Why is my period late and the pregnancy test negative?

These are both seemingly contradicting situations. Hence, we should look at two scenarios. First, consider why your period is late if you are not pregnant. And the second consider why your pregnancy test is negative if you have actually missed a period and are pregnant. These are only guidelines and you must consult your doctor or have a blood pregnancy test done to confirm either situation.

Reasons for why your period might be late or missed.

There are various reasons for your period to be late and the pregnancy test to be negative. As far as your period being late, are many possibilities for explaining a missed or delayed period. In most women of childbearing age, pregnancy is the first guess. If your pregnancy test is negative and you are sure that you are not pregnant, here are some other causes for missed or delayed periods that you could consider:

Stress is major cause of missed or delayed periods. Stress interferes with the normal hormonal signals from your brain and it can block ovulation. This causes your cycles to become irregular.
Thyroid problems also, again by interfering with the normal hormonal pathways, can lead to a late period.
Being overweight or underweight can also interfere with your normal menstrual cycle.
If you are on birth control pills or DepoProvera, the medication itself may make periods disappear. It is okay to not have periods when you are taking these medications, but it is not okay to not have periods without any medicines.
In most women, premature menopause is a very remote possibility. A measurement of the FSH blood level on the third day of your cycle will give clues as to whether you should consider menopause as a probable cause.

If your period does not arrive within a couple of weeks, you can repeat the pregnancy test and make an appointment with your gynecologist. Usually after a discussion of your medical history, a physical exam and perhaps a couple of blood tests, the reason for missed periods can be identified and corrected.

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Reasons for a negative pregnancy test.

Also, keep in mend that home pregnancy tests are not fool proof. There is a chance that you have missed your period and are actually pregnant. If this is so, then your pregnancy test result is a false negative. A false negative result can be caused due to many reasons, like :

Early detection attempt
One reason for a false negative pregnancy test could be that you took the test too early. Pregnancy tests vary in their sensitivity which means how soon they can detect the hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. It is possible that although your ovum might be fertilized, meaning you may be pregnant, but your body has not started secreting enough Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) for the test to measure. Your body needs time for the hormone to rise to a high enough level to be detected in a test.
Erratic technique
There is a possibility that while using the home pregnancy test strip you either did not dip it well or did not hold it well in your urine stream. This error in technique may give false negative results.
Missed reaction time
For accuracy in home pregnancy tests it is essential that you read the test results in the stipulated reaction time. If you let the test sit for too long (after the instructions on the box tell you), the test is invalid. This may cause it to show false negative results.

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kbee

I have a very regular cycle and I am now 3 days late. I took a pregnancy test first thing this morning and it showed not pregnant (Clearblue test). I have had nausea going on 3 weeks now and that is the only symptom I am having. Could I be pregnant? When should I retest?
earthsmagic

I would suggest waiting a day and testing again. It could be that your cycle has been thrown off for some reason. Typical things that can make your period not start as it should are stress, illness, changes in your schedule, changes in medicine you are taking, and hormonal changes. If you period still hasn’t shown up and you don’t get a positive result on a pregnancy test, it would be advisable for you to visit your doctor to see if there is something going on with your system.
Rawia Lequan

I had my period last month on time. My husband and I just started trying to get pregnant. Two weekend ago iwas very sick with vomiting. My body temp below the navel is very warm, I’m sleeping a lot, eating more thought the day, bathroom visit at least 1-6 times a day, and below the navel I am in pain. The pain does not feel like period crams or like being gassy. I took two test three weeks ago one said positive very faintly the other was negative. I just got two test from the store and the both came out negative. What should I do and or ask the doctor?

My mom told me she had this problem prior to giving birth to me for the first three months of her pregnancy with me.
earthsmagic

If your period is very late, I would suggest that you go to your doctor to see if a cause can be determined. You will want to make sure your doctor knows what happened with your mother when she was pregnant with you. It is not common for pregnancy tests to show negative and someone to be pregnant but I know it does happen.
danielle

Hi have my period the 4 of every month and it have not show up .i took three pregnancy test it say negative i wake up this morning find little spot of blood on my pantie what going,on
earthsmagic

It could be that your period is just going to be late this month for some reason. There are a lot of things that can cause a delay like stress, your weight, starting or stopping new medications, birth control, and medical issues like PCOS. If your period doesn’t show back up soon, a visit to your doctor might be in order.
Danielle

I was never on birth control bill
billy

my gf has had a very stressful month and usually gets her period between the 14th and 16th. she tested negative the 14th and 15th and she still has no period. she has had no signs of her period at all. what are the odds she is pregnant today is the 17th
sri

My period was on 4th Feb 2013. I had little bleeding on 9th of March i thought it would be my period later it did not continue. I did my pregnancy test on 17th and result was negative and later after a week again i tested the result showed negative but i have not got my period. Kindly advise me what to do.
earthsmagic

Stress can really mess with a cycle. Unfortunately, short of getting her period or a positive pregnancy test, there isn’t an easy way to find out if she is pregnant.
earthsmagic

Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can recommend other than to go and see your doctor to try and figure out what is going on with your cycle. It could be that your system is hormonally out of whack for some reason. Your doctor should be able to help you figure out what is going on with your system.
sandra

Well I have a small problem. Don’t remember when I got my period on February all I know it was between the 20 and 28 and I knew I was late because I was suppose to get it the 19 prior to that I had just beeabout 2 months that I stop taking bbirth control …. so on March 16 I had protected sex… but I been feeling kinda weird cramps fir about a week and a half ….felt so bloated like my stomach was sticking out like crazy…every time I ate just a bit I felt full and felt nauseous … the bbloating has ccalmed down.and so has the nausea …but since im not sure when I got my period im either late oor not … I calculated that if I got my period on the 28 I should get it on the9 of April I took 2 pregnancy. Test one on April 3 and another today the 6…both came out negative…but now im just confused
earthsmagic

Unfortunately due to you not knowing exactly when your period was due, it’s hard to take any guess. Your symptoms could have been period related or a bug that you were fighting. Chances are the negative test is right and the stress is delaying things for you. If you don’t get your period, taking additional tests may be in order, or if you find that you are really really late, a visit to your doctor might be in order.
Lil miss

My boyfriend and I are trying to get pregnant I had a little over a four week cycle most of my life in February it became a 3 week or less cycle its been since march 10 th since I had a period my ovulation predictor says I’m 15 days late but I’ve taken 3 test and there negative why is this
earthsmagic

There are a lot of things that can cause a delay like stress, your weight, losing or gaining weight, starting or stopping new medications, birth control, and medical issues like PCOS. If your period doesn’t show back up soon, a visit to your doctor might be in order.
worried nuisance

My fiancé and I are trying to conceive. I was on birth-control pills until late January of this year, my periods have been regular until now, my last period was April 2, and now im a few days late, I took a pregnancy test and it was negative, but my appetite has really picked up lately, so has my drinking habit, I also have been eating sunflower seeds every night, I have been having lower back pain, not to mention the sleeping. I am a plus sized woman. Should I retest?
http://www.earthsmagic.com/ Vickie B.

Testing again would be a good idea. If the period doesn’t arrive and you continue getting a negative pregnancy test, I would go to the doctor to see if your hormones are off.
Worried

My period is irregular and my last period was on march 26 and I still have not gotten my period since then I took a pregnancy test it came negative .. Should I take a retest I’m so confused
http://www.earthsmagic.com/ Vickie B.

Unfortunately, continued taking of pregnancy test can get a bit expensive. When you say irregular, do you mean varying number of days in your cycle, but you still have them about once a month, or do you mean you totally skip months? You might want to visit your doctor about your irregularity to see if there is something going on that they may be able to help.
Worried

Irregular cycles
http://www.earthsmagic.com/ Vickie B.

Do you mean 1) varying number of days in your cycle each month – like 24 days one month, 40 days the next month or 2) Have your period in January and not have another one until several months later?
happy

My last period is last April 30 and i should be having my period on the 2nd but until now its not coming. There were spottings on my panty. My schedule in work changes from day to night shift. Is it safe to say I’m just delayed?
http://www.earthsmagic.com/ Vickie B.

Did you take a pregnancy test? That would be a good start. Your change in schedule could definitely mess up your cycle though so that could be the cause.
Lulu

Hello,
I’ve always had irregular periods. Sometimes without it for 2 months, sometimes 20 days apart…

I’ve been to doctors for this, and have done many tests but they all
seem to think there’s nothing I can do abou it except for taking the
pill and regulating it.

Anyways, my last period was in mid February, now it’s 5/8, and still no period.

I had unprotected sex once ( but not all the way) on th 10 th of April.

I’ve been taking home pregnancy tests every 2 days after 4/25, but it’s
still negative. The last one I took was on 5/5, negative.

I went to the doctors for my annual pap test last week, and she thinks it’s just that my period is late.

I hear about false negative tests, but for my first pregnancy, the
preggo test came back positive 18 days after unprotected sex. So Im not
sure what to make of this one.

My nipples are sore, and I’m a bit in a bad mood these days.

I also had a sinus infection early last month with a fever of 103, and
also got a giant ugly cold sore on my lip, so I’m thinking that may have
thrown my period off?

Do you think I can be pregnant? Or could this just be an irregular cycle…?

Doctor wants me to come in for blood test if I don’t get my period in
the next week… By the way, I just tested again this morning, 5/10, and it’s negative..
http://www.earthsmagic.com/ Vickie B.

Based on your history, I wouldn’t think that you are pregnant. Illness, stress, and medications can definitely throw off your cycle. I think the best bet is to wait and get a blood test if your period doesn’t come.
Hopeful11

Hi all
Hopeful11

Hello, my boyfriend and I are TTC. I’ve tested with the ovulation sticks for when I was ovulating and that’s about wen we got busy. An have been since. The ovulation test came back positive for about a week after that. I tested when I was 3 days late an it came back negative. My cycles are about 32 days and now I am 5 days late on my period. Should I call my gyno for a blood test or should I wait and assume its stress?
http://www.earthsmagic.com/ Vickie B.

I would go and visit your doctor. Typically, you should not be getting a positive ovulation test for a week straight. When you get a positive result, it usually means you will ovulate in 24 to 36 hours. If you’ve been having sex all through the week, the timing could have been fine. If you don’t get your period within the next week, a visit to the doctor may be in order.
Nadia

Hi, is it possibly too early to detect pregnancy if you took a pregnancy test on the day you should have got your period? I get my period on the 17 th of every month only ever lasting 2 to 3 days max I’ve been having a bit of nausea and was hoping it meant I was pregnant. The test did come back neg ( first morning urine) so now I’m feeling will disheartened. Is it common for the tests to give false negatives ..?

Last modified: February 10, 2013

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