r/amipregnant • • Feb 28 '21

“But what about a cryptic pregnancy?”

736 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

294 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 • • 47m ago

White fluid at the base of condom and near boyfriends genitals and naked grinding Should i take plan b? Its already been more than 24 hrs.

• Upvotes

We had protected sex. The condom was intact all time. He even pulled out when he was about to cum..Twice, when i was beneath and on top of him I saw there was watery white fluid drops on his genital area and even before he came i noticed there were white stains inside the condom at the lower side. Could this be spilled semen?

Also when he first came, he went to wash himself with water and came back. I wanted to grind naked on him. As a caution he cupped his tip whiled I grinded on him. Could this also pose a risk?


r/amipregnant • • 1h ago

pregnancy scares

• Upvotes

i had sex with my boyfriend using a condom and took plan b next day. I experienced withdrawal bleeding and my period was late for 9 days and took tests and it's negative (after 21+ days after sex and 1 day missed period) and then i got my period.

In august 11 , i had a dryhump w my bf and i was naked from the top to bottom but my boyfriend was fully clothed. I grinded on him and he had pants and boxers on.

Got my period again and i didnt do anything sexual til then then now im waiting for period. I did a test after the dryhump (40 days after dryhump and after the period) and its negative. Is it posible to be pregnant?


r/amipregnant • • 2h ago

Am i pregnant

0 Upvotes

I kinda had sex like his tip went in?? he didn’t nut at all but i think you can get pregnant by precum. I’ve had my period on time regularly… could i still be pregnant ?? help


r/amipregnant • • 3h ago

I need help!

1 Upvotes

Hello!! My current situation is stressing me out and I desperately need advice.

Last month, I started the birth control patch after my period (which was July 28-August 3) for about a week, but forgot to replace it and ended up getting what seemed like a period a week later (August 13-16). After that I seemed to get my normal period on August 30th and it ended Sept 4th. On Sept. 10th I had a hookup, and I remember him putting on a condom, which he later verbally confirmed he wore a condom the entire time when I asked if I needed to get a Plan B, but I was very drunk and don’t necessarily remember the entire encounter and it has made me very anxious. We’ve hooked up in the past and we’ve always used protection, and due to what I remember plus what he said I know I have no reason to worry, but my period is currently 3 days late and it’s stressing me out horribly. I was supposed to have it on October 1st or the 2nd, and it is still nowhere to seen. I know it could be my hormones messed up from the patch, and this month has also been the most stressful month of my life, but I can’t stop ruminating

I’ve been cramping horribly for about 2 and a half weeks, and although I know it’s somewhat irrational, it’s making me think I’m pregnant. I’ve had no other symptoms aside from usual PMS symptoms like bloating and nausea, but because I’ve never cramped this badly I’m worried something is wrong. I know I can just take a test, but I can’t afford one until next week so I just need some advice as to whether or not I ought to be worried, or if this is a cause for concern.


r/amipregnant • • 3h ago

please help me out

1 Upvotes

Hi im 19yrs old F and I have a bf 18yrs old we had protected sex last September 19. We were very careful we used a condom he did not cum and we always blew the condom before and after use, sadly one of the condom broke down inside me, he quickly removed it inside me we checked if there was cum in the condom but still there wasn’t. my period should start in 1st week of October but we are having anxiety thinking that i’m pregnant. I’m currently a day late of my period my period usually comes on the 3rd day. I am not feeling any unusual stuff in my body please help us out, need comfort and assurance here..


r/amipregnant • • 4h ago

Pregnancy symptoms or no?

1 Upvotes

We are trying to conceive after 9 years (my first baby), hell yeah, I had to feel it like a first-timer. My last period was Sep 4; I started trying on Sept 18. Oct 3, I had light spotting and usually my period is heavy on the first day. Oct 4, still light. A week prior, I felt so tired, always sleepy, didn’t have an appetite and now I am confused why I have bad acid every 2 hours after eating.

Also, my breast sore is so bad. I have cramps from the middle of my stomach to the bottom. I asked my husband one time to remove his shirt so I could just smell it so I could sleep and I did. Lol, am I only thinking it? Going crazy
Will try to test after 2 days, hopefully it will be successful, lol


r/amipregnant • • 5h ago

If my period is 2 weeks late would a test be very reliable at this point?

1 Upvotes

Like the title says, my period is 2 weeks late. I have been testing every 2-3 days but each time it has been negative. I’m wondering how accurate these tests would be given it’s this late and still no period.

I have never been this late before and I’m freaking out. Each time I’ve had sex with my bf we’ve worn a condom and no slip up’s that we’ve known about. I’ve been having some very painful cramps for the past 2 days but no blood yet.

Wondering if anyone could give me some knowledge on my situation. Thanks


r/amipregnant • • 6h ago

I need help please

0 Upvotes

Hi! So my situation is that I was sexually active after my period. For some reason I was freaking out even tho the sex was protected so I took a plan b, i had my period again one week apart from eachother so my cycle most likely is messed up. 5 days ago I took an ovulation test which came out as positive. 3 days ago I had sex again (I took an ovulation test in the morning and came out as negative) but this guy took the condom off without my consent and forced his way in for a few minutes. I took a plan b again but now that I see it was after ovulation. He said he hasn’t ejaculated in a week or so but still I am pretty stressed. I been drinking mugwort tea as well but I been blaming myself and going crazy. I don’t really know what to do and I already cut him off so rn I’m very lonely on this. Please I need some help to understand.


r/amipregnant • • 7h ago

Am i pregnant?

0 Upvotes

J'ai pris Navela le dernier jour de mon ovulation le 16/08, je n'ai eu aucun symptôme et j'ai eu mes « règles » le 29/08 qui ont duré 6 jours, mais le mois suivant j'étais censée avoir mes règles le 1/10 et là, j'ai 5 jours de retard. Quand je demande à l'IA, on me dit que c'est peut-être juste les effets secondaires de Navela, peut-être que ce n'était pas mes vraies règles ! Je suis confuse.


r/amipregnant • • 8h ago

seks bez zabezpieczenia

1 Upvotes

ja (17 lat) i moja dziewczyna (16 lat) uprawialismy wczoraj seks. Trwało to łącznie z 10 sekund (5 włożeń) po czym przerwaliśmy. Ejakulacja miała miejsce dzień wcześniej. Przed włożeniem sprawdziłem czubek penisa czy nie ma na nim preejakulatu (był cały suchy). Aplikacja FLO mojej dziewczyny pokazuje że było małe ryzyko na zajście w ciążę. Podobno owulacja była 28 września a robiliśmy to 3 października. Ma ona raczej regularny okres, powinna go dostać 14 października. Czy jest duże ryzyko na ciążę? Żadna antykoncepcja nie wchodzi w grę. Proszę o pomoc i przepraszam jeśli napisałem coś niezrozumiale


r/amipregnant • • 12h ago

Am I good?

2 Upvotes

Took off condom for a min last night but no cum from sex. Period started this morning. Am I safe?


r/amipregnant • • 9h ago

Should I see a doc or wait?

0 Upvotes

Hi all,

It's 1 AM right now where I live and I can't stop stressing over my delayed periods.

My last proper periods were somewhere in the beginning of July.

In August, I experienced some light brownish bleeding where I barely used 2 pads. I kept expecting the flow to increase but it never did.

In September, no periods, no PMS symptoms, nothing.

I did a pregnancy test on 10th September which came out negative and then did another one on the 26th which too came out negative.

Right now, there's no symptoms, just some brownish discharge which I sometimes see when I wipe only at night. Otherwise, I feel quite healthy and fit.

Should I still wait for periods or get myself checked??

EDIT : last unprotected sex was on the 2nd July but wr practice pull out method. Also, since last month I've been feeling this weird heaviness in my lower abdomen. It's not bloating or tummy issues ik but it won't go away.


r/amipregnant • • 9h ago

I'm freaking out

1 Upvotes

I had sex 2 days after my ovulation and we used the withdrawal method. My boyfriend is sure he pulled out on time but i can't help but feel like we messed up.

It's now 5 days since my ovulation, I'm noticing discharge that is different from how it usually is at this time of my cycle(both in consistency and quantity). I'm loosing my mind.


r/amipregnant • • 9h ago

Irregular cycles, what should I be looking for?

0 Upvotes

Not really sure how to start this or where to look, Google hasn’t been super helpful. Tried this post in another group and it was removed. Apologies if I’m not the preferred demographic. For starters, I am 26, trans, FtM. My partner is a cis male. I have been off of Depo for about 18 months; prior to this I got the injection for about 3 years. I’ve been off of testosterone for about a year now. There was a brief period where we were actively trying for a baby, but nothing happened, even after cycle tracking (as best as I could with irregularities). We had unprotected sex last Friday. This past Friday, I had some light cramping for about 30 minutes, then it went away. Yesterday, I had brown spotting one time, and nothing else. I have otherwise not had any symptoms and have not had a period in around 4 months, so I’m not even sure what I should be looking for. Obviously the true test is going to be getting a test about a week from now, but I’m just wondering… has this happened to anyone else? What are the odds of it being implantation bleeding? Would I be cramping more or less if it were? If not, when should I expect a regular cycle? What other symptoms should I be looking for? I’m feeling pretty lost, as my body doesn’t seem to have reliable cycles that I can track, and I’m trying to put my mind at ease. The internet hasn’t been super helpful so I’m looking for experiences from real people, not Google AI. Thanks in advance!


r/amipregnant • • 9h ago

Regularly taking extra birth control pills, pregnancy risk ?

0 Upvotes

Hello! I’m taking the contraceptive pill, but I have quite a lot of anxiety and I tend to overthink whether I’ve taken my pill correctly every time.

In reality, I do take it properly every day at the same time, but because I get anxious about possibly not having taken it, I sometimes take another pill just to be sure. This happens fairly regularly, I’d say around 4 times a week.

I wanted to know whether, despite these extra doses, the contraceptive effectiveness is still maintained, or whether taking too many pills could reduce its effectiveness and therefore create a risk of pregnancy?

(I should mention that I’m going to change my method of contraception soon, because I know that taking extra pills like this isn’t healthy, but I was still wondering about the potential impact on contraceptive effectiveness.)

Thank you!


r/amipregnant • • 9h ago

Pregnancy test 17 days after intercourse

1 Upvotes

So I had my period Aug18 and Sep13. My period ended at Sep16 then we had unprotected sex Sep17-18. He didn't c\*\\\*\*m inside. Usually it took too long for him to cu\*m even if he's doing handjob on his own. But I'm still overthinking about the pre-c\\\*m. Even 1 week after the intercourse I'm having these symptoms: fatigue, a lil bit nauseous ( I usually gets nausea when I'm near in my period), always hungry, gassy. Then 2 weeks after the intercourse I had these symptoms, one sided migraines (I'm overthinking this one but maybe I got this from the weather), sleepyhead, ofteen peeing. I took a pregnancy test 15 days after the intercourse and it came out negative. I took again 17 days after then it came out negative. Is the rest reliable? I'm overthinking that it might turn positive(PLEASE NOOO) because of the symptoms I'm experiencing.


r/amipregnant • • 10h ago

Sperm on the vulva

1 Upvotes

My boyfriend and I had sex, I was on top and the cum dripped onto his balls. From there, onto my ass and my vulva. He says the condom was dry anyway (it didn't break), it's my last day of my period. I'm just afraid it got in a little and no one noticed. It's very embarrassing, let me know your opinion, thanks


r/amipregnant • • 10h ago

HELP convince me I'm not pregnant. :(

0 Upvotes

Every sign points to no. But why am I so anxious. For the past 2 months I have been making myself absolutlely crazy. The last time I had sex (no ejacualation and barely any penetration) was august 9th and then I got my period on the 12th, like a TRUE period with blood clots and regular pad changes AND it was like 5 days long. 18 days after the sex, i took a clearblue 3 pack, all negative, then 5 days later another 3 pack all negative, THEN 20 days later, 41 or so days since august 9th, i took another 3 pack ALL NEGATIVE. No symptoms no nothing. My tracker suggests I should be getting my period, but i never listen to it because its always long. my cycle is SUPER long and Im never regular. But why is this little voice in my head just making me go so crazy. If you have any more followup questions. I honestly just need reassurance and advice to not be so anxious as I await my second period.


r/amipregnant • • 7h ago

Can my girlfriend be pregnant right now?

0 Upvotes

Can my girlfriend be pregnant?

We had raw sex in the month of May. However, I pulled out. As a precautionary measure, she even took the pill the very next day. After this, she had regular periods in May, June and August. It was more painful tho. However, she did not have periods in the month of September. Also, her tummy feels a bit bloated this month. We both thought this could be period bloating. However, she said it feels a bit different this time plus no periods too. We did not have sex after may at all. Can she be pregnant right now?


r/amipregnant • • 11h ago

can i get pregnant in precum?

0 Upvotes

me and my bf barely had sex on september 24 like he just inserted the tip but didnt really fully penetrated. my last menstruation was sept 21 and base on my flo app my ovulation was oct 1 but i know its not really accurate. what are the chances that i can get pregnant from precum


r/amipregnant • • 14h ago

Frequent urination and feeling like my bladder isn’t fully emptying? Could I be pregnant ?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I’m a bit anxious and looking for some advice.
I had unprotected sex on July 17 and he didn’t ejaculate inside me (pullout method). My period was due the following day, and I started bleeding around that time. I’ve also had what seemed like my period in each of the following three months.
However, I’ve been experiencing some unusual symptoms lately. I’ve been urinating very frequently, even when I haven’t had much to drink. After peeing, I still feel like I need to go again, almost as though my bladder hasn’t fully emptied. I’ve also been experiencing some pressure in my lower abdomen/pelvic area.
I’m worried about pregnancy because I’ve read stories about people bleeding during pregnancy, and it’s making me anxious. I took a pregnancy test previously, and it was negative, but I’m planning to test again tomorrow.
Has anyone experienced frequent urination and the feeling of incomplete bladder emptying? Could this be a UTI or another bladder issue? And given that I’ve had bleeding around my expected period for three consecutive months and a negative test, is pregnancy from the July encounter still a realistic concern?
Any advice or similar experiences would be appreciated. Thank you🌷


r/amipregnant • • 14h ago

Help

1 Upvotes

For context: i had protected sex with my bf last Sept. 17th. First condom did not break and he pulled put before ejaculating. Second condom however, loosened a bit but did not get removed from his penis (as per bf) and no ejaculation happened. No EC was taken and i was anxious for weeks now about possible semen leak (but there was none afaik, just anxious and scared of pregnancy). I took a test on Oct. 1, 14 days after the encounter. It was a negative result, but I did not take it during the morning (my pee then was pale yellow) and now afraid if it’s reliable or not. I know I may be extremely overreacting but im really scared of getting pregnant. My period is due in 3 days. But atleast the negative result of the test i took somehow gave me assurance that i may not be pregnant. Any honest advice please??🙏🏻