Could I be pregnant?

[ledove.livejournal.com]

I know there are ladies that ask this all the time, so bear with me...

My periods/cycles are strange, and I had two last month (I usually only have one), and I can't remember when the last one started so I have no idea when I may have been ovulating, or when I should expect my period, or when to know if and when I am late.

I have been having strange symptoms lately that I don't usually have, for example:  frequent headaches, bloating all of the time, increased hunger and/or loss of appetite, and fatigue constantly, no matter how much sleep I get. 

I'm not on HBC.  We use condoms sometimes, most of the time we use withdrawal, which we've used for a long, long time.

To add to my paranoia, my grandma told me on Saturday that she thinks I am going to be pregnant before my aunt gives birth (I think my aunt is like, 4 or 5 months along), and that she is "never wrong."  The thing is, she's really not... she's "predicted" more than a few of my aunt's and uncle's recent pregnancies/children.  I haven't been able to stop thinking about that since Saturday.

I had been feeling all of these symptoms before she told me that, so I know it's not all in my head.  Can anyone give me some insight?  I usually start my period around the 7th of the month, but like I said I had two last month so I don't know what's going on with my cycle, or if it will come as usual on the 7th.  Should I wait until then to take a test?  Should I test before then?

Thanks in advance...

 

Comments

[nova-lies.livejournal.com]

If your symptoms are from pregnancy then you are probably pregnant enough for it to show up on a test.

I'm not saying that if you take a test and it's negative it means that you aren't pregnant, but it would probably mean that your symptoms are not from being pregnant, which might put your mind at ease some. Usually the symptoms show up around the time or after the time a test will pick up on the hormone.

If it were me I would probably take a test now and then (if it was negative) take another in a few weeks if my period didn't show up before then.

[ledove.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[gabardinedreams.livejournal.com]

hopefully someone more educated than me can give you real advice.. I'm really only good enough to tell you that I've had scares in the past that turned out to be nothing, and it could be anything to mess up your cycle. as for concrete facts about early pregnancy and if the symptoms could be related to pregnancy, and if they are would you have enough hormone present to show up on a test.. not so sure haha.

good luck though!!

[gabardinedreams.livejournal.com]

oh, well there's that post i was dreaming about above mine.

:)

[ledove.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've had scares before, too. I'm just not sure about when to test with such a weird cycle. I appreciate your input, though, thanks! :)

[ldy-shadow.livejournal.com]

The general rule of thumb is 14 days past the sex in question, fwiw.

Good luck.

[ledove.livejournal.com]

Do you mean test 14 days after? Thank you, I know this now for future reference.

[ldy-shadow.livejournal.com]

Yes, sorry.. testing is usually accurate 14 days after the sex in question. Sorry, I was in a hurry. :)

[ledove.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[echoli.livejournal.com]

I'd suggest you take a test, if you're in the US there are tests from dollar stores (I think Dollar Tree specifically) that can be accurate.

[adrenaline3426.livejournal.com]

yes yes yes, you should test just in case, even if it's nothing. any number of reasons can contribute to your irregular period. stress, anxiety, too much adrenaline. even being around your lady friends with different times of the month, it's totally eerie how your cycle can start and end around the same time as your friends if you're around them enough.

if you feel any breast tenderness or the part below your belly button getting hard, or if it feels uncomfortable to lay on your stomach, those could all be major symptoms of pregnancy.

[onepant.livejournal.com]

um, this doesn't help, but i've been having pretty much the exact same symptoms lately. though i am on hbc, but i don't know. maybe it's something in the water? anyway i'll probably end up getting a test too at some point for my own peace of mind. good luck with yours... whatever you want the outcome to be!

[archangelbeth]

If you're running a degree of "fever" and have been for a while, then even if the pregnancy test is nay, I would strongly suggest going to a doctor and either getting a blood test or an ultrasound. Apparently pregnant women "run hot" like that. (I had decidual bleeding which fooled me (it was light and spotty, but I'd had light and spotty periods that year), and what sent me to the doctor was persistent nausea and "fever." Ultrasound picked up a heartbeat. In my case, that was mega-cool, 'cause we'd deliberately ditched all forms of contraception at the beginning of that year.)

As others have said, pregnancy tests start being reasonably accurate around 14 days after the sex in question. If you've got symptoms, then you'd probably have enough hormone to be positive. (I had a positive pregnancy test... and decidual bleeding... and nausea... and "fever"... and a lot of confusion 'cause I didn't realize that I have family history of decidual bleeding!)

Good luck!

[ledove.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know my mom had bleeding which fooled her. I haven't noticed a fever, but it's something i'll watch for. I remembered yesterday that I started a period on September 7, so I think I am going to wait to see if I miss my period before I test.