal imbalances that in some cases most MDs might not even consider to be problems, but that you might benefit greatly from treating. I've been reading "What your doctor may not tell you about breast Cancer," and it has a really great rundown of the basics of women's hormones, as well as some discussion of the effects of synthetic hormones and other environmental factors on our hormonal balance. I'm starting to recommend it to every woman I know, regardless of their risk of breast cancer.

Last, if you do conceive while you're still heavy, may I recommend the Topeka Birth and Womens Center. I drove 80 miles to have a vbac there, and it was worth every drop of gas and every minute on the road to birth there instead of a hospital. They have a fabulous staff who are great at helping you to birth in the best possible way, without making you feel flawed or inadequate to birth your baby without medical intervention.

peace, R

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