Late period: am I pregnant? Lack of periods and pregnancy

On regular cycles, we speak of late periods when they do not arrive within 3 to 5 days after the expected date. A delay of 1 or 2 days cannot really be considered a delayed period, because ovarian cycles are quite “capricious”.

On irregular cycles, because of this very irregularity, the delay of periods is logically more difficult to detect. A one week delay can be considered a late period.

In a woman with regular cycles, a late period is usually the first sign of pregnancy.

If the egg has not been fertilized, that is to say that it has not encountered sperm, the yellow body (envelope of the follicle remaining after ovulation) degenerates, causing the fall of the progesterone level. This fall in turn causes the excess blood stored in the uterine lining, ie menstruation, to melt. On the other hand, if the egg has been fertilized, the corpus luteum persists and secretes a hormone called HCG which will maintain the uterine lining for the implantation of the egg, hence the absence of periods, or “amenorrhea” .

Other small signs may appear with the onset of pregnancy: morning sickness, food distaste, heaviness in the lower abdomen, swelling of the breasts, drowsiness … These signs are however very inconsistent depending on the women, and their intensity varies greatly. so that they can sometimes go unnoticed.

Note that in some women, the implantation of the egg causes some small bleeding that can be taken for periods while a pregnancy is well and truly beginning.

To confirm the pregnancy, it is possible to do a qualitative urine pregnancy test. These tests are based on the detection in the urine of the hormone hCG, a hormone secreted by the corpus luteum as soon as the egg is implanted, approximately 7 days after fertilization.

The pregnancy test can be performed from the first day of the period late, and for some so-called early tests, 3 to 4 days before the due date. Be careful, however, not to do it too early in order to avoid a “false negative”. The detection thresholds for the hormone hCG are in fact based on an average cycle of 28 days with ovulation on the 14th day. However, the length of cycles, date of ovulation, and hCG levels can vary among women, so sometimes the hormone cannot be detected on the due date of menstruation because the level of hCG is then high. too low. This is why it is recommended to wait a few days of late period before taking a pregnancy test to avoid the risk of false negative.

If after a negative test the period still does not come, it is recommended to do a new test. If it is negative again and in the absence of rules, it is advisable to consult.

Delayed periods can be misleading because other causes can cause ovulation to be delayed, and therefore menstrual delay, if you are not pregnant. The control systems of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, at the origin of the secretions of the key hormones of the ovarian cycles (LH and FSH), are indeed fragile and many factors can disturb them:

• a great period of stress, an emotional shock;

• an eating disorder including anorexia.

• intensive sports practice;

• excessive consumption of alcohol, drugs or other substances

• a change in lifestyle (moving, travel, climate change, etc.)

• taking certain medicines and herbs.

It should also be noted that after stopping the contraceptive pill, the cycles may take a little time before becoming regular again due to “laziness” of the ovaries, put to rest for the duration of contraception.

If the delay in menstruation only occurs on one cycle and the cycles then resume steadily, there is no cause for concern. A few days of late period can occur apart from pregnancy or pathology.

On the other hand, if the cycles become irregular when they were previously, it is advisable to consult, especially if they are accompanied by other clinical signs or if the couple has been trying to conceive for several months already. A check-up will then make it possible to detect a possible pathology that can lead to irregular cycles, and have an impact on fertility: polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS or ovarian dystrophy), ovarian laziness, premature ovarian failure, a thyroid disorder. , but also a male fertility disorder.

The return of menstruation after a positive pregnancy test and in the presence of all signs of pregnancy can correspond to bleeding which can be either mild (bleeding at the time of implantation, small decidual hematoma, etc.) or the sign of a complication. pregnancy (miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy). In all cases, it is recommended to quickly consult your doctor, gynecologist or midwife.

Late period and negative test

If your period is 2-3 days late, don’t worry. But a longer absence of 5-7 days and a negative pregnancy test is a reason to pay attention to your health. What can cause a long delay in the absence of pregnancy, you will learn from this article.