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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Any way I could be pregnant?

14 replies

user1487176119 · 15/02/2017 16:46

Here goes...

I'm on the pill, and after missing too many pills in the last pack I had the week's break and started the new one last week (knowing that for the first week I wouldn't be protected). After taking it for 5 days, I had sex using no other protection but he didn't come in me. The following day I had some spotting (which I never normally get, and I've been on the pill for years) and an on/off PMS style tummy ache for a few days, and now I'm feeling nauseous as well...

Although I suspect it's highly likely I'm not pregnant, there's a niggling worry that I may be and this really wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have a horrific phobia of anything and everything relating to hospitals. I also suffer from anxiety which has caused tummy ache/nausea in the past, so it could just be that I'm stressing about it and the symptoms are from that instead - but the spotting is very unusual for me.

I also realise that it seems unlikely to have any symptoms so early, but then some people say they did have them.

Any insights/advice?? (obvs I could take a pregnancy test but not for a few weeks, this is stressing me out now!)

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arbrighton · 15/02/2017 16:52

spotting more likely linked to missed pills

Original poster

user1487176119 · 15/02/2017 17:17

@arbrighton really? It's never happened before, and I've deffo mucked up my pills in the past...

OP posts:

NapQueen · 15/02/2017 17:21

Maybe you need a different contraceptive if you are so bad at remembering to take the pill

AHedgehogCanNeverBeBuggered · 15/02/2017 18:20

I agree, way too early for pg symptoms, it'll be due to the hormone swings from missing a few pills. If you're at all unwell or fighting off a cold (even with no symptoms) your body may respond more drastically to hormone changes than it normally would.

Incidentally you seem quite blase about contraceptive risks, are you sure you aren't subconsciously trying to get pg? Not necessarily a bad thing unless your partner doesn't know the risk he's taking

Graphista · 15/02/2017 18:26

Agree a different contraceptive might suit you better if you definitely don't want to get pregnant but then why not take extra precautions as is the advice whenever you miss a pill?

I was on it for years and my first pregnancy I was taking properly (no missed no stomach upset no antibiotics) every contraceptive has a failure rate even if taken properly.

Spotting could well be from pill but could also be from a pregnancy implanting. Given your anxieties pop to gp to discuss

Changing contraception
Possible blood test for pregnancy which can give earlier results sometimes.

Or else you'll just have to wait and see.

calimommy · 16/02/2017 05:54

Your nausea could be due to the hormones from the pill being 'out of cycle'

Original poster

user1487176119 · 17/02/2017 11:16

Thanks for the responses! I suspect it's just my mind flying out of control...

I can't change contraceptive because I couldn't have an implant, coil etc (thanks to phobias) and generally I am very good with pills, in the past when I messed them up I just didn't have sex.

OP posts:

AHedgehogCanNeverBeBuggered · 17/02/2017 18:49

Condoms? Depo injection?

Original poster

user1487176119 · 17/02/2017 19:03

If I could have an injection I would, but I just can't (otherwise the possibility of being pregnant would be great!)

Honestly me taking the pills is rarely a problem - just this once, and I'm 99% sure nothing has come of it.

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BertieBotts · 17/02/2017 19:43

Several things.

First it's way too early to have any symptoms relating to pregnancy. To get pregnant your sperm has to meet the egg which can happen up to 5 days after sex. (In your case I'd say up to 2 days, since the pill should prevent ovulation reliably once you have 7 days' worth in your system) Then it has to actually implant in the uterus wall. This happens 6-11 days later. Only then will your hormone levels start rising, it still takes a few days for them to get high enough to cause any symptoms.

People reporting pregnancy symptoms 2 days after conception are, honestly, mistaken. It's just not medically possible. The fertilised egg isn't even attached to your body at that point. You are not physically pregnant.

Second, I'm a bit confused about what you meant by missing "too many" pills in a pack. Obviously, whatever is on the leaflet in the packet trumps anything you read online, but generally the advice is geared around not missing more than one pill in a row and/or not missing a pill too close to either end of the pack. Could you explain what happened with which pills were missed on which days?

Thirdly, you're still well within the window to get the morning after pill, if you're concerned about the possibility of pregnancy. I believe it costs about £25 unless you're young in which case it's often free.

Lastly perhaps it would be worth looking into treatment options for the anxiety? I know what it's like to have fears like this and it can really hold you back and make you take risks with your health which can be extremely detrimental. I also know that even the thought of getting treatment for it is scary because it means you'll have to face it in the future, but the reality/likelihood is, you will have to face medical treatment at some point in your life. It makes sense to look into treatment for the phobia and anxiety now, while you don't have any pressing medical need than when you're really in need of it, under pressure and putting it off is making the problem worse. Better to work on a phobia like that when you actually have time and no pressure. It still doesn't mean that you would have to take options like the coil or have any treatment that you don't want to have but it does just mean that you'll be in for a less stressful time if you ever do get ill.

BertieBotts · 17/02/2017 19:44

Oh and duuuh I am so sorry, I forgot to add the most important point! If your BF didn't finish inside you then it's extremely unlikely you'd be pregnant. It is possible but it's not at all likely.

Original poster

user1487176119 · 25/02/2017 16:11

@bertiebotts

Thanks for all of that! I've calmed down a lot about it now, everything you say is very true.

I have actually tried to have help for my anxiety/phobias but it still feels like there's a massive mental block against it...I kind of don't know what to do with it now. I've just come to accept that something may well happen one day and I'll either suddenly deal with it or...well, who knows?

As for missing the pills: I missed 2 pills within the last week of the pack, meaning that I wasn't protected and since it was the pill free week following I knew I wasn't protected then or the week after either.

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 25/02/2017 16:22

OK, so check in your packet, but I know that when I was on the pill, and I tried about 5 different brands altogether, if that happened it was okay to run two packs together therefore continuing protection.

What did the person who was providing the therapy say when you felt there was still a problem? Or was it that your funded sessions ran out?

Original poster

user1487176119 · 26/02/2017 19:22

I would have run 2 together but I had already done that, and I didn't want to run 3 together.

A combination; therapy is expensive and although it really helped me with other things I can't see how it could get me through this.

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