Many women suspect that they are pregnant after they are day or two late on their periods. By day 12, they are almost certain that they are pregnant, even if they are not showing any outward symptoms. However, when they take a pregnancy test and it shows a negative result, women may wonder if the test is faulty or if they may have another health condition that is causing their delayed menstrual cycle. Before they panic, they should understand some of the reasons that a pregnancy test may give a negative reading, especially with being 12 days late.
Of course, it may be logical to assume that the test is faulty or has such poor quality that it is not giving an accurate reading. It is true that sub-par tests can be found for sale in supermarkets and discount stores. If a woman suspects that the test is just poorly made or faulty, she should invest in one made by a name brand company and one that perhaps cost a bit more, but also is known to give more accurate results. In fact, these higher quality tests are often used by doctors and health care professionals in their own clinics, which is why many people prefer these brands in the first place.
However, if even a higher brand test is giving a negative result, it could stem from the quality of urine being used. Women are advised to use their first morning urine and not take the test later in the day. A woman’s first morning urine is often more concentrated and does not contain a day’s worth of contaminants like medications and caffeine. Taking the test first thing in the morning often gives the most accurate reading and the fastest results, in fact.
Anytime a sexually active woman is substantially late in her menstrual cycle, it is reasonable for her to assume that she may be pregnant. Some women by day 12 of being late begin exhibit signs of early pregnancy, such as having to use the bathroom more often, feeling fatigued by midday, and heaviness or soreness in her breasts. Some women also develop noticeable veins in their chests and abdomens, tell-tale signs that they are pregnant. However, some women display no signs of early pregnancy and instead feel as fit as ever. These women can be confused when they take a test and it gives a negative reading.
In fact, by day 12 of an early pregnancy, a woman is considered to be close to four weeks pregnant. An ultrasound can typically pick up on the developing baby’s heartbeat and may show a faint outline of the fetus. With that, it would be reasonable to assume that a simple over-the-counter test would give a positive result. However, some tests are compromised by factors like tainted urine, medications, and other chemical components. If a woman has been taking fertility pills, for example, the test may be unable to detect the needed level of hCG in her urine to give an accurate reading.
Likewise, if a woman has been using illegal drugs like marijuana or cocaine, the test may be compromised by the presence of these chemicals in her urine. Ideally, women should test their urine after they have abstained from taking medications or drinking caffeine products for at least 12 hours. The quality of urine will be better and the test will be able to detect if any hCG, the hormone produced by the body during early to mid-pregnancy, is present, indicating that the woman is indeed pregnant.
When women suspect that they may be pregnant, they may be alarmed when they begin spotting around day 12 of their missed periods. In fact, spotting in early pregnancy is quite common. It usually occurs because of the embryo attaching itself to the uterine wall. However, sometimes spotting occurs because of an impending miscarriage or because a woman has injured herself. If a woman is getting a negative test result each time she takes a pregnancy test around day 12, the spotting may be happening because her period is about to start.
In fact, a number of factors can cause a period to be delayed to this extent. Being seriously ill with infections like the flu, pneumonia, or even severe gastroenteritis can cause a woman to miss her normal menstrual cycle start date. Her body’s systems have been thrown off because of the illness, and all of her body’s energy has been focused on helping her recover from whatever disease with which she was afflicted. After her body recuperates, it then resumes its normal systems, including her menstrual cycle. The spotting could be a sign that her menstrual cycle is about to begin.
If a woman has not been sick, yet is 12 days late and spotting, she could be in the earliest stages of pregnancy. It may be that her pregnancy is just now attaching itself to the uterine wall or that the pregnancy is about to miscarry. Many women who are late and begin spotting in early pregnancy actually do not realize that they were ever pregnant. They dismiss the spotting as a delayed period. However, in reality the spotting is the start of a miscarriage that more than likely will be followed by painful cramping and heavy flow. Doctors admit that a large percentage of pregnancies terminate in such a manner.