Feeling pregnant but testing negative

It’s confusing and frustrating to feel pregnant and see a negative test. Many of the early signs of pregnancy have other causes too, and it can be hard to know what your body is telling you.

First, it might simply be too early for a test to tell: read false negative pregnancy tests for when to test again.

Why your body can feel pregnant when you’re not

The second half of your cycle can feel a lot like early pregnancy. PMS is thought to be linked to changes in your hormone levels during your cycle, and it can bring:

sore or tender breasts
bloating and tummy pain
tiredness and trouble sleeping
headaches
spotty skin or greasy hair
mood swings, or feeling upset, anxious or irritable
changes in appetite

Early pregnancy can cause many of the same things, which is why it’s so hard to tell them apart before a test can.

Pregnancy or PMS: what’s different?

There’s a lot of overlap, but some signs are more typical of pregnancy than PMS. The NHS lists these as early signs of pregnancy:

a missed period
feeling or being sick, at any time of day
needing to pee more often, without pain
a metallic taste in your mouth
being more sensitive to certain smells
food cravings, or losing interest in foods you usually enjoy
more vaginal discharge, without soreness or irritation

These usually start when you’re around 4 to 6 weeks pregnant, counted from the first day of your last period. So before your period is due, most people don’t have them yet. Our guides to pregnancy or PMS and pregnancy-like symptoms before your period go into more detail.

Other things that can delay a period or feel like pregnancy

Stress, which can also affect your sleep and appetite.
Weight changes, such as losing weight suddenly or being overweight.
Doing a lot of exercise.
Hormonal contraception, like the pill, injection or hormonal coil (IUS), or coming off it.
Breastfeeding, if you’ve had a baby recently.
Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), which used to be called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It can cause irregular or missed periods.
Perimenopause, usually between 45 and 55, which can bring irregular periods and symptoms that feel familiar. See pregnancy or perimenopause?
Some medical conditions, such as thyroid problems.

Keep a symptom diary

If you often feel pregnant before your period, a diary can show you your usual pattern. The NHS suggests keeping one for at least 2 cycles. Each day, note:

the date and the day of your cycle (day 1 is the first day of your period)
any symptoms, and how strong they are
when your period starts and how long it lasts

Over a couple of months, you may see the same symptoms turning up at the same point each cycle. That’s more likely to be PMS. A diary is also useful to take to your GP if your symptoms are getting in the way of daily life.

When you really want to be pregnant

If you’re hoping for a positive, it’s natural to notice every twinge and wonder what it means. That doesn’t mean you’re imagining things: the symptoms are real, they just have more than one possible cause. If the wait and the negatives are getting you down, our guide to coping with a negative result may help.

If you’re having fertility treatment

Symptoms are even harder to read during treatment, and a test before your clinic’s date can be wrong either way. If you’re having fertility treatment, test on the date your clinic gives you (for IVF, this is usually around 16 days after embryo transfer). Testing earlier may give a false result. If you had a ‘trigger’ injection containing hCG, it can stay in your body for up to about 10 days and give a positive that isn’t a pregnancy.

What to do

Test again in a few days, using your first pee of the day.
If you get another negative result and your period still hasn’t come, speak to your GP.
See a GP too if you’ve missed 3 periods in a row, your periods have become irregular, or you have other symptoms, like unexplained weight changes.
See a GP if PMS symptoms are affecting your daily life. There are treatments that can help.
Until you know, carry on as if you could be pregnant: keep taking folic acid, and avoid alcohol and smoking.

Questions people ask

Can you have pregnancy symptoms and not be pregnant?

Yes. PMS, stress and hormonal changes can all cause sore breasts, tiredness, bloating and mood changes, which are also early signs of pregnancy.

Why do I feel pregnant before my period every month?

Many people get PMS symptoms in the days or weeks before a period, and they can be very like early pregnancy. Keeping a symptom diary for a couple of cycles can show you your usual pattern.

Can stress make your period late?

Yes. Stress is one of the common reasons for a late or missed period.

Can you feel pregnant before a test is positive?

Some people notice changes early, but most pregnancy symptoms start around 4 to 6 weeks, after a test would usually be positive. See how early can you tell you’re pregnant?

When to get help

Mild cramps that ease with rest are usually nothing to worry about. But if you’re pregnant, or think you could be, get urgent advice from your maternity unit, an early pregnancy unit or NHS 111 if you have:

any bleeding or spotting, even if it’s light
tummy pain that’s severe, on one side, or hasn’t eased after resting for 30 to 60 minutes
pain in the tip of your shoulder

Call 999 if you have bleeding along with severe tummy pain, pain in your shoulder, or feeling sick, faint or dizzy, or if the bleeding is heavy (soaking a pad soon after putting it on). Also call 999 if you have sudden, sharp and intense tummy pain and you feel very dizzy or faint, feel sick or look very pale. These can be signs of an ectopic pregnancy or a miscarriage that need treating straight away.