Convinced I’m Pregnant

[Mamabear2221]

Hi all!

Ok I am SO SO confused. I have a history of OCD and convincing myself of things, so I am waiting on an appointment with my therapist. But I am so convinced I’m pregnant. I just had DS almost four months ago and have been exclusively breastfeeding. I am using the Marquette method of NFP with the clear blue fertility monitor. Using this I was able to determine that I ovulated for the first time postpartum on 5/3. The day before that, DH and I fooled around, but didn’t actually do the deed. I had bleeding from 5/9 - 5/12, and while I did need to use tampons, it wasn’t nearly as heavy as my periods prepregnancy. I also experienced little to no cramping which is super unusual for me. I’m assuming it was my period, but am not positive. I took a pregnancy test today (5/17) and it was negative. I’m just looking for reassurance! While I would love a baby in the future, being pregnant now would not be ideal.

Also am looking for non hormonal birth control suggestions!!

Ok have I got this right -
You're worried you're pregnant but you didn't have sex?

Negative test, probably not pregnant.
Relax and enjoy your baby.

Condoms are fairly reliable.
Copper coil is an option but I can't really recommend as we conceived our twins 9 month after I got one.

@wildeverose literally yes. You know how you always hear about that one person who got pregnant because there was sperm on his fingers, etc.? (Sorry kinda tmi) Well I have convinced myself that I am basically a unicorn and that it somehow happened to me. Trust me, my brain is a weird place.

@Chelyanne thanks for your reply! Probably will end up going the condom route in conjunction with the Marquette fertility awareness method.

If you didn't have sex, and you had a negative pregnancy test, I'm pretty sure you are not pregnant

You really need to have had sex to have become pregnant OP - the sperm finger stories are very rare and I think you’re worrying yourself over absolutely nothing. Glad you’re on the waiting list for a therapist and that you recognise you may need some assistance x

Honestly, don't worry about it. Your periods can be all over the place for months after you've had a baby, particularly if you're BF. By now, a pregnancy test would have come up positive, so if you're still unsure I'd take one more, and if it's negative (which it will be!) draw a line under things.

@Mamabear2221 Poor you! It's great you've got an appointment with your therapist to help you work through this as it sounds rotten.

Like the others, I really don't think you're pregnant, but I'm afraid posting and looking for reassurance on this site is problematic for you if you have OCD. I also don't think you should take any more pregnancy tests. You have a negative so take that as your answer for now and chase that appointment!

Is there a specific medical reason you can't use hormonal birth control? If not, I'd speak to a nurse at your local family planning clinic and consider all methods that are as failsafe/semi-perm as possible to help you avoid any kind of confusion or crisis in future. Good luck to you!

@weathervane123 Ugh, yes. The reassurance seeking needs to stop. You think I would recognize after years of dealing with OCD that it only magnifies the problem, but it is so hard sometimes! I just personally don’t want to be on anything hormonal. I don’t love the idea of suppressing a function that my body is performing correctly, but the benefits may outweigh my mindset on that. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply!

@LindaEllen thank you for taking the time to reply! Yes, breastfeeding has definitely made my cycle a little wonky. As someone who’s used to having super regular cycles and knowing what’s happening throughout them, the unknown has freaked me out!

@Worriesome definitely. Postpartum is no joke. My OCD has been so intense since having my little guy. I am so thankful I have a therapist who understands and knows how to treat OCD!