Is it true that HPTs don't work later in pregnancy?

[GotToAsk]

I don't know why I am being so paranoid, I think I am imagining a bump, have not had sex since December, and then I was BF constantly and we used a condom, before that maybe it was November, and before that I was still pregnant.

Surely I couldn't possibly be 5 months pregnant and not realise it?

I read that HPTs don't work later in pregnancy, can't remember the where or why of that though.

[OracleInaCoracle]

they dont, how do you mean, a bump?

[Lulumama]

you could be 5 months pregnant and not noticed, but it is very , very , very unlikely.

[GotToAsk]

I feel like I look pregnant. I have a lot of weight to lose after the birth of DS but my stomach seems to have bloated out a bit. Maybe too much bread lately? I have no cravings, no sickness, no tiredness, but sometimes it's hard to shake off the idea when there are no periods either.

[LyraSilvertongue]

I can't see why they wouldn't work. They detect hcg. If you're pg, there will be hcg in your blood/urine. Therefore the test will detect it.

[Lulumama]

have you had a period?

[LyraSilvertongue]

A friend of a friend recently found out she was pg at 25 weeks. She'd had no idea.

[GotToAsk]

MAybe I should detox for a few days and see if that helps. I feel sick just thinking about this.

I can't believe how powerful the mind is. The protected sex we had we didn't even 'finish'. Sorry TMI I know. It's absurd.

[Lulumama]

x post

if you were 5 months pregnant with a second child, you would have had movement by now and a visible bump and you would be able to feel the ridge of the top of the uterus around your belly button

your breasts and possibly milk would have changed too

[GotToAsk]

No periods but I am still breastfeeding.

[LyraSilvertongue]

I does sound highly unlikely that you're pg.

[OracleInaCoracle]

lyra, the body stops producing HCG at about 12w and the figure declines. so if you take a HPT later in pg its less likely to be +ve

[ScaryHairy]

Although it is possible to get pretty far along in pregnancy without realising (even with a second or subsequent child), it is highly unlilkely that this is what has happened to you. An HPT would almost certainly give a BFP, too.

Could you be ovulating? It always makes me bloated.

[Sidge]

HCG is actually present all through the pregnancy, but the levels peak at about 8-12 weeks.

So you could do a pregnancy test whilst you were in labour and would still get a positive

The averages are here:

3 weeks LMP: 5 - 50 mIU/ml
4 weeks LMP: 5 - 426 mIU/ml
5 weeks LMP: 18 - 7,340 mIU/ml
6 weeks LMP: 1,080 - 56,500 mIU/ml
7 - 8 weeks LMP: 7, 650 - 229,000 mIU/ml
9 - 12 weeks LMP: 25,700 - 288,000 mIU/ml
13 - 16 weeks LMP: 13,300 - 254,000 mIU/ml
17 - 24 weeks LMP: 4,060 - 165,400 mIU/ml
25 - 40 weeks LMP: 3,640 - 117,000 mIU/ml
Non-pregnant females:

[Sidge]

Forgot to say, most home pregnancy tests give a result at a sensitivity of 20-50 mIU/ml to give you an idea of how a test would show.

[PeachyHas4BoysAndLovesIt]

sounds unlikely you are pg, but see your gp if you are worried

fwiw mum didn't realise with her eighth pg until she was 5 months!!

[maxbear]

There is no warning on hpt's to say that they may not work later on in pregnancy. You had protected sex, you were bf almost constantly, the sex did not finish, if you do have a baby in there then it really really is meant to be
Seriously though, if you really can't shake off the worry, go to your gp and ask for a blood test.

[onepieceoflollipop]

GotToAsk I had a "funny feeling" that I was pg before we started trying for dd2. I wasn't, and I knew it was highly unlikely. One of my symptoms was a "fluttery" feeling very much like the early movements of a baby. So I do sympathise with you having this thought in your head.

However (perhaps like you) I remembered tales of other women attending A&E with severe "tummy ache" and finding out they were in labour.

Very rare, but it does happen.

Btw it is very common to have either no periods or very infrequent periods while b/f. dd2 is 9 months old and I have only had one period.

[warthog]

i'm 5 months pg and feel the baby kicking quite unmistakably. have you felt any movement?

[GotToAsk]

Last time my boobs were ultra sensitive the moment I saw a blue line, but I feel nothing.

Thanks everyone. If the bloat doesn't go away within a week I will test or go to the doctors.

It really would have to be 'meant to be' maxbear as I have had issues in the past but the thought is there, niggling away.

Maybe I am ovulating, I didn't think of that, DS is feeding a bit less lately so I suppose the big P could be returning.

Peachy on her 8th pregnancy I am less surprised, I imagine she was too busy to think about it!

[GotToAsk]

No movement warthog but I didn't feel much with DS until 26+ weeks. This is silly, just writing it all down reassures me that I am being neurotic. I feel a mixed bag of emotions which doesn't help.

[IdrisTheDragon]

I do know someone who found out they were pregnant with their second DC at 19 weeks. She had been breastfeeding and periods hadn't come back (and then they didn't obviously). Not sure whether she did an HPT or not, but something must have prompted her to find out.

[IdrisTheDragon]

Sorry, my post is probably not what you wanted to read was it