how many days after conception can you test?

[AFierceBadRabbit]

Hi there, I have a problem!

Am not actually prepared for or planning pregnancy so quite scared.

My period was already week late when my partner and took a rare risk. Since then I have still not come on so to date my period is around 3 weeks late.

There was only that one time it could have been possible for me to conceive (didn't have sex previous month at all) and I was already late. Could I have been ovulating late and got pregnant that night?

We didn't do the 'full deed' either - just a momentary fit of passion then pulled out, but who knows!

My main question is, if it is 11 days since we had sex and I did conceive, would a test show this early?

[AFierceBadRabbit]

Oh if it helps I am 43.
Periods usually on the early rather than late side, and fairly regular.

[SleepFreeZone]

Periods can start to get irregular in your forties due to peri menopause. I would doubt you are pregnant so my advice would be to go get a test.

[AFierceBadRabbit]

Thanks Sleep!
Quite terrified as we are self employed and really struggling right now.

So would the test not be too early?

[SleepFreeZone]

The earliest I've ever got a positive is 9 days after conception. Honestly it's so difficult to get pregnant at our age even if you are actively trying and having unprotected sex nightly. They way you describe it I would've amazed if youve fallen pregnant.

[AFierceBadRabbit]

Thanks, this does ease my mind a bit.
When I first did a mumsnet search for pregnancy at 40+ it honestly looked like tons were conceiving!

[haveacupoftea]

11 days would probably give you a fairly reliable result with a First Response. 14 days after sex and if you've got a negative test you're 99.9% not pregnant. Agree with PP it's pretty unlikely though but stranger things have happened.

[AFierceBadRabbit]

My mum just told me she knows many people who get pregnant at my age.
I will probably do a test at the weekend, which will make it 14 days since the possible conception.

Thanks for your help:)

[haveacupoftea]

It's not even really your age as such, even women in their twenties often spend months tracking their cycles and having sex all through their fertile week and it still takes a few months or more. You don't seem to have sex during your fertile window and correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems your partner actually pulled out before finishing? Which makes the chances of conception really very low indeed.

Are you sure you don't want to be pregnant? You seem quite adamant that it's a possibility. There's no shame in hoping for a positive test.

[AFierceBadRabbit]

I'm actually terrified as we never planned to have any and I am due for a year of massive changes (house move, work related travel, etc).

I wouldn't be ashamed either way, but being 43 and no experience of pregnancy or children i'm still the youngest of a fairly small family) there's definitely a lot of fear! Perhaps I suspect it because I fear it? I don't know.

I'm just not usually late. Do get wonky cycles sometimes but mostly early or normal.

I do see what you mean though. It probably wold be very unlikely. I guess I need to do a test but still unsure when as many threads say it can take up to 6 weeks to avoid false negatives.

[AFierceBadRabbit]

gosh so many typos today!