Freaking Out Over a Missed Period

Dear LivingWell,

I need some help. I met this guy a few weeks ago and we hooked up. We used protection, but it’s been a little over a week since I should have started my period – and nothing. I’m starting to freak out a little bit thinking I might be pregnant. I’m not sure what to do. Can you help?

Freaking out over a missed period.

Dear Freaking out,

First, take a deep breath. And another. A missed period might mean you’re pregnant, and it might not.  Okay, now let’s talk a bit about your situation and figure out what your next steps might be.

Let’s start with some facts, things you might or might not already know but this will get us on the same page. First, no birth control is 100% effective. So if you had sex, there is the possibility you are pregnant. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but it’s a possibility. There are a few other things than we need to talk through to determine just how big that possibility is.

When was your last period?

Determining this will help calculate when your body was ovulating. It turns out that about 14 days after your last period, or just after the halfway point between periods, you are more likely to get pregnant. This isn’t a hard and fast rule and everyone’s body is different. But, if you have an idea if you had sex in this time frame, it can give you a better idea of the possibility of a pregnancy.

Is your body giving your pregnancy warning signs?

Once a pregnancy occurs the body starts changing pretty quickly. Other than a missed period, there are some tell-tale signs or symptoms that most women experience as the body undergoes these changes. Things like morning sickness or nausea (even at other times during the day), breasts that are more tender than normal, being overly tired, and having to go to the rest room a lot are a good indication you might be pregnant. Especially if you are having more than one symptom.

Did you take a pregnancy test?

If so, was the result positive? Often women take a pregnancy test and aren’t sure how reliable the results are. It is possible that a test indicates an inaccurate result, but that doesn’t happen often. When the result is inaccurate, it is often a false negative because the test may have been taken too early to determine the pregnancy based on hormone levels. If you had a positive test there is a very good chance you are pregnant.

Having said that, it doesn’t hurt to take another test just to be sure. LivingWell offers pregnancy tests and limited OB ultrasounds at no cost to our clients. If you think you’re pregnant we would love for you to come in for a test and to talk to one of our amazing client advocates. They are here to help you understand all of the options available to you should the test result be positive.

Please understand that it is important to get medical help early on in your pregnancy and rule out potential complications such as an ectopic pregnancy.  A missed period is a good sign for you to seek medical guidance.

Thanks for reaching out to us and please give us a call at 530.272.6800 if you would like to schedule an appointment.