Saturday, December 22, 2012

How long does it take to get a positive pregnancy test?

So, I took another pregnancy test, thinking that maybe I could show a positive result by now. And I was pretty disappointed to see it was negative (and I mean, totally negative, not even a faint line). Again. I know, my bad. I should not be taking any tests at all! I feel like it always just messes with my mind, and yet... it's hard to help myself.

When I got pregnant in January, I estimated that I conceived around January 5th (since that was the day I had the really positive OPK test), and I didn't take a pregnancy test for three weeks (so by the time I did, it was pretty dark). It wasn't that I didn't care at all, but I just had a lot of other things on my mind, which I think is probably how it's supposed to be.

I didn't feel any particularly strong, unusual symptoms, that I can remember, until about 2 days before I took the test. The thing that made me finally suspect that something must be going on, was major fatigue (which I am not experiencing now), bad lower back pain (which I am experiencing but that's been going on for weeks), and bad diarrhea as soon as I woke up one day (which I'm not experiencing now... and yes, don't worry, I made it to the bathroom!)


I did a little googling the other day to find out how soon you can you get a positive pregnancy test after a positive ovulation test (assuming you've done the deed at least once, in the right time frame of course). 

This is what I found, according to this discussion: 

When an egg is fertilized, it takes about 6 to 12 days to implant in the uterus, and then it begins to secrete hCG. It takes another day or two for enough hCG to build up and make its way into your pee. So, generally speaking, the earliest you can expect a positive HPT is 8 days past ovulation ("DPO") and the latest would be about 16 DPO.

I got my positive OPK test on the morning of Friday, December 14th (yes, sadly this was the same day as the tragedy in Connecticut). I also had sex a few times before this, when I thought I may be ovulating also (I've had other positive OPK tests during this cycle but none that turned so dark, so fast). So at this point, I'm just about 8 days past ovulation. But for whatever reason, my hormones still do seem to be acting up. My boobs are pretty sore. Though they do tend to be more sore, during the last 2 weeks of my cycle, when I am on Fertil Plus. So who knows, maybe that's all it is.

It's hard not to have a certain amount of anxiety about this pregnancy since I don't have health insurance at this time, and I need to get full time work. So if there is anything positive about the fact that I might not be pregnant right now, it would be that I still have a little more time to hopefully secure a good full time job that has decent health benefits.

Around 2 days past ovulation I started getting insomnia, waking up in the middle of the night, thinking oh my God, what if more than one egg got released and fertilized. I am pretty positive that I ovulated from more than one side this month. It's funny that I would worry about such a thing, since there was a time when I really wanted twins. It seems like a cooler and cooler idea as you get older, since you don't know how much time there is left to have babies, so cranking out two at a time would seem like a blessing.

But the reality of having more than one kid, with no health insurance, definitely scared me a little. Of course, I would welcome any baby or babies that God chooses to give me. And I would love that kid or kids with my whole heart and just make the best of the situation, no matter how it all turned out. I definitely do have some good prospects for full time work, so I am hopeful.

I realize I must sound really ingrateful.  Here I am, trying SO hard to get pregnant, and it sounds like I'm saying, "Oh my God I hope I don't have twins or anything"....  It's not that I wouldn't love to have as many babies as I could. It's just that I am feeling a little unprepared. If we had more room in this house, and f we had more money, I would absolutely LOVE IT. Just like J Lo and Mariah Carey must be loving it. They can build the biggest house they want, and hire as many nannies as they could ever need. But for the average person, it might not be so easy.

Like I said, I would be extremely grateful and happy for any child or children God ever decides to give me, and I will consider it an extreme blessing, no matter what happens. Even if for some reason I am unable to have any children, I will look at the positive side and thank God for the fact that it would probably save me a lot of worry and possible heartache (the normal type that comes form being concerned about a child, your whole life) and remaining childless would enable me to be able to accomplish more of my own personal goals.  But of course I would rather have a baby. I already feel really fortunate for the fact that I have been able to afford to take fertility supplements, and that they have worked to get me pregnant in the past (even if one sadly ended in a miscarriage).  And I feel fortunate for the fact they seem to be working again. Regardless of whether this will be the "lucky month"... I am grateful.

EB