Negative Pregnancy Test - Causes And What To Do

Pregnancy is blissful for you when you wish to get pregnant. And to know whether you are pregnant or not, you use a Home Pregnancy Test Kit, which was invented in 1976. Usually, you do a pregnancy test when you miss a period. You worry a lot when you have a negative pregnancy test even after you have missed a period. And you want to know what is going on with you and whether you are really pregnant or something is wrong with you. Here are some reasons why you have a missed period even if your pregnancy test is negative:

Low hormone levels

There is good news for you if you are trying to conceive. You may be pregnant even if your pregnancy test report is negative. Sometimes, it happens due to the low level of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). Home pregnancy tests do not detect hCG when its level is low. 

As per one study of the National Library of Medicine, home pregnancy tests detect hCG when its level is above 25 mIU/mL (milli-international units per millilitre). A study of 1991 states that a pregnancy test would be able to detect hCG levels as low as 12.4 mIU/mL to detect 95% of pregnancies. At present, there is no home pregnancy test to detect hCG at its lower level. 

As a mom-to-be, you do not need to worry about your negative pregnancy test. You should wait for a few more days or a week and take a pregnancy test at home again. As per your wish, you can go for a lab test to confirm whether you are pregnant or not. 

Ectopic pregnancy 

Ectopic pregnancy is very rare. According to a study of PubMed Central, it occurs lower than 3% of all pregnancies. You should visit a gynaecologist when your pregnancy test is negative and you notice the following symptoms:

• Lightheadedness or dizziness 
• Spotting, cramping, or bleeding 
• Severe lower abdominal pain or chronic pain in one side of your abdomen 
• Vomiting, bloating and nausea  

Anovulation

You should be sure about your ovulation when you are trying to get pregnant. Ovulatory dysfunction or anovulation may be a reason for your missed period. It is one of the common causes of female infertility and occurs due to hormonal imbalances in a female body. You might have anovulation due to:

• PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)
• Low or excessive body weight 
• Stress 
• Thyroid issues 

Breastfeeding 

If you are breastfeeding your baby, it can be a reason behind your irregular periods or missed periods. After giving birth to a child, your period returns. However, having normal periods after the child's delivery takes some time. With time, there is a change in your baby feeding. Your frequency to breastfeed your child increases during the day and at night. And this increase affects your menstrual cycle.   

Certain medications 

Certain medications such as birth control pills can cause you to have a missed or irregular menstrual cycle. The medicines you take to manage your allergy and regulate your blood pressure can disrupt your menstrual cycles. You should take your medicines after consulting a respective doctor.  

POI (Primary ovarian insufficiency) 

POI, also acknowledged as premature ovarian failure, a reproductive health condition in which the ovaries of a female stop working before she turns 40. Due to this, reduction in egg count starts earlier. If you have POI, you can experience:

• Irregular periods 
• Pain during sexual intercourse 
• Night sweats, fatigue, or hot flushes 
• Infertility 
• Mood swings 
• Sexual dysfunction
• Vaginal dryness

 At Archish IVF Clinic, we are keen to help you resolve all your queries on infertility, missed period, and negative pregnancy tests. After booking your appointment with one of our respective doctors, we can help you get rid of reproductive health issues and move forward to your family expansion plan.