Patient's question:
I get my period very regularly every month, it's always on the 28th or 29th. It's already the 2nd of this month and it hasn't come yet. On the 28th, I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. But now my period still hasn't arrived, and I've never had it delayed before. I really want to know if I'm pregnant now??Doctor's answer:
If you haven't had your period when expected and it's been over 7-10 days, you should consider pregnancy. It's recommended to use early pregnancy test strips. Instead of calculating based on the time of intercourse, clinically, the pregnancy is usually calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period. If the test shows two red lines, it indicates a positive result, suggesting pregnancy. However, you can also have a blood hCG test at the hospital 7 days after intercourse. If the test is negative or inconclusive, you should repeat the early pregnancy test after another 7 days. Morning urine tests are the best. The most common sign of pregnancy is a missed period. If your periods are usually regular and you had intercourse without using contraception, you should suspect pregnancy when your period is delayed by 10 days. If your periods are irregular, you should look for other symptoms.Women of childbearing age who have regular menstrual cycles should consider pregnancy if they miss a period. After a missed period, symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, sleepiness, chills, loss of appetite, varying degrees of nausea, food cravings (e.g., a preference for sour foods or aversion to greasy or strong-smelling foods), changes in appetite and preferences (e.g., suddenly wanting one thing one moment and something else the next, losing interest in foods you usually enjoy while developing a craving for foods you previously disliked), and even vomiting may occur. Severe cases may also include breast tenderness, darkening and tingling of the nipples and areolas, and frequent urination. These symptoms generally indicate pregnancy.