getting pregnant, late period, late menstrual period, trying to conceive, TTC, BBT, ovulation

Q: I am three days late with my period, what's next?

A: This is probably the most frequent question we get from women who are trying to conceive (TTC.) If you are pregnant, then a home pregnancy test is usually positive two to three days after you miss your period or 15-16 days after ovulation. A negative pregnancy test means you are not pregnant or you may be pregnant but less than 14-15 days. Doing a pregnancy test too early may give you a false-negative result, and you may want to repeat it several days later just in case you did it too early.

When you TTC, it's very helpful to do a check of your fertility signs (basal body temperature (BBT), cervical mucus, ovulation predictor kit OPK) to determine when and if you ovulated. If you ovulated, and you know the exact day of ovulation, and your period is late and it hasn't come 15-16 days after ovulation, then you are most likely pregnant. Do a pregnancy test and find out for sure.

If you did not ovulate, then pregnancy is unlikely and your period may be late because you did not ovulate.

Read More:
How Many Pills Can I Miss Without Having To Use A Condom?
Fertility Calendar: When Am I Fertile?