Any time a woman thinks she may be pregnant it can be a stressful and confusing time. That's why having this board is so great! 
I've put together an FAQ covering some of the most common situations, problems and questions that come up here - I hope some of you will find this useful and if there's anything I've missed let me know!
TTC Abbreviations: You will find a list of TTC abbreviations at the bottom of this post so scroll down if you need help telling your FRER from your FMU!
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1. Am I Pregnant?
If you had unprotected sex while you were fertile then you may be pregnant. Unfortunately no one here can tell you for sure! But what we can do is to share our own experiences with you to help you survive the female torture that is the two week wait and taking an HPT.
2. What are some early pregnancy signs?
Every woman is different, and so is every pregnancy. Even if you’ve been pregnant before you may experience very different signs between pregnancies. Some women have no symptoms at all and are surprised to get their BFP while others have every sign in the book and AF arrives right on schedule.
There are some signs that crop up time and time again though and some of the most common include:
- Missed period
- Cramps (like AF cramps)
- Nausea/sickness (usually in the morning but can be any time of day)
- Frequent urination
- Sore or tender breasts
- Cravings or food aversions
- Skin break-out
- Spotting around the time AF would arrive
3. When can I test?
If you know for certain when you ovulated you will get a more accurate testing date than if you are not sure. A test is most accurate when taken from the day your period is due but some women can get a BFP as early as 8 DPO (rare) or much later than their period is due. A good rule of thumb is to wait 2-3 weeks since you had unprotected sex before testing to get the most accurate result.
4. What kind of pregnancy test should I use?
Pink dye, blue dye, cheapies, digis… There are so many kinds to choose from. It’s down to personal choice. There are pros and cons to each type. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Internet Cheapies and dollar store tests can be prone to evaps, some of which look like faint positives as they have colour.
- Blue dye tests are also notorious for evaps.
- Pink dye tests are supposed to be less prone to evaps.
- First Response and Answer are basically the same test, made by the same company
- Digis can (although not always) be less sensitive than the regular kind of test.
5. What are evaporation lines?
Evaporation (evap) lines show up where the positive line on a test would be if you are pregnant. They usually show up after the cut-off time of the test has elapsed (usually ten minutes) but they can be sneaky and show up sooner. They are most usually grey or white in colour. This is why you should never read a test after the time limit the instructions specify.
6. I got a faint line – is this positive?
Usually a line, no matter how faint, is a positive result as long as it has colour – congratulations! If the line is grey or white, or appeared after the time limit there is a chance it’s an evap line so take another test in a few days to see if the line gets darker.
7. Can false positives happen?
Erm… the manufacturers would say no, and that a false positive can only occur with extremely rare kinds of tumours or if you were given HCG during fertility treatment. However, a number of women (myself included) have experienced true false positives – a line that comes up right away, with colour, despite not being pregnant or having any HCG in your system.
These are VERY rare and usually occur with cheapies or blue dye tests but please do keep this in mind. Getting more than one positive, positives on different brands or positives that get slowly darker are a good sign that your positive is a true positive!
8. Can false negatives happen?
These are far more common and can happen for a number of reasons such as testing too early, your urine being too diluted or over or under saturating the test. If you get a BFN but your period doesn’t show within a few days it’s a good idea to take another test.
9. My period is very late but I keep getting BFNs – what gives?
Many ladies come here looking for answers when their AF is MIA but can’t get a BFP either. The most common reason is that they Oed late or didn’t O at all. Even if you usually have regular cycles you can have a one-off delayed ovulation or an anovulatory cycle (where you don’t O at all). It’s more common than you might think.
Sometimes you may think you have ovulated because you've had all your usual signs - EWCM, O pain etc, but it's possible for your body to gear up to O and then not go through with it. This delay can be caused by stress, illness or just for no reason at all! You may then actually O a few days or even a few weeks later. The only way to know for sure you have ovulated is to see a sustained rise in temperature if you are temping.
If your period is very late and you are concerned then it’s a good idea to visit your doctor for a blood test just to rule out pregnancy and make sure nothing else is wrong.
10. Is it possible to be pregnant and never show up on an HPT?
It’s possible, but very VERY rare. There is a thing called the Hook Effect, in which a lady has so much HCG in her system that her HPT can’t detect it because it goes *over* what the HPT is looking for. This is more common with multiple pregnancy than with singletons but is highly unlikely either way.
11. Can I use an OPK to test for pregnancy?
An OPK can turn positive in the presence of HCG because HCG and LH are very similar. However, as OPKs are usually less sensitive don’t expect an OPK to turn positive before an HPT does. As always, for an OPK to be positive the test line must be at least as dark as, or darker than, the control line.
WARNING: If you take an HPT and an OPK at the same time (let’s face it… many of us have done this!) be careful not to let them touch. They can interact with each other and cause a false positive result on an HPT. Make sure you keep them apart!
12. I got a positive result but my period has come. What happened?
Sadly early miscarriages are quite common (they are called Chemical Pregnancies) so a faint positive followed by a normal AF may be caused by an extremely early loss 
The same thing can cause increasingly faint positives in the days before AF arrives.
13. I thought my period had arrived but it’s lighter than usual and brown or pink. What’s this?
Some pregnant women get a little spotting around the time their period is due. This is usually brown or pink and lasts only a few hours or a day or so but can occasionally be heavier, darker or last longer. This is called implantation bleeding (or IB for short) and is caused by your baby burrowing into the lining of your womb.
14. My period arrived but it was longer/shorter/lighter/heavier than usual – could I still be pregnant?
If you have a period with proper bleeding then unfortunately it’s unlikely you are pregnant. If you are still in any doubt it can’t hurt to do a test to make sure.
15. I took anther test and it wasn’t as dark as the first/didn't get darker. Is this bad?
Early on in pregnancy your hormone levels can be so low that they can be greatly altered by drinking too much before you test or by not holding your pee for long enough. Plus, the sensitivity of tests – even tests within the same box – can vary greatly as can the amount of dye from test to test. For your own peace of mind it’s best to wait a few days before testing again… although we all know that’s impossible! 
16. I took my digital test apart and there were two lines – does this mean I’m pregnant?
Not unless the display told you that you were pregnant. Digital tests will always have two lines whether you are pregnant or not, so that’s why you should never take a digi apart.
17. How long after implantation bleeding can I get a BFP?
It usually takes 2-3 days at least for the HCG to build up in your body enough to get a positive result after you experience IB.
18. I tested at 6 DPO even though I knew it was too early. Am I a bad person?
NO! You’re human! Lots of us have done that!
19. I recently came off hormonal BC and my period is late. Am I pregnant?
It’s possible – your fertility can return quickly after stopping any kind of BC. However, some women find it can take several months or even a year or more for their cycles to regulate so it’s possible you haven’t Oed yet. If you think you may be pregnant he best thing to do is to take a test every week or so until your periods return or you get a BFP.
20. How can I survive the two week wait?
Join us on Am I Pregnant and we'll help you survive the best we can!
TTC lingo
~2 ww...2 week wait
~AF...Aunt Flo (ie: period)
~AFNW...Aunt Flo Not Wanted
~AFSA ...Aunt Flo Stay Away
~BBT...Basal Body Temperature
~BD...Baby Dancing
~BCP...Birth Control Pills
~BFP...Big Fat Positive
~BFN...Big Fat Negative
~BMS ... Baby-making Sex
~BTDT...Been There Done That
~C...Cycle
~CB ... Cycle Buddy
~CBE ... Clear Blue Easy
~CD ... Cycle Day
~CF ... Cervical Fluid
~CM ... Cervical Mucus
~CNM ... Certified Nurse Midwife
~DH Dear Husband
~DI ... Donor Insemination
~DPO ... Days Post-ovulation
~Dx ... Diagnosis
~Endo ... Endometriosis
~EPT ... Early Pregnancy Test
~ET ... Embryo Transfer
~EWCM ... Egg White Cervical Mucus
~FF ... Fertility Friend
~FMU ... First Morning Urine
~FRER... First Response Early Result
~FTTA ... Fertile Thoughts To All
~GL Good Luck
~GP ... General Practitioner
~GWV...Get Well Vibes
~H&H Healthy & Happy
~HCg ... Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
~HPT ... Home Pregnancy Test
~HRT ... Hormone Replacement Therapy
~HTH Hope That Helps
~HX...History
~IF ... Infertility
~IPS Imaginary Pregnancy Symptoms
~IVF ... In Vitro Fertilization
~LMP ... Last Menstrual Period (start date)
~LO ... Love Olympics (Love Making)
~LOL ... Laugh Out Loud or Lots Of Love
~LP ... Luteal Phase
~LPD ... Luteal Phase Defect
~m/c.... Miscarriage
~M/S...Morning Sickness
~MW...midwife
~NP ... Nurse Practitioner
~O...Ovulation. Variants: Oed, Oing
~OB... Obstetrician/Gynecologist
~OMG...Oh My God
~OPK ... Ovulation Predictor Kit
~P&PT...Prayer & Positive Thoughts
~PG ... Pregnant
~PI ... Primary Infertility
~PMS ... Pre-menstrual Syndrome
~POF ... Premature Ovarian Failure
~POAS...Pee On a Stick
~PROM ... Premature Rupture of Membranes
~PUTB ... Pillow Under The Butt
~PV...Positive Vibes, pregnancy vibes,
~ROFLMAO ... Rolling On Floor Laughing My *ss Off
~RPL ... Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
~RPS...Real Pregnancy Symptoms
~RSA ... Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
~Rx ... Prescription
~SA ... Semen Analysis
~SI ... Secondary Infertility
~SO ... Significant Other
~STD ... Sexually Transmitted Disease
~SV... Sticky Vibes
~SX...symptoms
~TTC...Trying To Conceive
~TPQ... Time Pass Quickly
~u/s ... Ultrasound
~UTI ... Urinary Tract Infection
~WBC ... White Blood Cells
~WTG...Way To Go
Cm picture links
Nfp Software - Cervical Mucus
http://www.fertilityuk.org/nfps401.h...vicalmucusslug
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Am I Pregnant FAQ and TTC Abbreviations
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