Why Do I Feel Pregnant When I'm Not?

Feeling pregnant? If you've been trying to conceive for awhile, this may be a monthly issue for you. You feel pregnant. You have all these signs and symptoms of pregnancy—fatigue, cravings, maybe even nausea. But then, when your period arrives, you realize that no, you're not pregnant this month.

Other scenarios could be that you're having pregnancy symptoms but your pregnancy test was negative. You may have spotting. Maybe you had pregnancy symptoms, but they’ve disappeared. What does it all mean?

The experience of feeling pregnant when trying to conceive isn't uncommon. Spend any time on fertility forums or social media sites and you're bound to hear members refer to "imaginary pregnancy symptoms." Are these feelings all in your head? Maybe not.

Imaginary pregnancy symptoms (IPS) are exactly what they sound like—symptoms women experience that make them think that they may be pregnant.

Don't expect to hear your doctor use the term IPS. It's not a technical term. The phrase was invented by the fertility-challenged as a loving way to refer to those obnoxious "symptoms" that haunt you during the two-week wait.

The time between ovulation and your expected period is when you're most likely to be anxious about whether or not this month will be the month. It's natural to assume that you may imagine some early pregnancy symptoms such as tender breasts, fatigue, bloating, emotional sensitivity, light cramping, and even food cravings. You want to be pregnant so much that you're sure you can feel it.

Note that this review of imaginary pregnancy symptoms does not refer to the serious psychological condition pseudocyesis, where a woman believes that she is pregnant when she isn't. Pseudocyesis is completely different than the normal experience of feeling that you may be pregnant, even if you aren't, during the two-week wait.

What may surprise you is that these "pregnancy" feelings aren't all in your head. They're real reactions to the hormones in your body that are preparing for possible pregnancy. Women's bodies are optimistic when it comes to pregnancy potential. As soon as ovulation occurs, the body starts preparing for a new life. This occurs even if conception did not take place.

One of the hormones responsible for maintaining a healthy early pregnancy is progesterone. Progesterone increases just after ovulation. One of its many roles is to support a potential embryo. If you're not pregnant, your progesterone levels will fall after 12 to 16 days after ovulation. This drop brings on your period. High levels of progesterone can make you feel tired and emotional. This hormone is also responsible for tender breasts, constipation, and fluid retention.

Progesterone levels will rise in your body whether or not you are pregnant. Also, fertility drug side effects can sometimes be mistaken for early pregnancy symptoms. This is especially true if you're taking progesterone injections or suppositories.

You probably know at least one person with a "feeling pregnant" story that came true. She just knew that month was different. Maybe one particular symptom was stronger, or she was extra tired, or she was craving some food she never eats otherwise. Or she had a strange cramp or twinge. She may claim women's intuition let her know she was with child before the pregnancy test came back positive.

Here's the thing with these kinds of tales: these women are putting much more weight on the one time they felt pregnant and actually were pregnant over the dozens of times those same feelings didn't indicate pregnancy. It's called confirmation bias.

It's a nice idea that a woman can "just know" when she's pregnant. But there's no research to back up these stories.

This is one of the most common questions on pregnancy symptoms—you’re feeling pregnant, but the test is negative. So are you or are you not pregnant?

The answer is it depends. Feeling pregnant doesn’t mean you are, but a negative pregnancy test can be wrong. A pregnancy test may be negative if:

• You tested too early
• There isn’t enough pregnancy hormone hCG in your urine yet
• The test has malfunctioned
• You’re not pregnant
• You are pregnant, but something is wrong

There are other rare reasons you may get a negative test but actually may be pregnant.

It is possible to be pregnant and get your period. This leads some women to hold onto hope that they may still be pregnant, even after Aunt Flo knocks at the door. Odds are, if you got your period, you’re not pregnant.

Feeling pregnant on your period could happen due to:

• Normal hormonal fluctuations during menstruation
• The flu or another illness
• Fatigue or queasiness for other non-pregnancy reasons

Just like feeling pregnant before your period doesn’t mean you’re pregnant, feeling pregnant on your period also doesn’t indicate you’re expecting.

For example, you might consider taking a pregnancy test if your period is

• Abnormally light for you
• More like spotting than a period
• Much shorter than it usually is

There are non-pregnancy reasons to have an off period. Anything from stress to illness can cause one irregular menstrual cycle.

Online pregnancy quizzes usually ask a series of questions on pregnancy symptoms. Then, based on how many symptoms you answer yes to, they tell you how likely it is that you are pregnant.

An online quiz can’t verify if you’re pregnant. If you’re already obsessing over how you feel, pregnancy quizzes are one way to make two-week-wait obsession time more fun. But that's all they can do.

With that said, if an online pregnancy quiz says your pregnant, it doesn't mean anything if:

• You got your period.
• The test is negative.
• You’re not even capable of getting pregnant (you're in menopause).

Pregnancy symptoms plus spotting can lead many trying-to-conceive women to worry about early miscarriage. Spotting is a possible early pregnancy symptom. It’s also possible to spot and have a healthy pregnancy. It doesn’t mean you’re going to have an early miscarriage.

Spotting that occurs about seven to 10 days post ovulation is sometimes called implantation spotting. Whether it's actually caused by an embryo implanting into the uterine lining is questionable.

Spotting can also be caused by things other than pregnancy. It’s possible you’re spotting, having “pregnancy symptoms,” but not pregnant.

Here's some good news. Not experiencing pregnancy symptoms does not mean you're not pregnant. In fact, there are some lucky women out there who don't experience morning sickness and other discomforts during the first trimester of pregnancy. Feeling sick is not a pregnancy requirement.

Pregnancy symptoms can come and go from day to day. They can also fluctuate from hour to hour. You may feel tired and nauseated in the morning but feel pretty alright in the early afternoon.

You may also get used to some of the symptoms, or learn how to handle them better. Also, as the first trimester ends, some of the initial discomforts of pregnancy fade or disappear. Morning sickness, for example, usually ends by the 12th week.

If you have a history of miscarriage and your symptoms suddenly disappear, you may still want to contact your doctor. She may be able to run some tests to reassure you.

If we could just feel whether we're pregnant or not, it sure would cut down the anxiety of the two-week wait! However, the symptoms of early pregnancy are practically indistinguishable from any normal premenstrual symptoms. 

While your "pregnant feelings" aren't 100 percent imagined, focusing on these "symptoms" can cause emotional distress. Remind yourself that whether you feel pregnant or not, it doesn't mean anything.

Some women are sure they are pregnant, complete with throwing up in the morning, and then find out they're not. Some women feel absolutely nothing and find out they're pregnant after all.

The only way to know if you're pregnant is to wait until your period is late and take a pregnancy test. If an at-home pregnancy test still leaves you with questions, see your doctor.