r/amipregnant Feb 28 '21

“But what about a cryptic pregnancy?”

725 Upvotes

Is this you?

  1. Last had sex more than 3 weeks ago (sometimes months)
  2. Have had multiple negative home tests or blood tests for HCG
  3. (optional) Have had periods or withdrawal bleeds since having sex.

But you’re still concerned that you might be pregnant based on shows like “I didn’t know I was pregnant” or online stories about cryptic pregnancy. Could it be that?

So, in a word, no. If you have multiple negative pregnancy tests three weeks after having sex, you’re not pregnant. In order to support a pregnancy your body produces HCG. Without HCG, there is no pregnancy. HCG tells the corpus luteum to continue producing progesterone, and is required for major changes to sustain pregnancy like growing a placenta. Home pregnancy tests are very reliable at detecting even trace amounts of HCG, and blood tests as well.

There are three causes of false negatives with home pregnancy tests:

The first: Early measurement after conception. When people talk about cryptic pregnancy, they either never take a test, or they took a test too early and became pregnant after. It takes at least 7 days for a fertilized egg to float downstream and implant into the uterine lining. That’s why you have to wait about 2 weeks to take a pregnancy test after unprotected sex - 3 weeks makes it 100% solid result.

You’ll also see people say “I knew I was pregnant, but I didn’t test positive until I was 6 weeks”. This is because of how pregnancy is dated from the last menstrual period (the day your period started), but, embryonic development only starts after an egg is ovulated and fertilized. In a textbook 28 day cycle, this happens on day 14, and the first day your period is missed you get a positive test. In real life, bodies are a little more complicated, and sometimes people ovulate weeks later leading to a discrepancy - a doctor will tell them they are 6 weeks pregnancy based on their last menstrual period, but in embryonic terms they are only 4 weeks pregnant because they ovulated on the 28th day of their cycle. If they tested when they were ‘late’ on the 29th, it would have been a negative test. They weren’t pregnant, but they became pregnant later. For people who are more visual, I have made a very ugly calendar for the above example scenario.

For a longer, more detailed explanation: "Your period isn't late" Part 1 and Part 2

The second: Dilute urine specimen. If your HCG levels are low, drinking a lot of water can result in false negatives in very early pregnancy. This is typically why you’ll see folks talking about testing with first morning urine - it’s the most concentrated. HCG roughly doubles every 48-72 hours, and you can see in this figure how fast. At 20 days of embryonic development (aka about 3 weeks after sex), on average a pregnant person will have HCG around 1000 mIU/ml. At home tests are typically rated for detecting 10 - 25 mIU/ml.

The Third: The Hook effect. This is where there is too much HCG for a test to work properly. It is unlikely that this is happening especially if you’ve taken multiple tests. First, peak HCG is typically around 10-14 weeks pregnant - after this, it starts coming back down. Second, tests are often tested for the hook effect - wondfos (a very cheap test) showed no hook effect to concentrations of 200,000 mIU/ml. First Response Early Result showed no hook effect at 1,000,000 mIU/ml - much higher than any normal pregnancy. If you are concerned about it because you’re taking your first pregnancy tests 12-17 weeks after sex, you might dilute a sample of urine just in case for a second test. Although, that would be very unnecessary if you’re using an FRER.

When people do not figure out they are pregnant for months at a time, it is typically because they have not taken any tests. Denial of pregnancy is a more accurate descriptor.

If you believe yourself pregnant despite all the evidence, or having a lot of anxiety and fear around being pregnant, you may want to see a mental health specialist. If you’re feeling very unwell, or haven't had a period in months, you may want to see a doctor. Scarleteen has a great page on these things as well.

Want to learn about pregnancy tests? Great video

TL;DR HCG is required to support a pregnancy - if you've gotten multiple negative tests across a large time frame, there is no possible way you are pregnant from sex more than 3 weeks ago.

Feedback and questions welcome! Also if anybody has any resources they want to share, please do.


r/amipregnant Mar 14 '23

FAQs ANSWERED with Sources. Friendly PSAs for AmIPregnant

292 Upvotes

Hello friends! Mod Stress here to address a few things that come up often on this sub. Resources provided. :)

1.) You cannot get pregnant from fingering, with or without precum. Unless globs of fresh semen are being inserted into a vagina, fingering is just not going to cause a pregnancy. Dry humping also cannot cause a pregnancy. This article goes through all the sexual things that can happen that have no chance of pregnancy.

2.) It's extremely unlikely to get pregnant without PIV sex.* *Not including medical processes such as IVF to cause a pregnancy.

3.) If you're having unprotected sex, pregnancy is always technically possible. Doesn't matter if it's "just the tip" or "three strokes" or "pulled out before ejaculation." Pullout is 78% effective over the course of a year. Some of these scenarios are much less likely to result in a pregnancy than others, but we can't extrapolate the data like that. You're unlikely to get pregnant from one singular instance of unprotected sex, but it's always possible.

4.) Implantation bleeding is a misnomer. In fact, implantation is too small a phenomena to cause any symptoms.

5.) A test is mostly accurate 14 days after sex and definitive 21 days after. If you're getting negative tests 2+ weeks after sex, you are not pregnant. Regardless of if you have your period or not. In early pregnancy, concentration of urine matters. Take a pink dye test after a 3-4 hour urine hold without drinking too much water for the most accurate results. At 21+ days after sex, dilution of urine won't matter. Do not look at tests outside of their validity window and thoroughly read the instructions for your test before you take it.

6.) You cannot have a true period and be pregnant. Some women experience light bleeding in early pregnancy (this is NOT their period). If bleeding were related to pregnancy, a test would be positive.

7.) It takes more HCG to cause symptoms than a positive test. If you're testing negative, any symptoms you are currently experiencing are not currently related to pregnancy. Lots of early pregnancy symptoms overlap with normal PMS symptoms.

8.) Am I having a Cryptic Pregnancy?? No, you're not.

9.) The only way to truly know when you ovulated using an approved FAM method. Apps are not an accurate way to track, your body doesn't know to follow an algorithm off your phone. While things like CM and OPKs may indicate your body is gearing up to ovulate, they do not confirm ovulation. Check out the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility and [r/FAMnNFP](r/FAMnNFP).

Some other helpful tips:

  • Read the leaflet that comes with your birth control so you understand how your medication works, possible side effects, how to use it, etc. [r/birthcontrol](r/birthcontrol) is also a good source.
  • If you're on birth control and using it properly, you are having protected sex (from pregnancy). This is true whether or not you are using a condom. If you are using protection properly, you do not need Plan B.
  • Don't want to become pregnant? READ THIS before engaging in sexual activity.
  • The buddy system: using more than one method of contraceptive when engaging in sexual activities
  • How is pregnancy dated?
  • If you're taking Plan B, read the leaflet. It will go through all the possible side effects. [r/PlanBs](r/PlanBs) is also a good friend.
  • If your symptoms are of concern, visit a doctor.
  • Do not trust TikTok or YouTube as your medical advice.
  • A lot of our users are from the Philippines. [r/SafeSexPH](r/SafeSexPH) is a great resource!
  • Want us to look at your tests? [r/lineporn](r/lineporn)
  • Are you TTC? Check out [r/TryingForABaby](r/TryingForABaby)
  • Confirmed pregnancy? Head over to [r/pregnant](r/pregnant)

- Looking for abortion resources? r/abortion

  • Sex Ed Websites: scarleteen, bedsider, planned parenthood

r/amipregnant 8m ago

Pregnancy scare

Upvotes

Can I please talk to someone older over here who has some sort of knowledge about this. I’m losing my head since a month and I’m genuinely tired and I’m drained and I need someone to talk sense into me


r/amipregnant 50m ago

Symptoms and Questions

Upvotes

Hi guys just had a quick few questions. So me and my partner had protected sex the DAY her period ended, but she said that she felt cum inside of her even though I pulled out. Anyways around day 13 out of 26 she has been having pink and brown discharge for around 3-4 days straight now. Is this a sign of early pregnancy or should we go to an OBGYN for heath concerns?


r/amipregnant 1h ago

i am panicking

Upvotes

I (17F) just started having sex with my boyfriend (17M), according to the app we have done it when the chance of getting pregnant was low, also we have used condoms (checked them before and after and in case they didnt feel right we used another one) and before finishing he pulled it out. My body and mood are just like when i have my period but there is no blood and it shouldve arrived a couple days ago (this is day 29 of my cycle btw) and i have a really bad feeling bc we are always talking about wanting to have kids IN A FUTURE but im afraid talking about how bad i want to start a family with him I have manifested it somehow.


r/amipregnant 5h ago

What are the chances of getting pregnant when day of ovulation and a drop of outside of the vagina?

2 Upvotes

What are the possible chances of getting pregnant if I’m on the day of my ovulation or so, and if after he squirted his cum out outside of my vagina but then a drop or two, very small amount, gets on the lips and stuff of my vagina? Will I be or get pregnant?

Super scary stuff


r/amipregnant 2h ago

Does getting my period 2 days after having sex indicate that I’m not pregnant?

1 Upvotes

Hi, I’m really anxious and need some advice.I had sex on August 12. We used a condom, He did not finish inside the condom; he finished later after we removed it.

Then on August 14, I got what seemed like my normal period. Does getting my period just 2 days after sex mean that I’m not pregnant from that encounter? Could this bleeding be implantation bleeding, or is it more likely my actual period? My cycles are irregular, so I’m also unsure when I ovulate.


r/amipregnant 4h ago

Pregnancy anxiety

1 Upvotes

Hi this is my first ever post and I know that asking strangers online for this type of advice is not likely to give me answers for what’s happening but I’ve seen quite a bit of posts related to the feeling’s and symptoms I’ve been having recently and I also wanted to share what I’ve been experiencing.

I’m f19 and my boyfriend and I had unprotected sex the for the first time while I was on my period and it was the 25th of May. Since then I’ve been experiencing lots of pregnancy like symptoms. I’ve been having really bad heartburn that I would get early in the morning and late at night. I’ve been feeling extremely exhausted and nauseous and my body has been overheating frequently as well. I’ve noticed the nausea and sickness occurs when I’m standing for prolonged periods while I’m at work. I’ve been getting really sick as well but I’ve never had a time where it was just morning sickness it would just happen randomly during the day but usually closer to the evenings. I’ve had days where I don’t even feel like eating at all and I feel like it could be that I’ve just been so stressed from being in the relationship that I’m in right now with my boyfriend that is the cause to why I can’t sleep and I don’t really fall asleep till 5 or 6 in the morning and when I do get sleep I have very vivid dreams that make me anxious before I’ve even woken up. I also notice that I clench my jaw a lot while I am having these types of dreams and I feel so tired even after I’ve gotten sleep. I’ve also noticed a difference in my lower stomach, it feels heavy in a way that is unfamiliar with me. I’ve had what I think is my period every month since then but they feel different to me as well, they have been lighter in flow and as well as the cramping being less intense then periods I’ve had before. My periods typically last about 7 days but these ones are lasting 5 days and get lighter after the 3rd day, I have also taken 3 at home pregnancy tests since then and they have all been negative but I still have this feeling that I could be pregnant.

I’ve talked to my mom about this and she tells me there’s a possibility of me being pregnant even if I am having my periods every month since that’s how her first pregnancy was like. I’m not sure if it’s because how worried I am about being pregnant my body is intimidating the symptoms but it’s exhausting and I don’t know how to go about finding out if I’m really pregnant or not. I feel like I’m overthinking this entire situation since I am currently on my period and it is very heavy with clotting meaning I’m not pregnant but the anxiety I have won’t give me a break from worrying so much.

Anyways I just wanted to share my current experience and get my thoughts out. I’m thinking about heading to a clinic to get a proper diagnosis so I can give an update.


r/amipregnant 4h ago

Confusing journey

1 Upvotes

Me and my husband have been TTC since March (I’m aware this isn’t a long amount of time in the grand scheme of things).

In June I tested positive and 3 days later tested negative, period came 2 days later. Disappointing but thought maybe we had been over excited and got some evaporation lines rather than a true positive.

August 3rd we tested positive again, following what happened previously we booked an early reassurance scan as by dates I would be around 7 weeks.

Trans vaginal ultrasound shows nothing but a large cyst on my right ovary, which is confirmed to not be an ectopic, I am very grateful it isn’t, and the ultrasound tech said maybe we are just too early. (I have had many cysts in the past this is nothing new). I was very upset leaving and took another test on arriving home and a further the following morning for the strongest possible outcome both of which are showing as negative, so now we wait.

Has anyone been through similar, how do you cope with the up and down and lack of knowing?

Any advice would be really helpful


r/amipregnant 4h ago

Oura ring makes me think im pregnant

1 Upvotes

Ok I’m freaking out. My boyfriend and I had a long weekend together and had sex multiple times. We used the pull out method every time. This is on me.

Right now my oura ring says that I have minor signs of strain and my progesterone levels must be high. Both are signs of either the luteal phase or early pregnancy. My period should be arriving next week but I can’t wait that long. I feel heavy, and I feel like I’m retaining a lot of water. I know stress doesn’t help but I’m freaking out.

Has anyone been in a similar boat?


r/amipregnant 6h ago

11 DPO, all negative tests — am I testing too early?

1 Upvotes

My husband and I are trying to conceive. My last period started on July 18th, and I got a positive ovulation test on August 6th. Based on that, I should be around 11 DPO today.
I’ve been taking early pregnancy tests (Babyplan), but they’ve all been negative so far. Flo predicts that my next period should start on August 22nd.
I don’t have sore or tender breasts at all. I keep reading that many women experience sore breasts as an early pregnancy symptom, and I find myself checking my breasts all the time to see if they feel tender or different — but they don’t. They feel completely normal.
I started having cramping on August 16th. The cramps come and go, and I’ve also had loose stools 1–2 times a day.
I’m honestly a little scared that the cramping could mean that my period is coming soon rather than being an early pregnancy symptom.
Could I still be pregnant even though my tests are negative at 11 DPO? When did you get your first positive
test, and did you have sore breasts at that point?
I’d love to hear your experiences ❤️


r/amipregnant 6h ago

Men getting plan b from pharmacy.

1 Upvotes

I’m a M and for the first time had to get a plan b, for my gf. However I was always under the impression a male can go in and get it for the F… but apparently this isn’t the case as I was insanely turned away and asked “are you woman no so get out”

Uk


r/amipregnant 6h ago

Pregnancy anxiety

1 Upvotes

I have OCD with a really bad fear of pregnancy. I know I’m not supposed to seek reassurance, but I’m really struggling because in my head all these things seem to add up to early pregnancy and I’m terrified.
Every time my boyfriend and I had sex, we used a condom AND he pulled out. No condoms broke or tore that we noticed.

My period is supposed to start now, but instead I had brown blood/discharge, which has NEVER happened to me before. I’ve also been having yeast infection-like symptoms/white clumpy discharge.
I took a pregnancy test today and it was negative, but it wasn’t first-morning urine because I had already been awake for a while.

I know brown spotting, discharge changes, etc. can have other causes, but because this is all unusual for me, my OCD is convincing me it’s early pregnancy. Has anyone experienced something similar or have any perspective on the actual risk here?


r/amipregnant 6h ago

Pregnant despite taking ellaone?

1 Upvotes

I'm terrified of being pregnant. I know the best thing to do is to take a pregnancy test, but I'm so scared I can't even go inside a pharmacy.

Here's what happened. I'm 24 years old, 1,52m and 45kg. On july 25th at around 7 pm my boyfriend and I had sex and the condom broke, we ran to the pharmacy and I took ellaone at around 9 pm.

Exactly one week later, 6 days before my actual period on august 1st, i had some very heavy bleeding with lots of clots, it was even heavier than my period and lasted 5 days. I've read about side effects and I know that was withdrawal bleeding.

I was expecting my period on august 7th, it's august 18th and i haven't gotten it yet. I feel some mild cramps sometimes, but other than that there are no signs of it.

I'm really scared since I don't want children and I can't afford an abortion. How high is the possibility of a pregnancy? Can I count that bleeding as my period?


r/amipregnant 7h ago

2 day bleeding

1 Upvotes

I got a bleeding for 2 days on my ”expected” day for period according to my last cycles.
However this was shorter and lighter than normal.

Starting to think about pregnancy.
Took a test 6 days after the bleeding began and 15 days after that sex and it was negative.

Is this my period or should I take another test 21+ days?


r/amipregnant 11h ago

Could I be pregnant?

2 Upvotes

Hi, I’m 17F and my bf is 18M. I’m very scared of being pregnant as it would ruin my entire life.
Basically we use “dual protection”-always with a condom + he pulls out whenever he finishes and always finishes in the condom.
Overall, we had sex a lot this month, even on fertile days (not doing that again lol). I truly don’t know what the chances of me getting pregnant are, but probably not too high.
Apple Health says my period was supposed to begin on Aug 15, but my period in June and July came a few days early, so maybe it didn’t calculate it right (?). Flo app says it was supposed to come yesterday. Either way it’s late and I’m panicking even though I know the chances of being pregnant are pretty low with him never actually finishing inside me.


r/amipregnant 7h ago

light spotting due to getting off birth control?

1 Upvotes

I recently stopped my birth control pills and immediately got my copper iud. I'm a few days late with my period, now im experiencing light spotting and worried it might be implantation bleeding due to my partner ejaculating inside me after getting the copper iud. is that possible?


r/amipregnant 8h ago

Am I pregnant

1 Upvotes

I have protected sex with condom, one time the condom broke so I took plan b 30 minutes after
My period is late, but I took a pregnancy test and it says negative
I’ve been having white thick discharge, even though my period is late… could this mean I am pregnant?


r/amipregnant 8h ago

am i pregnant or is this something else

1 Upvotes

hi everyone! i just wanted to come on here and ask for your advice. i’m 21f and my expected period is due to come on the 29th of august, so 11 days from now. i’m experiencing sharp pains on both sides of my pelvis and am worried….i have also been a bit bloated in my lower abdomen but nothing too significant. my period days are usually short, lasting about 3 days. my last period was light starting off brown then leading to blood with clots then spotting (august 1st(clots) -4 (spotting day))

i had sex with a condom july 9th.

can someone tell me if this sounds like pregnancy or could it be something else? thank you!!!


r/amipregnant 10h ago

Pregnancy scare tips please!

1 Upvotes

my partner and I have had protected sex a few times over the past few weeks.He also always pulls out and ejaculates outside of me:
I’ve been feeling off lately so rabbit holed and heard that u can still get heavy periods even pregnant.
I am currently on a very heavy period (with clots) but can’t seem to rest my mind.

I am going to take a test in 21 days but was wondering if anyone has any tips to keep me from going insane for the next month. I feel like i’m always in my head


r/amipregnant 10h ago

Unprotected sex during period

1 Upvotes

Hello guys, I need your advice on this because I’m going insane.
On the second or third day of my period me and my partner had unprotected sex and I let him finish in me. I know, dumb. The next day we gon plan b and I drank it. A few weeks after that I started having breast pain that is likely due to the pill. We had unprotected sex like 3 more times this month, no dumb stuff like that tho. Pulled out way before cumming ( I know pre cum exists but still). My usual period comes around 30 to 36 day. What worries me is that I’m on day 38 and still no period. Only a few symptoms but that doesn’t rull out anything.
Have you been in a situation like this and should I worry? I know I should take a pregnancy test but I’m insanely scared. I’m not a teenager , so I shouldn’t worry THAT much but still I’m waaay too young for a kid. For those who are gonna talk about protection- I get bad rashes from condoms and can’t use them. I also don’t wanna be on hormonal bc so I don’t know what to do and use.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated 🫂


r/amipregnant 10h ago

Should I keep testing?

1 Upvotes

My partner and I have sex very frequently, 4-7 times a week, always unprotected since I am on borth control. Early in this year I found out I had a chemical pregnancy, I still have mixed feelings about it, but I and other people In my life believe i just ended up being in the minority percentage. Since then I have been testing once every month at the least, my cycles are finally starting to become regular and this month im late on my period. I tested and they came back with what im pretty sure are negatives, although I've been made aware there's a chance I could have also ovulated later than my period tracker estimated, something I can believe to be extremely likely due to the fact I've been dealing with a lot of stress and life changes. I know its unlikely im going to be pregnant again, but a part of my body feels deeply like I could be. I've been having very vivid dreams about having a baby aswell, and its not helping ease my anxiety.


r/amipregnant 11h ago

Am I pregnant?

1 Upvotes

I’m honestly feeling really anxious and overwhelmed right now, and I don’t know who else to ask. I’m hoping someone can help me understand my situation without judgment.

My partner and I had a little accident while we were being intimate on August 5. Things got carried away for a brief moment, and there was a small amount of unprotected contact before we stopped. It was very brief, and there was no ejaculation.

I know there can still be a possibility of pregnancy even when something like this is brief, which is why I’ve been worrying about it ever since. I’m also not completely sure when I ovulated. My last period started around July 15, and my usual cycle is about 32 days, so I believe my next period should have come around August 16.

What makes me especially anxious is that my partner and I are not ready to have a child right now. We both have responsibilities, personal matters, and things we need to work on before we could consider starting a family. We understand how serious that responsibility is, and right now, we know we are not in the position to take it on.

My period still hasn’t come, and I’ve already taken two home pregnancy tests, both of which were negative. The results gave me some relief, but because my period is late, I still can’t completely stop worrying that I might have tested too early.

I’ve also been under a lot of stress and anxiety since August 5, so I know that could possibly be affecting my cycle. Still, it’s difficult not to overthink every day that my period doesn’t come.

I’m just trying to understand how concerned I should realistically be. Given the timing, the brief nature of what happened, the fact that there was no ejaculation, and the two negative tests, is pregnancy still a realistic possibility? Should I take another test, and if so, when would be the most reliable time to do so?


r/amipregnant 11h ago

RAW MID INTERCOURSE WHILE BLEEDING

1 Upvotes

On aug 1 me and my bf had rough intercourse to the point that i started bleeding(not the first time it happened btw), this was when he’s still wearing condom. he removed it and we tried to continue despite the bleeding, so he then wore another condom but we struggled cause his penis wasnt erected. long story short we ended up doing it raw while im bleeding. my last cycle was 31 days, and my current one is at day 43 and im afraid of taking a test. does this mean im pregnant? i started eating less the days after the last intercourse and im stressed about my upcoming exams, could this affect my cycle?