The “am I pregnant?” question comes up very frequently in the “getting pregnant” forums and there are typically two different scenarios in which this question occurs. Today, I would like to address both scenarios and the reasons why no one can answer this question for you online. Both answers are very similar, but the way the answers come across on the internet can be a little harsh and I will explain why.
Scenario 1:
“I had unprotected sex with my you fill in the blank two weeks ago and I feel nauseous and my boobs are sore, am I pregnant? We weren’t trying or anything. I just feel like I might be.”
This is a pretty typical scenario that is usually followed by a lot of snarky responses. Rather than telling you to pee on your keyboard so I can detect the levels of hCG in your urine over the computer, I will give you two reasons as to why you will not be able to get a clear answer to the “am I pregnant” question on the internet.
Reason One
The plain and simple truth is that only a pregnancy test performed at home or at a doctor’s office is the only way to know if you are pregnant. Pregnancy symptoms alone cannot determine whether or not you are pregnant. If you feel that you are experiencing pregnancy symptoms, a sensitive home pregnancy test should be positive at this point. This is because increased levels of hCG is what causes you to feel ill during early pregnancy.
Reason Two
Unfortunately, early pregnancy symptoms mimic pms so it can be very hard to determine which types of symptoms you are actually experiencing. Increasing levels of progesterone that occur during your cycle are to blame for sore breasts. If you aren’t pregnant, progesterone levels will drop, the tender breasts should go away, and you will start your period (assuming you have regular cycles).
Reason For Snark
If you posted this question and received a lot of snark, it is likely because most of the women on pregnancy boards are actually trying to have a baby and have been experiencing a difficult go at it due to infertility issues or just not knowing enough about their bodys’. So for someone to say that “they aren’t really trying to get pregnant” on a “trying to conceive” or “getting pregnant” forum is offensive to those that have been struggling to fall pregnant for months or years.
Scenario 2:
“I have been using an app to track ovulation and having sex every other day during my fertile period, but I got a negative pregnancy test. My period is a day late! Am I pregnant or could I be pregnant?”
In this situation there are a couple of different possibilities of what could have happened during this cycle.
First Possibility
Using an app on your phone or computer cannot predict nor confirm ovulation for you no matter how many times it says you are going to get your period and it shows up. It is only guessing based on your cycle length. It is also assuming that you ovulate right in the middle of your cycle. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for every woman. So it is quite possible that you ovulated later than you expected or not at all.
Second Possibility
If ovulation occurred later than you expected, it would make your period late. Also, if you did catch the egg during this cycle, keep in mind implantation can take anywhere from 6 to 12 days. So there is a possibility that you could be pregnant this cycle. However, there is a possibility that you can be experiencing a weird or anovulatory cycle. Only time will tell. In this case, I would recommend waiting until your period is a week late before testing again.
Ha! Who am I kidding? I would be testing every single day until my period shows up. If your period is typically regular and becomes irregular on several different occasions, you should definitely contact your doctor. If your period doesn’t come for more than 60 days and you are getting negative pregnancy tests, it would be a good idea to reach out to your physician to see what is going on.
Reason For Snark
If you have experienced snarky responses in the second scenario, it is likely because you said you were using an app on your phone to track your ovulation. I am not going to lie, before understanding my body and learning about my cycle, I used apps to let me know when I was ovulating. Now that I think about it, it sounds really silly.
How would a phone app or computer be able to tell me what is going on with my body with just the dates of my last two or three menstrual cycles? It can’t! It can only give you a guesstimate! To learn more about your body or trying to conceive click here.
We always love hearing from our readers so feel free to leave any questions or comments down below. Good luck and baby dust!
Hi, what would you recommend to track ovulation cycles? I hate to say it but I know people using the app!
Thanks
Hello! I would recommend basal body temperature charting or using ovulation predictor kits. BBT charting can only confirm that you ovulated so it will not predict it ahead of time. However, if you are using an OPK with it, the OPK will let you know that you are about to ovulate.
I know a lot of women use the apps, but they just aren’t reliable. How could they be? They can’t detect the hormones in urine. So it just doesn’t make sense to rely on something that doesn’t know your body.
Hi Tiffany, those signs and symptoms are really good to know about. We may be trying to get pregnant this year, so I appreciate the advice!
Thank you for stopping by. Yes, just pay attention to your body signs. You might what to check out my article on conceiving to help you along the way should you have any questions! I wish you the best of luck on your journey and let me know if I can be of any assistance!
Take care
Very helpful for young couple to understand “am I pregnant?” question. It is good to use different gadget to track pregnant issues, but every one has their specific circumstances. While using classic or modern tools, it is important to remember that the symptoms and signs of pregnancy you have are critical to make decision. Thanks for the good advice.
Thank you for stopping by. My suggestion is to really understand your body and not rely on a gadget that cannot detect hormone levels. It is surprising how many people do this, but I guess we live in a time that we rely on our electronics. Unfortunately, they aren’t reliable when it comes to ovulation.
That is an interesting post addressing simple not-so-simple things. I remember when we were trying to conceive, we were checking on all kinds of sings as well to find out if my wife was pregnant or not. The 2 weeks until you find out if yes or no are sometimes a long, long way. And you especially when you have been trying to conceive, you are looking for anything to confirm.
Yet your article makes it so clear (and I know that very well) that internet nor any kind of apps can confirm pregnancy. Yet we rely on it.
Thanks for sharing this interesting article. I love the way you took the time to give an explanation explicitly of something that we all should know but just disregard.
Oscar
Oscar,
The two week wait is the absolute worse wait EVER! At that point, every twinge you get or sneeze that occurs you are thinking “am I pregnant?” Congratulations on your child or children though! Thank you for reading!
I think it’s fundamentally unfair that early pregnancy symptoms and PMS symptoms are so similar. It makes the whole tracking and early clarity processes so challenging. On the other hand, I have no idea how the women who “didn’t know they were pregnant” get all the way to term without knowing. Crazy!
It is very unfair how close the symptoms are and it drives women crazy when they are desperately trying to get pregnant. I don’t know how anyone can go so long and not know they are pregnant. I would hate to wake up tomorrow in labor and unprepared! Thank you for stopping by!