Can you still be pregnant and have a negative test

If you feel as though you’re pregnant but got a negative home pregnancy test result, your symptoms could be down to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or you may have taken the test too early.

Can a pregnancy test be wrong?

It is possible to get a false negative on a pregnancy test (where the test says you're not pregnant, even though you are), particularly if you've tested before your period is due. If you've just had one negative result, you could try waiting for a few days and testing again, just to be sure.

Could there be another reason for my symptoms?

If you've waited until after your period was due, and multiple tests have come up negative, it's unlikely that you're pregnant. There's probably another explanation for the symptoms you're experiencing, such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Read on to find out what could make you feel pregnant when you're not.

How accurate are pregnancy tests?

Midwife Caron Cooch explains how soon after a missed period you can take a pregnancy test and how to do it properly.More getting pregnant videos

Here are some of the most common pregnancy symptoms, with other possible reasons you might feel them:

Missed period

Your period could be late for a number of reasons, including stress, being over- or under-weight, or polycystic ovary syndrome. Learn more about what causes late periods and when to see your GP.

Tender breasts

If your breasts are more sensitive than usual, this could be a sign of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Many women find their breasts become a little tender before their period arrives. If you're trying to conceive, it's only natural to pay extra attention to how your body is feeling, so you may notice this tenderness more than usual.

Less commonly, sore breasts can be a sign of a condition such as mastitis (which can happen even if you're not breastfeeding). If the pain is very bad, your breast looks red or swollen, or you also have a temperature, see your GP.

Cramps or bloating

As with tender breasts, tummy cramps or bloating can also be a sign that your period is on its way. If it lasts beyond your period, it could be a sign of illness, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). See your GP if the pain is getting worse, keeps coming back, or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as bleeding, discharge, or pain when using the toilet.

Fatigue

Tiredness is yet another classic PMS syndrome. It can also be associated with depression or anxiety – both common among people who are trying to conceive. If you're suffering from low mood, your GP can help.

Some medical conditions can also cause extreme tiredness, such as anaemia (iron deficiency), diabetes, or an underactive thyroid. If you're feeling tired all the time, and getting plenty of rest and sleep doesn't help, see your GP.

Morning sickness

Nausea and vomiting could be due to a simple tummy bug, usually caused by either food poisoning or a virus. If so, it should get better on its own within a few days. In the meantime, call in sick to work, and be sure to keep your fluids up to avoid dehydration. If you're still vomiting after two days, see your GP.

Frequent urination

Women in the early stages of pregnancy often need to wee more often, due to pregnancy hormones. However, it can also happen if you have a condition such as a urinary tract infection (UTI) or diabetes. If you're finding that you need to wee more often than usual, see your GP.

If you've been trying to conceive for a while without success, it may be worth seeing your GP for a fertility check-up. If you're 35 or younger, you and your partner can usually get fertility tests if you've been trying for at least a year. If you're over 35, see your GP sooner than this – they may offer tests after about six months of trying.

More information:

• Read our expert tips on how to cope with not conceiving.
• Learn more about how to get a fertility test.
• Find out what a faint line on a pregnancy test really means.

Polly Logan-Banks is an experienced editor with a keen interest in producing evidence-based content. Polly is passionate about ensuring that every child gets the best start in life.

There is a very small chance that you can still get a negative pregnancy test result even a week after your period is due because your body is producing low levels of the hCG hormone.

A negative pregnancy test

So, you’ve got a negative pregnancy test result. If you’re hoping to have a baby, it’s a real letdown.

Does a negative pregnancy test mean that you are not pregnant? The answer is – it depends. Maybe you did the test too early.

Trying to get pregnant is pretty exciting and, if you’re anything like me, it’s absolutely impossible to wait a whole two weeks or more till your period is due before doing a pregnancy test, so you’ll go for the most sensitive test you can and try to find out as early as possible.

It’s disappointing when you get a negative pregnancy test result – but, if you did do the test more than a day or two before your period is due, there’s often that question in the back of your mind – maybe I am pregnant?

What do I do after having a negative pregnancy test?

Pregnancy tests are not the only signs that you are pregnant; sometimes, negative pregnancy test or not, you’ll spot other early pregnancy symptoms, like extreme tiredness, swollen and tender breasts.

Unfortunately, these are sometimes pre-menstrual signs too – so they’re not the most reliable indication.

If you are really hoping to be pregnant, it’s easy to mentally reject a negative pregnancy test result and convince yourself that you really ARE pregnant.

While it’s understandable, you might be setting yourself up for even bigger disappointment if you then find out you’re definitely NOT pregnant.

The best thing to do after a negative pregnancy test is wait until three days after your period would normally be due – and take another test.

Dealing with disappointment after having a negative pregnancy test

If you’ve been trying for a baby and you’re faced with a negative pregnancy test result, it’s easy to get disheartened.

But try to keep in mind that the average couple in the peak of fertility, in their mid-twenties, will take on average four months before they fall pregnant.

When you think about all the factors that have to be in place for humans to fall pregnant, it’s amazing to think that six billion of us have actually made it to the planet.

And in the vast majority of cases, it took more than one or two months for the parents of every one of those six billion people to fall pregnant.

If you’ve have been trying to fall pregnant for six months or more and all you get is negative pregnancy test results, it’s wise to make an appointment with your doctor to make sure everything is OK.

What do I do if my period is late, but I’ve had a negative pregnancy test?

Periods aren’t always the most reliable things in the world. There’s lots of reasons why your period might be late. You might be pregnant – definitely a good reason for not getting your period on time.

But maybe you’re stressed (about being pregnant, or about not being pregnant) – which, ironically, is a big cause of irregular menstruation.

Other common reasons your period might be late include: illness (eg if you’ve had the flu); excessive weight-loss or weight gain over a short period; high levels of exercise; and various other reasons including thyroid problems or hormonal imbalance.

If you feel that you might be pregnant and your period is more than a week late, but you are still getting a negative pregnancy test result, make an appointment with your doctor.

There is a very small chance that you can still get a negative pregnancy test result even a week after your period is due because your body is producing low levels of the hCG hormone.

But if you’ve waited, re-tested (and you’re sure you’ve got the dates right), the best thing to do is to talk to your doctor to work out whether you are actually pregnant – or perhaps need to figure out why your menstrual cycle has become irregular.

For more information see conception.

By Fran Molloy, journalist and mum of four

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The information published herein is intended and strictly only for informational, educational, purposes and the same shall not be misconstrued as medical advice. If you are worried about your own health, or your child’s well being, seek immediate medical advice. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website. Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries assumes no liability for the interpretation and/or use of the information contained in this article. Further, while due care and caution has been taken to ensure that the content here is free from mistakes or omissions, Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information here, and to the extent permitted by law, Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries do not accept any liability or responsibility for claims, errors or omissions.

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