Question regarding menstrual cycle

[kalogrias]

I am on birth control, and my DH and I always double up when we have sex -- condoms and spermicide as well as the B/C, usually. Sometimes just condoms and B/C. But we always use at least 2 methods. Anyway, my period is now 6 days overdue, and I am usually like clockwork. I don't know what to think. We didn't really have sex at all this month because we had a visitor and then because I was on anti-biotics, and we didn't want to chance it (we are NOT ready for children now). I saw my doctor yesterday because I was having a minor surgical procedure done, and she suggested that it was likely the stress of the visitor and the stress over the procedure that is causing the delay, but generally when I am stressed, I have my period twice in a month rather than not at all. I took a HPT yesterday and it was negative. Now I just don't know what to think, and I'm starting to get worried. As I said above, pregnancy is not something we are ready for/would react well to right now.

Any ideas? Or words of comfort?

Thanks!

[Reenie]

Believe your doctor. Stress does some crazy things to cycles. It is very normal to be late during a month of stress. :)

[ADSigMel]

I agree with Reenie and your doctor. Even with the antibiotics, if you were also using barrier protection in addition to the Pill, it's very unlikely that you are pregnant. I'm sure it's just the stress. Just wait...you'll calm down and then AF will show up!

[jennylou]

If you are really worried ask for a blood pregnancy test.

[kalogrias]

Thanks for the responses, ladies. My DH agrees with Reenie and ADSigMel -- I guess I am just not convinced. If I don't have my period by Monday, I will ask for the blood test -- but because it's a military combat hospital (combat hospitals are very different from reg. hospitals), chances are that I will have to wait a while to get it and then wait even longer to get the results (average time: 3 weeks -- health care kind of sucks for that sort of thing here because a combat hospital is not equipped for anything like obstetrics, and they don't care about OB stuff anyway, so it's always last on the list).

The wait is a little frightening, I have to say -- that's why I was looking for ideas/stories. We'll deal with whatever the outcome is, but it will be seriously difficult if we are pregnant. I think, if all turns out as we hope, after this scare, I'm just going to abstain until our situation could better handle something like that :eek:

[emmjay]

This is all pre-baby, but before giving birth I always had clockwork periods too. To the point that I knew the hour it would arrive. The only thing that consistently screwed them up is if I had flown to a different time zone at the beginning of my cycle (still does), but I would plan for that.

Anyway, they were always on time with one exception - one time I had a period that was 8 or 9 days late and I was freaking out just as you are, and it turned out to be nothing. I don't even know if I was stressed out during that time or not. I just wanted to give you some reassurance that even if your periods are ALWAYS regular, sometimes you are just late. Especially since you took a pregnancy test and it was negative.

[kalogrias]

Emmjay -- thank you for the words of confidence! It's hard because I just had some minor surgery done, so I can't tell if my body feels off because of that or because of something else. I think I just need to stop stressing. I wish I knew how to do that!

[kalogrias]

Just an update -- I still have not gotten my period (though I am back on anti-biotics). I have taken 3 pregnancy tests -- all are negative. I have an appointment to go see the doctor tomorrow; hopefully she can sort this all out. In the meantime, I have developed some strange symptoms -- HORRIBLE heartburn every time I take my anti-biotic pill (HORRIBLE, I want to die heartburn), and I have (TMI) a lot of gas.

I just wish I knew what was going on.

[littlemia]

I was on BCP for over 10 years and I totally skipped my period a handful of times. It was really scary the first time it happened. DH and I were rather young and had only been dating for a few months and definitely weren't ready for parenthood. I was sure I was pregnant and kept having all of these symptoms but the pregnancy test was negative. My period showed up on time the next month. It happened a couple more times and I never really figured out why.