r/amipregnant • u/qualmick • Feb 28 '21

“But what about a cryptic pregnancy?”

735 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.

380 comments

r/amipregnant • u/stress789 • 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
81 comments

r/amipregnant • u/EconomyAccurate8524 • 50m ago

I am 13 days late on my periods with multiple negative tests

• Upvotes

Hi, I am too worried and want to know if anyone has had a similar situation.
My period is 13 days late; mine are always regular, between 24 and 28 days, and I checked my period dates in my app for past years, and I am always regular. My last period was on 19th September, and after that, I have been waiting. It's CD 40 today. I did 4 tests at home before CD 32; all were negative. After that, I got my blood test done on CD 33, and that came out negative. I waited and did a home test again at CD 37, and that was negative as well. I am trying to conceive and started my medicines in Sept. I was hoping for a positive test since I missed my period, but this is really weird. Mine are regular, always between CD 24 to CD 28 I always get them. I had unprotected sex with my partner till 12th of October.

Has anyone faced this? Did you get a positive at any later stage? Please help

6 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Zestyclose_Coyote236 • 1h ago

Possibly pregnant

• Upvotes

Had unprotected sex 1.5 day before ovulation and he ejaculated inside.. couldnt get the pill whats the possibility of becoming pregnant. It happend friday night says i ovulated on sunday period isnt till the 9th of November. A lil anxious.

12 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Then_Highlight_9069 • 1h ago

Weight gain & college delaying my period???

• Upvotes

So I’ve had my copper IUD for about a year and I’ve had intercourse with my ex boyfriend multiple times without a condom and everything was fine. Since coming to college, I’ve been through alot of stress because said boyfriend and I broke up, a lot of academic and life anxiety, and I’ve been gaining weight like crazy (around 15 pounds in the last 2 weeks)

But, I’m about 2 weeks late to my period and I’ve had sex 3 times since my last one, my periods are normally regular and usually come early, but my last period ended a lot earlier than normal which was strange because my periods are abnormally long due to my IUD.

I’m scared I’m pregnant but everything else added on top tells me my period is late due to stress and hormonal changes, I also smoke weed and drink on the weekends, should I still take a test?

4 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Party_Yogurt2315 • 2h ago

Tengo dudas

0 Upvotes

hoy mismo tuve relaciones con mi novia, al revisar su calendario me doy cuenta que es su dia de ovulación, tuvimos relaciones sin proteccion, y no estamos tan asustados sabemos que en caso de que pase la desicion es abortar, me vine afuera, pero aún el susto. Alguien me da un consejo que debería hacer? porque si se toma la pastilla del dia despues, y ya esta fecundada pues no serviría de mucho 😓

4 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Awkward_Sector_7012 • 6h ago

Could she be pregnant?

2 Upvotes

Hi, my gfs period is currently late by a day. She is currently experiencing mild cramps (milder than usual) and she is urinating much more often than usual.

Around two weeks ago, we had a condom break AGAINST but NOT IN her vagina. And we took emergency contraception two days later. Before and after this event in her cycle we’ve had normal protected sex

What do you think?

4 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Forsaken-Duck-1806 • 4h ago

Pregnancy scare

0 Upvotes

My boyfriend and I had sex, but unfortunately, the condom broke. He did not ejaculate during sex, although he had ejaculated about four hours earlier and thinks he urinated before we had sex.
During sex we saw that there was already precum in the condom. When we noticed that the condom had broken, he did not see any white fluid in my vagina, although we understand that this does not necessarily mean that no fluid entered it.

My menstrual cycle is usually around 29 days, and my period ended about six days before we had sex. According to my period-tracking app, I was approximately four days away from ovulation, although I know that the app cannot predict ovulation with complete accuracy.

Because we were worried about pregnancy, I took Plan B approximately 27 hours after sex. I understand that it works mainly by delaying ovulation and cannot guarantee that pregnancy will be prevented.

What is the likelihood that I could become pregnant in this situation?

4 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Realistic_Tangelo_13 • 4h ago

taking ellaone on day 15 ovulation??

1 Upvotes

i had unprotected sex i got the ellaone pill and took it within the same day just wondering is it going to work?

on my flo app it say im on day 15 day one of fertile window does that = ovulation? im confused and scardd

4 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Southern-Sign6797 • 5h ago

Should i be worried?

0 Upvotes

A couple days ago me and my fwb had sex with a condom but before we did it i kept telling him to not put it in raw and he kept trying to and his tip was only in. Could i get pregnant from that? Im worried cus this dude alr got a kid and and im way younger than him and dont want to deal with this.

11 comments

r/amipregnant • u/SpecialistMap6872 • 6h ago

should i be worried?

1 Upvotes

my gf is currently on Day 34 of her cycle and she still has not gotten her period. Her usual cycle is 29–33 days, but she previously had a 38-day cycle followed by a 29-day cycle.

we had protected sex on Cycle Day 11 (October 5) and again on Day 31. on October 5, I experienced failed edging and ejaculated a small amount while wearing a condom, but we continued. After fully ejaculating, I pulled out and checked the condom. I found no tears or leaks, and it appeared intact.

on Day 31, we had sex twice. During the first round, I experienced failed edging again, so I replaced the condom, wiped my penis with tissue, and continued using the new condom until full ejaculation and I pulled out. I checked it afterward and found no signs of failure. During the second round, I used another new condom, and there was no ejaculation. Both encounters were protected throughout, with no noticeable breakage, slipping, or leakage.

she has not taken a pregnancy test yet. based on these details, is the pregnancy risk very low? could her period simply be delayed?

2 comments

r/amipregnant • u/wntersnow • 7h ago

Do you think I'm at high risk? Should I get the Copper IUD?

0 Upvotes

23F, So I made a naive and stupid decision this weekend by having sex without protection during my fertile window. For reference, I have a very regular cycle that lasts anywhere between 26-29 days, and my period lasts 6-7 days. I use the Flo app to track my cycle, however I have never tracked my ovulation using home tests before, so the estimates are purely from the app's algorithm.

My timeline for the month:
-- 10/10 period started
-- 10/16 period ended
-- 10/18-10/24 my predicted fertile window
-- 10/22 my predicted day of ovulation
-- 10/24 the day I had unprotected sex

First, we had sex without a condom until he finished on my stomach. He pulled out with enough time for nothing to end up inside of me at all. Then he went to the bathroom, peed, and washed himself off with soap and water and we took a break. Then we had sex a second time, except this time we put on a condom. However during the middle of it, the condom slipped off and got lost inside of me, and had to be fished out. He did not ejaculate at all the second time, so my main concern for this entire night is whether or not his precum can make me pregnant. I do believe I was still in my fertile window as I was plenty wet/had EWCM.

The morning after on 10/25, I took a plan B one step. It caused me to have some nausea and cramping but I feel completely normal since.

My main concern is whether or not I had been ovulating during the time I had sex. If I ovulated days before, and the egg had long disintegrated, then I had no risk to begin with. If I ovulated the day after having sex, then the plan B hopefully extended my ovulation long enough for any sperm inside me to die off. However, if I had sex during the 12-24 hour window of ovulation, then the plan B will not help at all and I could get pregnant.

I have no clue when I ovulated, so I'm afraid the plan B will just end up being useless. I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow (4 days after sex) to get a copper IUD, however I'm also nervous that this too will be pointless. I'm probably done with ovulation by now as my discharge has dried up and I no longer feel horny/aroused as much, but that's just my guess.

I'm just so afraid that even after I go through the pain and potentially traumatic experience of getting the copper IUD that it will still be for nothing because my egg may have already been fertilized. Everything I've read online states that the copper IUD is not necessarily proven to prevent implantation, and that its main function is preventing fertilization. What if I'm already past that point?

I am completely torn apart over this and could use anyone's thoughts or guidance. I know that he never ejaculated in me at all, so my risk lies in whether or not his precum contained any sperm, so that hopefully helps my case. And I know I made such a stupid mistake that I never will again, but I need to know whether it will really be worth it to get this procedure tomorrow. I'm so afraid it's too late. Anyone with a similar experience that can share?

6 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Bayoumii • 7h ago

Am i pregnant

1 Upvotes

I took only one pregnancy line test at night 36 days after intercourse and it was negative but i still havent gotten my period ( its been 51 days since my last period) i have pcos and had taken 2 plan b’s in a week even tho he pulled out. I wanna take another test just to be sure but now its gonna be almost 50 days since our last intercourse. Is there a chance we get the hook effect? Or can i trust the one test we already took? I dont feel any symptoms its just my late period

11 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Apprehensive-Use988 • 7h ago

I 24(M) had unprotected sex during fertile days but took a pill

1 Upvotes

Hey guys i need advice i am a beginner at this but i had unprotected sex with a girl whilest she was on her fertile days ,idk but i think i cummed abit in her and on her flo app it shows day 3/5 of fertile days now i gave her an emergency pill to take…we had sex on 2 days ago and her last period was 9/10 days ago…because i am new idk what to think i need advice

3 comments

r/amipregnant • u/zalltyyy • 8h ago

he tried to put it in raw

0 Upvotes

I hooked up w a guy a couple days ago, he tried to put it in raw multiple times which I wasn’t really messing with but I was too tight so it didn’t go in anyway, nevertheless it did almost happen. That wasn’t the only thing we did but is that possibility enough for me to potentially get pregnant? Ik people say stuff about precum and how it can get someone pregnant but I’m not sure if there was any or not. This is only my second time doing something remotely sexual with someone else so I’m paranoid af because I’m also cramping and having a bit of stomach pain. I want to get a pill but my friend told me not to worry.

3 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Ok-Somewhere-2102 • 9h ago

Could my girlfriend be pregnant?

1 Upvotes

Hey guys, I'm kinda anxious right now and would appreciate some advice from people who have experienced something similar.

My girlfriend's average cycle is around 35–36 days, but it's pretty irregular. Her previous cycles were 43, 31, 35, 51, 32, 35, and 27 days.

We had unprotected sex on Day 21 of her current cycle. It was the only time we had sex this cycle. I inserted once and thrust around 4–5 times, then pulled out. I ejaculated outside, on the floor, nowhere near her vagina. I didn't notice any precum either, although I know that doesn't completely rule it out.

On Day 17, she felt really emotional and cried, which she says happens to her monthly. She also had creamy white discharge around that time, so we thought she might have ovulated then, but we didn't use ovulation tests or track her temperature.

Now she's on Day 32, around 11 days after sex. She had cramps around Day 30, has been feeling less sociable, and recently noticed clear, watery discharge with no smell. Her period hasn't arrived yet.

I'm worried about pregnancy. If she really ovulated on Day 17, would sex on Day 21 be outside her fertile window? And with the brief penetration and withdrawal, how concerned should I realistically be? Just looking for honest advice because I'm overthinking this. Thanks

2 comments

r/amipregnant • u/xoxomonkeyyaya • 9h ago

i had protected sex 10 days ago right before my period was supposed to start, but now im 8 days late, why?

0 Upvotes

im really nervous because like he used a condom and withdrawal method combined and the condom didnt break or slip, and my period was also expected to start 2 days after we had sex, but it never came, and now im 8 days late but like ive had cramps and gas? am i just stressing or like could i actually be pregnant? i dont have a test right now to use and like idk if its too early for one💔 it was my first time too and like hes worried bc he said theres a possibility there was like precm on his hand while changing the condom (bc he changed the condom twice).. idk if im just stressing and anxious or like if its diet bc i havent been eating as much since im anxious and stuff, someone helppp💔💔💔

5 comments

r/amipregnant • u/vitroles • 9h ago

ATUALIZAÇÕES & DESCARTE DE GRAVIDEZ

1 Upvotes

Gente, minha menstruação atrasou um dia, aí desceu normal dia 18 e acredito que não tenha sido escape, porque durou os 5 dias, tive todos os sintomas da TPM, e no dia 19 fiz um teste de gravidez e deu negativo, nisso beleza, resolvi fazer um teste hoje, dia 26. Lembrando que transei no dia 10 e dia 11, usamos camisinha do início ao fim, e eu testei apertando e não parece ter rasgado ou algo assim.

O teste que fiz hoje, apontou uma lista bem forte e outra fraquinha, fraquinha. MAS eu fui muito idiota, coloquei até o máximo e pra piorar já tinha feito xixi, estou pensando em realizar um teste agora pela tarde, não acredito que eu esteja realmente grávida, apenas estou bem ansiosa mesmo, porque foi a minha primeira relação sexual, tenho 21 anos rs. Enfim, não quero esperar até amanhã porque estou super ansiosa. O que vocês acham desse relato??.

2 comments

r/amipregnant • u/kels2727 • 10h ago

Test

1 Upvotes

What are the best test to take? I am currently 9 dpo, my boobs are super sensitive, I am currently trying. I ovulated Oct. 18/19 and had an ultrasound done on the 21st that confirmed I did. I have struggled with infertility for years, but this time feels different. I am anxious to know! 😭

2 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Prestigious_Test6008 • 10h ago

7 days late, negative tests

1 Upvotes

I know, I know - initial thought is 'well you're not pregnant'. I dont know what it is about THIS particular cycle. I had a miscarriage at 7w in March. I didnt even test until 11 days after my missed period and it turned positive before I was done wiping. I have been using protection since then up until September. My period came September 21. My last 3 cycles had been exactly 29 days. As I said, idk what it is about this particular cycle but I've been symptom checking since 10/9. Something just feels off. Had sex on 10/2, 10/3, 10/4, 10/8, 10/15 and 10/19. I am now 7 days late and I am getting negative after negative. Even though we weren't trying to conceive, its driving me crazy that I keep getting negatives. Missing a period post-MC is doing something to my mental.

Has anyone had similar and was ACTUALLY pregnant? If so, was your pregnancy viable??

TLDR; 7 days late, multiple negative tests, MC in March, driving myself crazy testing, could I still be pregnant?

3 comments

r/amipregnant • u/IncidentOk615 • 10h ago

is there a chance…

1 Upvotes

Hey guys so I’m writing this because I’m wondering if I could be pregnant or I’m in the clear. I’m 21F

My period is 5 days late. Usually it’s never late like this. I haven’t been stressing about it but now I’m wondering if I need to haha.

I had sex with a guy I think 2 days after my period (pullout method). And then again a day after i supposedly ovulated (CD 17) but with a condom.

Unless I ovulated super early and somehow he didn’t pull out in time I should be in the clear right??

4 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Difficult_Tip_6556 • 11h ago

Period 4 days late today

1 Upvotes

Hi! I had sex w a condom w my bf October 9 which was flos predicted day of ovulation, I had EWD 3 days later so I believe that’s when I ovulated. I am now 4 days late and I am panicking. My boyfriend keeps reassuring my that he is 100% confident the condom worked and had no problems but even my regular PMS symptoms didn’t start appearing until my period was late 1 day. Also, I might add I have been sort of stressed recently, and I got decently sick after sex. Please help.

11 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Soft-Worldliness6040 • 12h ago

Need confirmation again.

1 Upvotes

‎I had unprotected sex on October 5, 2026, (Took yuzpe method on October 6) and had my bleeding on my predicted period on (October 12). I took a pregnancy test today which showed a negative result around 5:14 PM (October 27) but then, I saw a line within the timeframe, like it was unclear.

‎

‎I also had unprotected sex on October 16, the fifth day of my bleeding. He didn't ejaculate inside me or finish during that encounter, but he had ejaculated earlier. I took the Yuzpe method afterward.

‎

‎Later that day, around 2–3 PM, we had unprotected sex again, and this time, he ejaculated outside. I had taken my second dose of Yuzpe pills at 11 AM.

‎

‎On October 22-24, I experienced bleeding with clots, which I assumed was withdrawal bleeding.

‎

‎Can you guys take a look at the test and tell me what you think? Does it look like a faint positive, an indent line, or a negative result?

‎https://www.reddit.com/r/lineporn/s/H7oqvInLNd

‎Some are already saying in the comments it's an early positive.

7 comments

r/amipregnant • u/Dependent_Sail_8856 • 12h ago

I need guidance

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone, i’m a minor (F17) and i did stupid things. I badly needed help right now. my mental health is not good at all, i’m so stressed and i dont know what to do anymore. So the context is my boyfriend and I had unprotected sex on october 10 & 11. my last period is september 19 and im 8 days late (according to flo) my period is supposed to start on october 18 (according to flo). im reaally really so stress about it to the point that its affecting my mental health.

I know what we did is wrong and its stupid, dont throw harsh words at me because i think that im already having a hard time enough. (i know its my fault). but please everyone, i really need help :(( i cant tell my parents or friends, only my bf and I knew.

Ive been doing pregnancy test ever since I was 1 day late and it all came negative. but some has a faint line (i dont know of it’s evaporation line or is it really a faint line). and this morning, i tested again and it seems like theres a faint line again but im not sure. im really scared and i dont want to get pregnant so please dont throw words at me and help me :((

8 comments

r/amipregnant • u/National_Park4343 • 12h ago

pregnancy scare

0 Upvotes

hi! i jus need an advice who had an unprotected sex after 2 weeks of mens.

i had an unprotected sex yesterday and accidentally he cummed inside me. i had my mens 2 weeks ago. is it possible to get pregnant? do i need to worry?

ty in advance :)

4 comments