how long should i wait to take a pregnancy test?

Question

i missed my period 5 days ago, i felt all the symtoms of my period up to yesterday but my period didnt come i even say a trace of blood yesterday but it still didnt turn up.ps i took a hcg test today and it was negative

Answer 1

Then you are most likely not pregnant. However, test again first thing in the morning when you urinate. Hormone levels are their highest at this time. Test again whenever you want to.

Answer 2

How soon can I test? Well, first you gotta know how the test works. Briefly: the home pregnancy test (HPT) works by detecting a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG.) When an egg is fertilized, it takes about 6 to 12 days to implant in the uterus, and then it begins to secrete hCG. It takes another day or two for enough hCG to build up and make its way into your pee. So, generally speaking, the earliest you can expect a positive HPT is 8 days past ovulation ("DPO") and the latest would be about 16 DPO. It is possible to get a positive test earlier or later, but not as common. In my experience, if you use a sensitive "early" test (anything that detects 25 mIU/mL of hCG or less) you can test around 12-14 DPO and feel reasonably secure with your results (the later you test, the more secure you can feel in its accuracy.)

If you do not chart or monitor your fertility in any way, and you think you may have conceived, you should wait 19 days (or longer) after having sex to test. Why 19?! Sperm can live approximately 5 days in the proper environment; if the sperm managed to live until you popped an egg, the actual conception could have taken place several days after the sex act that got the sperm there. To make sure you're not testing too early, assume the sperm had very long lives (5 days is considered a very long sperm life) and that conception occurred then. Then allow 14 days for the embryo to implant and develop enough hCG to show up on a pregnancy test (96% of pregnant women will test positive by then.)

Note: some HPT's say "test 5 days before your period is due!" or some such thing. Please note they are assuming a textbook 28-day cycle, with ovulation on Day 14. "5 days before your period is due" thus really "translates" to 10 DPO.

Essentially, you should remember that your high school biology textbook was WRONG. NOT all women have 28-day cycles and NOT all women ovulate on Day 14. For more info on this type of thing, see the Fertility Info section.

Here's an example. This is the textbook-perfect 28-day cycle with ovulation occurring on day 14 (in pink.) 10 DPO and later are reasonable days for testing (in green.) This is the cycle the HPT companies have in mind when they say "test 5 days before your period is due!"



Well, not everyone's body works this way. Here's another 28-day cycle-- but this one has ovulation occurring a little bit later, still well within the normal range. Watch what happens to your (green) testing opportunities!



All of a sudden, "5 days before your period is due!" is way too early for you to expect a positive test! (I tend to ovulate later myself, so by the time the "gold standard" of testing at 14 DPO is applicable, my period is already 3 days late! I needed to use an "early detection" test on the first day of my missed period. A "regular" test would probably have been negative-- even though my daughter is living proof that I was, indeed, pregnant ;)

Of course, it works in reverse, too. If you're an early ovulator, you're lucky! Check it out:



In this scenario, you could test even sooner than 5 days before your expected period.

Ultimately, it's important to remember that implantation is a variable thing. You may be able to detect a pregnancy very early on, but then again, you may not! If you can't, don't despair. http://www.peeonastick.com

Answer 3

don't get discouraged if you test neg for a while b/c it takes the body a while to produce hcg. I was 22 days late had cramping like you but 2neg. blood and 2 neg urine test until i missed my second period, so be patient everybodys body is diff. listen to yours and time will tell. take care of yourelf and take prenatals now. Oh yea i finally showed up preg. although some people show up after one day late. I guess i'm trying to say anything is possible.

Answer 4

You should wait a week and retest with first morning urine if you still don't get your period. It's probably on it's way, but those symptoms can also indicate pregnancy. Best thing to do would be going to the doctor for a blood test. Otherwise wait a week to retest.

Answer 5

If you took a HCG test then you have already taken a pregnancy test. You must not be pregnant.

Answer 6

I got 2 negatives, and 2 positives when I was pregnant.... I don't trust those things! I first tested when I was at least a week late and it said negative!

Answer 7

If you're pregnant, the test should've been positive. But I did mine at night, and had been drinking lots of water so my urine was diluted, and I just barely got a positive line. Next morning was positive at the dr's office....so yours could still be positive; I'd retest in the morning if I were you.

Answer 8

It is possible that hcg is not yet strong enough to be detected. Wait a week and retest. If you are really concerned, make a doctor's appointment.

Answer 9

i think the best time is to wait for another 2 weeks and take another pregnancy test. (hcg test = pregnancy test)

Answer 10

if your period is 5 days late, you should have tested postive if you were pregnant. Stress or something else may be making you late.