Contraceptive Options and Timing of Home Pregnancy Tests

Dear Ask The Doctor: I have been on the contreceptive pill for about 3 years on and off, and havin unprotected sex constantly, me and my boyfriend are trying to concieve so ive been off the pill for over a month now, and i got a period 3 weeks ago, my periods have always been irregular but due to takin the pill wrong theyve always been al over the place, in the past week or so i have experienced erect, sore and sensitive nipples, my stomach is bloated and sometimes i get pains, i have gotten a spot which is rare and severly increased cervicle fluid, and i feel slight pressure in my lower abdomen, i took 2 cheap texts yesterday that came back neg, i need to find out soon due to boyfriend isssues but dont know when to take a test as i dont know when i am due my period and i want to go back on the pill as the only reason i agreed to try and concieve was my boyfriend pressuring me and i have finally decided , i can't afford to go to the doctor as my boyfriend has all the money and i don't want him to start talking about pregnancy and trying again coz i have finally convinced him to wait, so when do i take a test and does it sound like i am pregnant ?

I would still suggest have yourself checked by a doctor. Signs and symptoms of early pregnancy includes nausea, vomiting, increased sleepiness, breast fullness or tenderness. However you have mentioned you have had pressure symptoms on your lower abdomen and you also had spotting; it still needs to be checked by a doctor to make sure it is not an infection of the reproductive organs or bladder. Right now, with a negative home pregnancy test, it is hard to tell if you are pregnant. If you can remember the 1^st day of your previous period (LMP), count 5-6 weeks from there; that will be the best time to do a pregnancy test if you still don’t have a regular period by then. Home pregnancy tests are best done in the morning (first morning urine upon waking up) because it is during this time the urine has the highest amount of detectable hormones. If you want, for now, you can repeat the pregnancy test after a week. If you really are in a hurry to start back on contraception, a better way to make sure you are not pregnant is doing a blood pregnancy test; the only confirmatory test for pregnancy is ultrasound. Do not start any contraception unless you are sure you are not pregnant because it is contraindicated. Once you have your regular period back, you may start the contraception within 5 days (Day 1 to Day 5) of your period. If you have poor compliance with the pill and find it hard to remember taking the pill on the same time every day, ask your doctor if you may have the patch or depot. The patch needs to be changed every week (you may put an alarm on your cellphone to remind you) while the depot needs to be injected every 12 weeks. Ask your doctor for more information about these other options because some patients have better compliance with these ones but there are also conditions contraindicated for these types of contraception. I hope I have helped you somehow. Take care always.