Am I Pregnant? Missed Period but Negative Pregnancy Test

Am I Pregnant? Missed Period but Negative Pregnancy Test

There are various pregnancy test kits available in stores, both branded and unbranded types. Some pregnancy kits can sometimes be more efficient to detect pregnancy than others. However, it is still possible to get a negative pregnancy test even after a missed period.

One of the very common and possible causes of negative pregnancy test result is incorrect method of using the home pregnancy test strip. Before we jump to other major causes of negative pregnancy test results, here are a few steps you must follow when performing home pregnancy tests.

Steps to use a pregnancy test kit the right way

Generally, all pregnancy test kits are easy to use. However, using them the right way is important for accurate results. Follow the steps mentioned below to get pregnancy test results as accurately as possible:

Step 1: wash and dry the urine sample container

Step 2: waste the first few drops of your urine

Step 3: collect the midstream urine sample in the container

Step 4: unwrap the pregnancy test strip

Step 5: dip the pregnancy test strip into the container

Step 6: wait for 10-20 seconds

Step 7: view the lines that may appear on the strip

Result: If you are pregnant, strip shows two pink or blue lines, if not single line appears.

Causes of negative home pregnancy test result after a missed period

If you had a missed period and were expecting two pink lines on the pregnancy test stick while the pregnancy test strip shows you one pink line instead, don’t be disappointed as yet! There are various reasons the pregnancy test result may show a negative result even after a missed period. Some of these reasons include:

Delayed menses

The average cycle length of an average menstrual cycle is 28 days. However, the cycle duration can sometimes be extended to anywhere between 30 to 36 days depending on various factors. Some women may have delayed menses for up to 2 to 3 months. These delayed menses are called irregular menses.

Irregular menses are generally observed when a woman might be in a medical condition such as Polycystic ovaries syndrome (PCOS) or Fibroid. Irregular menses are also often observed in women who do not follow a healthy balanced diet and who are under nutrition-ed.

The test is performed too early

Most of the pregnancy test kits give instructions to perform the test after 4 to 5 days of missed period. However, as mentioned above, the menstrual cycle length may vary and can be extended for days or even weeks. This may in turn lead to false negative test pregnancy test result. It is recommended to wait for a few days or at most a week and repeat the test.

Hormone levels are too low

A pregnancy hormone called Beta HcG (B-HcG) usually rises in level from 10 IU when you miss menses, which is a very small amount and from thereon it doubles every 48 hours.

Therefore, performing the pregnancy test on the day of the missed period or even after a few days of the missed period may still give a negative result. It is advised to be patient, wait for the beta-HcG hormone level to raise and try again.

Inefficient pregnancy test kit

Not all the pregnancy test kits detect B-HcG as efficiently as they claim to detect on their shiny packaging. In some cases, women using pregnancy test kits were unable to detect their pregnancy for up to 2 to 3 months of them being pregnant.

Therefore, it is always advisable to read reviews before purchasing a pregnancy test kit. Try not to go for a cheap and nasty one. You may be saving money but increasing your anxiousness at the same time.

In conclusion, if you have a missed period and the pregnancy test result is negative, get blood test done. The blood test is a confirmatory test or your positive or negative pregnancy. You may also be offered a urine test done in the medical laboratory which will be a further confirmation.