Is It 2 Soon to Know If I'm Pregnant?

Hi K.,

I just went through the obession of the pregnancy tests. My last period was July 13 (I ovulated around July 28) and I did not show up positive until this past week on August 11. I tested several times before because I "just knew" I was pregnant. As the others have said, everyone's hormone levels are different. I will say the closer I got to my expected next period date and recieved a "not pregnant", the harder it was on me. While obsessed with pregnancy tests I found this website that shows you which tests measure the lowest hcg levels. http://www.peeonastick.com/ If you notice, the tests from Dollar Tree test at the same level as Clear Blue Easy Early Response...I used both of these tests. I ran out of the Dollar Tree tests before I finally had enough hcg to test positive so I really do not know if it is the same or better, but it is cheaper and was better for me to buy since I was obsessed with sometimes testing daily. Hope this helps. Good luck!!

Sorry, I just read your update so my response to your first question is below. To answer your second question-
No matter when you conceive during the month you will not have a period if you are pregnant. If you start your period then try again for the next month. I have the number to a great fertility counselor/midwife who would be happy to talk with you and explain things. If you want her info just ask me. I think she is also in the mama source business listings under Doulas (labor support) her name is Kim Watkins. I will also say that it is not unusual to have soem light spotting at the time of implantation. This can be confused with starting your period since it would occur at about the same time.
It takes 10 days from confirmed ovulation (not intercourse) for implantation to occur. Sperm can survive inside for up to 5 days waiting for an egg. For an example: When I conceived my son we had sex adn I did not ovulate until 4 days after intercourse. 10 days past ovulation I took a pregnancy test and got a positive result. This was 14 days after intercourse. If you know (via charting and your temperature)the soonest I would test is 10 DPO (days past ovulation). If you do not know I would wait and test 14 days after intercourse.
(If you are trying to conceive I would also continue to have sex everyother day until ovulation is confirmed or your cycle begins again...or you get a positive pregnancy test.)
If you test any sooner you risk getting a false negative result adn not really knowing for sure. You can however have a blood test done and this will show up a lot sooner than a home test.
As for your sore breasts it is not unusual at all for them to be sore this early because of your changing hormones if you are indeed pregnant. It is not a for sure sign that you are though.
My best advice would be to wait and not test to early...as hard as it is to wait! Good luck adn keep us posted!

Each cycle is different and the level of progesterone produced in your luteal phase can cause your boobs to hurt with or without you actually being pregnant.

A home pregnancy test will not normally show positive until after implantation which will occur between 6 to 14 days past ovulation. So your best bet is to wait until after you miss your period. I don't know if you chart, but they recommend you have 18 high temps past your temp rise to determine pregnancy. Still, it is different for everyone.

GL!

For me, I always waited until after I missed my period. Even a week after! That way, I'm not wasting money on a pregnancy test when I would have known if I had just waited. Also, the longer you wait, the more accurate it will be.

The absolute earliest you can take a pg test is 7 days past the day you ovulated because it takes 7-10 days for implantation to take place. Your body does not start making HCG until it has implanted. However, most pregnancy tests are not sensitive enough to detect this small amount of HCG. The most sensitive ones that are easy to get a hold of are actually the dollar store ones. Go to the Dollar Tree or whatever and get one there. It is still likely, however, that you will need more like 10-14 days past the day you ovulated...NOT the day you had sex. But the bonus about the dollar store ones is they are only a dollar, so you can test away. Make sure to use first morning urine.

No, it is not too early for your boobs to hurt because of pregnancy. That can happen any time.

Hi K.,

I think the soonest you can test is 5 days before your period is supposed to start. You need to purchase the test that states this however, each day you test before you period the accuracy decreases. So I think if you test 5 days before you are to start the test is about 50% accurate. I would like to suggest that you go to the dollar store since they sell pregnancy tests for a buck. then you can test often without the pricey tests. Everybody is different so it's just the amount of hormone that will show up on the test. Many people will test early and then their are others like me that might not get a positive untill several days after I was supposed to start. Also, I had never had sore boobs with my period until the month I conceived. I was wondering why I was having sore boobs. Although, again this is not always an indication of pregnancy, could just be a change in your hormones. I think another way of telling early is to look at your nipples and watch them. If they start to change colors that is also an early indicator of pregnancy. I hope I helped and didn't ramble on to much ;)

C.

My roomate took an at home pregnancy test between 2-3 wks pregnant. The first test was iffy but the rest came out pregnant and when they did the test at the doctor's it came back pregnant at about 3 wks. It might be a little too soon to tell. Give it a week or so and try then. Your breasts getting sore can be one of the first signs of pregnancy, especially if they've never been sore before but you never know. Good luck!:)

Everyone is different, but my daughter had barely missed her period last July when she knew she was pregnant because of tender breasts followed a day or two by nausea and morning sickness.

Home pregnancy tests are very sensitive these days. False negatives are much more common than false positives, so if you get a negative, check again in a week. Of course, you can always go to Planned Parenthood or your doctor and get a more reliable test, but the home tests are pretty reliable.

My older daughter is 28, and back when I was pregnant with her, the doctor told me to take a home test because they were so reliable even back then. It also gave my husband and I a special moment to share. In those days, you had to wait a couple of hours for the results, so I did my part, and he called me at work to tell me the results. Then I went around the office and told everyone who would listen. Very special time.

Waiting 10 days past ovulation has always worked for me. As stated before implantation has to occur before you can have a positive. The sooner you test the more likely you are to false negative.

Take a first response pregnancy test that's what I did and he will be a year old september 9th

I know it's hard to wait when you want to know so bad, but I would. You don't want to take a test now and it say not pregnant when in fact you are because you don't have enough of the pregnancy horomone yet that the test is looking for. I would go ahead and get a first response pregnancy test and follow those directions. I think you can test up to 7 days before your missed period. Even then the test will warn you that it is not as effective the earlier you take it. Better to wait I think. I believe the absolute earliest you can find out is around 4 weeks from your last period. Good luck!

K.,
It is still possible that you could be pregnant, but I think the key words were sore boobs on and off... I rarely get sore boobs either, but the only times I have had CONSISTENT sore boobs, I was pregnant, other "on and off" is hormone fluctuations. Best of luck though, if your period is late, test again!

I lived and breathed conceiving for 2 1/2 years so I know where you're coming from. I worked 8 hours TOTAL every week for my husband and the rest of the time I stayed at home and chatted on 'Trying to Concieve' boards and did research and had doctor's appts. Being anxious and nervous does nothing to help this situation - actually stress can hinder your health in some ways. Try to step back and take a deep breath. The absolute best thing to do is wait until Aug 18th or even later to test. Try very hard to involve yourself in other activities and events to take your mind off this. Good luck!

I was in your shoes. While researching everything related to conception and pregnancy, I found a WONDERFUL resource: a book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. It is available online and at every bookstore, so I'm sure you can find it at your local library, as well. Pregnancy tests are designed to react to a hormone (hcg) that is produced by a placenta, which does not form until implantation has occurred (7-10 days after ovulation). It's been a long time since I've read the book, but I seem to remember the only reasons for false positives are (1) if you are taking a fertility drug that includes hcg (your doctor would tell you) or (2) if you have a molar pregnancy (a "rare" condition where the body "thinks" it is pregnant, but no embryo was formed...your doctor can tell with a sonogram, or will suspect if no embryonic heartbeat can be found around 8-12 weeks). Far more common is the false negative, where there is not enough hcg excreted in the urine to trigger a "positive" result with the test. The reason for the suggestions to use "first morning urine" is because that is generally when the urine is most concentrated (theoretically it is the longest interval of time you go without urinating). As the pregnancy progresses and hcg levels increase, you can have a positive result at any time of day!

My advice to you, therefore, is to get informed (I wonder why TCYF isn't required reading for every female!), and buy pregnancy tests based on your personal finances, patience level and emotional needs! You have to weigh your own desire to know against how it may affect you to have a false negative reading, and whether or not you can afford $1/test to satisfy your curiosity! I had several false negatives when I was pregnant with my first and an immediate positive with the second pregnancy. If you do not have a period and continue to suspect pregnancy, do see your doctor. Some people can carry a pregnancy to term and never get a positive test result from a urine test (the doctor's office can perform a blood test, which is more accurate...but also more invasive and expensive, so not the first choice of action!)

If you are not pregnant this month, I highly recommend reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility and beginning to chart your basal temperature (sounds scary, but it just means that you'll take your temperature first thing when you wake up every morning with a thermometer that is capable of giving you a reading to at least a tenth of a degree). Your temperature will tell you a lot about when (and if) you are ovulating, and is sometimes the first confirmation of a pregnancy (with my first, my temperature readings indicated pregnancy days before I had a positive urine test). Unfortunately you have to know your personal "normal" temperature upon waking before you can compare your current temp, so unless you've been charting your temp, you'll have to wait for your next cycle to be able to use it as an indicator (you can begin taking your temperature now, it just won't tell you if you're already pregnant...but there is no harm in doing it).

All the best to you!

you might still be preggers, just keep testing if you'd like (be sure to use first-morning-urine) all the way until you either get a + or start your period. dollar tree tests are awesome!! (i had a dollar tree test + at 9 days past ovulation, but my husband didn't really see it well until about 11 or 12 days past ovulation.)
HTH!