When the BFP is actually a BFN...

[Maraudingmarauders]

Been TTC for 6 months (not doing proper tracking or anything but using a period log - Flo - to roughly track my cycle etc). Always reliably on schedule for my period since coming off the combined pill - 29days on the dot usually.
This month I'm 5 days late, skin has exploded (spots everywhere 😭), nipples are super tender and I've got serious cramps, and yesterday had a stabbing pain in my left ovary area).
According to Flo I ovulated around 9th December and definitely DTD around that time.
Was 100% sure I'd get a BFP on my clear blue (the ones that state words) although admittedly I didn't use first morning wee.

Big fat Not Pregnant.

Is that end of the road for this month? Likely to be a chemical or similar followed by bleeding in a few days, or is it worth buying more tests and keep testing for a few days? I feel totally out of my depth with all this. I read all these threads and have little to no idea what half of the jargon means. I honestly thought you got a test, and you were either pregnant or not and that was it - and if you miscarried it would be pretty obvious! So now I'm just confused... And slightly worried in case something sinister is going on, I've literally never been late...

I'm 33 and first time TTC.

I'm sorry, it's really stressful. The only times I was ever late was when trying to conceive, I think the worry just impacted my cycles..
I'm not sure why you think it could be a chemical, you might just be late..
I took the approach of believing the tests even though it's the last thing I wanted..

You may have ovulated later than usual this cycle. It can happen for a number of reasons, illness, stress etc.
Cycle tracking apps are known for being wildly inaccurate about ovulation dates, if you are basing when you ovulated solely on an app (without ovulation tests) there is a good chance you didn’t ovulate when it says you did.

No idea really, I just read that sometimes it happens without you even really knowing and wondered if it had and might have pushed my cycle out. Probably not but who knows. It really is just very very odd for me to even be a day late.

I'm not too cut up though obviously disappointed. I'm a pretty practical person which is why I'd be surprised if stress had knocked it out. Far more stressful things (for me) have happened and my cycle has remained regular. Even when I've had hair falling out and eczema flare ups from stress. I'd actually said to myself I wasn't too bothered if I hit this cycle, due to wanting to enjoy consumption during Christmas, and would start again with some actual effort in the new year. This has just thrown me off kilter a little with not understanding what's going on.
I think I'll test again tomorrow with my first wee and then leave it and see what happens. I just want to know for Nye to see if I can drink 🤣 (obviously I'd rather have a baby than a drink, but I'd hate to abstain and then start bleeding the next day)
Thanks ladies for the support. It's such a minefield and I hate hate hate not knowing what's going on - I'm a huge planner and bit of a control freak, which is why I've avoided tracking too carefully as I think I'd have the tendency to obsess. Perhaps the right route for 2023 though ...

Honestly, I was the same. Huge stressors and my cycle was never delayed until trying to conceive. Chemical pregnancies do happen but I wouldn't be thinking like that unless you'd got a positive test..
For ovulation you're better checking ewcm, using ovulation tests and checking bbt than going with the apps, they can be so inaccurate..
Lots of luck

I agree with above that apps on their own are fairly useless, unless you know your cycles are clockwork. Even if you're always regular, without tracking for at least one cycle I'd say its still not possible to be entirely sure when ovulation likely occurs as even luteal phases can differ from person to person. Like you, I like to have some control over things and ttc is a logistical nightmare and there really is only limited control you can have over it. I would recommend tracking if you think its not going to negatively affect you, it has really helped me. I used to just go by signs my body would give like ewcm, twinges and timings but I learnt quite quickly I was way off some cycles. I can get quite obsessive as well, to put it mildly 😅 but tracking doesn't necessarily have to suck the fun out of ttc.

Also, digital tests aren't as sensitive as others, so I'd recommend getting a different dye test to see if anything comes up x

Well AF arrived this evening 🙄 so at least I'm not in limbo. Annoyed I used one of my expensive tests now.
Thank you everyone for reassuring me! On to the next cycle, and perhaps some proper tracking.