Not really aibu — copper coil removed, missed period!

[LMBoston]

Hi, posted this in health yesterday but it was a billy-no-mates post so will try again here!

Just in need of some advice/reassurance — I’m worried I could be pregnant at 48 but am probably flapping over nowt!

Timeline of events:
Last period started 5th April
Last sex 21st April
Ovulated 22nd April (I know due to severe ovulation pain)
Copper coil removed after 6 years on 25th April — it was causing constant BV, ugh, and I made a private gynae appointment to get it out after GP struggled. Booked and paid for it 3 weeks ahead so when she said on the day there was a small risk of pregnancy (“unlikely but not impossible”), I couldn’t face losing all that money and having to wait another however many weeks to get the bloody thing out!

My cycle has been a bit erratic over the last year, no doubt due to my age, periods between 26-32 days and recently a short luteal phase of 9-10 days between ovulation and period. So I expected my period around the beginning of May… but it still hasn’t arrived!

I’ve done 4 (!) pregnancy tests over the last week, all negative. I’m kicking myself for having sex less than 5 days before my coil was removed — it honestly didn’t occur to me that this would be a risk, as I assumed all the sperm would be destroyed by the copper within the 3 days before it was taken out (if that makes sense).

So — is there a chance I’ve tested too early (I’d have conceived on the 26th April, so 19 days ago)? Never tried to conceive so I don’t know much about dates etc, sorry 😬 I feel very hormonal, sore boobs etc, and have been cramping since it was taken out, and keep thinking surely I’ll start but nope!

(Have just done another test, negative again!)

If the tests are negative, you're not pregnant. Most likely just your system getting back to normal after the coil or you're menopausal or both.

Ha, thanks @Camillasfagwrinkles, that is exactly the kind of common sense I need to hear 😄 thank you!

If you have a negative test 3 weeks after the last episode of unprotected sex you can assume you’re not pregnant.

2-3 weeks after unprotected sex is a bit of a grey area - unlikely to be pregnant but still possible to test negative.

I think the chances are you’re not pregnant and your cycles are becoming irregular at age 48. Test again in 2 days and then relax if it’s negative. You still need contraception though for 2 years after your last period so don’t throw caution to the wind yet!

@Sidge thank you 😊 that’s what I was worrying about, whether it was too early to get a positive. I’ll do one more test in a couple of days then put my brain out of gear… it’s costing me a bloody (ho ho) fortune!

I wonder if the couple of days bleeding after coil removal thinned the lining so much that there was nothing left to have a period with? I’ve never missed one totally, hence the panic!

Thanks again 👍

I had a copper coil removed last year a couple of days before my period was due. I assumed I would have my period as normal as no hormones are involved but it was almost 2 weeks late. Which had me in a panic even though I hadn't had sex for over a week before having it removed.
I think sometimes when you start worrying about being pregnant it can cause you to get stressed which can delay your period even more.

@AnnotherReader that is very reassuring, thank you. I’ve (obviously 😅) googled it all and a late/missed period after copper coil removal does seem to be a thing. It makes no sense! Perhaps the body just thinks wtf, hang fire here, after having a piece of metal yanked out of it after many years!

Copper coul removed - irregular periods