Help - is this actually possible ?

[MenopauseMaud]

I am feeling really stupid and confused....

Am 45 and went through what I assumed was peri menopause and then menopause in the last year... Blood tests confirmed peri and then my last period was in May. POAS then, just to be sure - was negative and just assumed menopause had arrived. Didn't go to doctor as was feeling really good (after HORROR peri symptoms everything just calmed down). Also important to add DH and I didn't have sex from May until September as he was posted overseas (army).

We married when I was 40.. Tried to conceive for 4 years and then when the peri started we both accepted it wasn't to be.

Anyway, last maybe 8 weeks upper abdomen has progressively grown in size and hardness making me LOOK seriously pregnant...like about six months gone. no weight gain anywhere else, no other pregnancy symptoms at all apart from this and I just stupidly assumed it was middle aged weight gain and have been trying very unsuccessfully to shift it.

So....it hasn't shifted...so tonight-just to rule it out - I POAS... A VERY old stick I found at the back of a drawer ...expired I think? And the result is below. Is that positive? How can it be positive if so? Can an expired test give a false positive? Can menopause hormones give a false positive? Can cancer? Am I just seeing an evaporation line?

Obviously need to do another (non expired) test/see a doctor ... But none of that can happen until tomorrow so I have turned to mumsnet. Honestly, I don't think i CAN be pregnant so what is going on?????

Foggymist - yes, this confuses me too... The lack of periods makes it impossible to calculate. Trying to work something out (if I AM pregnant) and it seems the most far along I could be is 5-6 months....

I would suggest that you phone your women's health unit at your local hospital. Explain the situation and ask for advise. They might be able to scan you asap. Otherwise you need to see your GP as an urgent appointment. If you are really that far along then you need to seek medical advise asap.
In the meantime you could get a clearblue digital test which tells you how many weeks you are lol. Might at least make it all the more real as it will say 'pregnant' on the test!

It looks positive! I swear by digital ones! Keep us updated!!

Thanks everyone for your responses- off to bed now (not in UK so it is later) will update tomorrow when I have POAS again... Still can't get my head around this x

I think
It's positive!

I think it's positive exciting !!!

How exciting, hope it all works out for the best. Oh and would love to see the bump.pic!

Personally I think you're only early on as the line isn't super dark. Maybe try a FRER test too. 😊

I might be wrong but I don't think the strength of the line can be relied upon to indicate gestation accurately as it can appear faint later in pregnancy due to being overwhelmed by too much hormone- sometimes you have to dilute your urine to get a stronger line if that's the case...

Someone more knowledgable than me can perhaps confirm?
I think the only way to know for sure (once you get a bfp on an in-date test) is a scan!

Ah northernlurker- it might just be that-anything else feels surreal

Good luck.

Hope all goes well!

How exciting. It does look positive to me but a new one is the answer.

Really hoping this turns out the way you want it to OP!

Fingers crossed for the result you want in the morning.

Hope you get the result you want tomorrow.

Looks positive! Good luck for tomorrow OP!

Not place marking... nope.
Have you told DH?

Oh wow op. What a shock for you. I don't think you will sleep much tonight!!

good luck and keep us posted

Good luck

Looks positive to me 😊

Looks positive to me Maud !

And I am SHAMELESSLY placemarking.

Good luck!

If it's an out of date test you cant rely on the results. Isn't there an late night shop open you could get to?

I too am shamelessly place marking. Keep us posted!