Ask a doctor on the topic of Gynecology

possible pregnancy

June 15, 2011 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Uni-Arzt Freddy Feuerstein

Hello :-) I have many signs of pregnancy but I am totally unsure because my pregnancy test was negative today. In October 2010, I stopped taking the pill in order to have a baby. From 11.4.-15.4.11 I had my period as usual, 3 days very heavy and then it became weaker. My period should have come back on 8.5.11, but I already thought I was pregnant because I felt constantly nauseous. I then went to see my gynecologist on 12.5. She told me she couldn't see anything yet and gave me an appointment for a week later on 19.5.11. My nausea subsided and on 14.5. I had a short period of 3 days which was not heavy. I then only felt tired and exhausted. On 19.5 my gynecologist performed another examination and still couldn't see anything. She took blood to check if I was pregnant. The result was negative. My new cycle started on 14.5.11 (1st day) and on the 13th day I had intercourse and on the 14th day I ovulated. I don't know if it was just my imagination, but that evening my breasts suddenly felt very tight and my nipples were so sensitive for over a week that it was unbearable. I also had cramping and pressure in my lower abdomen and it sometimes felt tight and uncomfortable. Back pain, slight nausea, and I have become very sensitive to smells. On the 26th day of my cycle, I had a small amount of dark red blood on the toilet paper in the morning, and then no more. On the 27th day, it happened again and now I am starting to worry. On the 28th day, my period came but again only very little and very weak for 3 days. I am now totally confused, am I pregnant or not??? The nausea and cramping in the lower abdomen are still there, only the nipples are not as sensitive anymore. The test this morning showed negative!! Now I need your opinion on this. I have never experienced any of this in my 1st pregnancy, when I was 25 years old (daughter born in March 2000). By the way, I am now 36 years old. Thank you in advance for your efforts. Best regards

Uni-Arzt Freddy Feuerstein

Dear questioner,
a negative pregnancy test means, if correctly performed, that you are 99% not pregnant.
Therefore, it can be assumed that you are not pregnant. A repeat test can then confirm this for you, as well as a blood test, which your gynecologist will not even perform in this case. The pregnancy hormone HCG can usually be detected 6-8 days after conception, since you are now well over the 12th day, which is considered the window for most pregnancy tests. Furthermore, you had a bleeding.
As you know, in the early stages of pregnancy, minor spotting can also occur, so a small bleeding is not a sure sign that you are "not" pregnant.
The symptoms you described may indicate a pregnancy, but they can also occur as accompanying symptoms within the regular cycle. It may be that you perceive them more strongly due to your desire to have children.
It can also take up to a year, especially after long-term contraception with the pill, for a "correct" regular cycle to establish itself again.
How do you determine your ovulation? (Temperature method?) Is there perhaps an inaccuracy here? Is your cycle regular?
At 36 years old, you are still very young, and since you have already carried a child, the chances are very high that it will happen again soon, of course assuming that your husband is fertile.
I believe that despite all the symptoms, there is NO pregnancy. Your psyche and your desire may be playing tricks on you and making you experience your cycle-dependent hormonally induced body changes more intensely.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.

Sincerely,

T.C. Müller