Relic, sorry if I helped to freak you out earlier. Since you’re not overdue yet, waiting a few days or even a week is not a big deal. If you are usually really regular and your period doesn’t arrive when it ought, do get your fanny down to the clinic and get that test done. In the meantime, breathe in, breathe out, it’s OK, really.
Pregnancy tests, AFAIR, will not be able to give you an accurate reading until the first day your period is late. Right now, I’d try not to worry about it (stress can make you late) and just live life as usual. Depending on how regular your cycle is, I would wait at least four days or so after the first day you’re late to test, just to make sure.
Sounds like PMS to me, and yes, it can come on suddenly. I never had cramps until 3 years after my first period. All of a sudden one day I was practically bowled over by them. Weird. But stuff like that happens, especially when you’re young.
I’ve always been the victim of horribly irregular periods (at least I was until I went on the Pill–now I can predict them nearly to the hour). Case in point–before I got on the Pill, when I was 18, I had an incident where a condom slipped off. I didn’t think anything managed to leak, but I wasn’t about to take chances. I go to the local Planned Parenthood and take the morning after pill as a precautionary measure. They said everything should be alright, and I went on as usual. A few weeks later I realize that I’m really late. This never bothered me before, but given what happened, I go out and take a pregnancy test. Negative. Three weeks later, I take another one. STILL negative. I call PP and ask them if the morning after pill can give false negatives five weeks later. They tell me I should be fine. Two weeks AFTER that, my period finally decided to start.
To this day, I still have no idea what the fuck happened. I was never 6 weeks late before, and I haven’t been since. That was a freaky situation, especially since the guy this happened with was not someone I was in any sort of relationship with. I blame it on poverty, which led me to a diet of nothing but fried potatoes and ramen noodles for the month before and the six or seven weeks during the whole fiasco.
This whole experience did lead me to start taking the Pill, though, which was one of the more intelligent decisions I ever made. If you aren’t on any sort of hormonal birth control (I don’t recommend the shots, though, for reasons which don’t belong in this thread), and you can get on them, I suggest you high-tail it to your campus clinic, get a pelvic, and get them to write you a scrip for them. I’ve found that sex gets a lot better the less you have to worry about it.
[d]Geobabe** I’m not freaking out THAT much! Actualy, if I am pregnant, well, college is nice, but it is my parents dream for me. Happiness, love and a family have been my dream. I already have two of them. If I’m pregnant, it’s just an early start on the third.
And yes, if I am pregnant I WILL go back to college as soon as I can! Really, fourth dream is to be a psycologist or coulnsler for teens.
Believe me, Green Bean I know I do. Really. I know.
Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend.
Drain Bead my period is wierd. It was regular for a year and a half (always came on the 8th. No matter what. odd.) but now it fluxes a bit. I am going to wait on the test, now that I think, for a week or so. I tried to go on the pill quite a while ago, besides wanting pregnancy protection I was getting severe cramps. But my parents wouldn’t let me. (See, my mom and dad are retired. They don’t seem too intrested in taking care of me any more. My fiance takes better care of me.) The cramps disapeared the second I graduated from high school, and now, well, not much sex for relic and Sailorboy for a while. Not unless I go live w/ him, and I wouldn’t be able to do that unless I’m pregnant. So theres no reason for the pill. I will be on it when we are married and living together a few years down the line…
Now, how much you wanna bet someone posted while I was typing this? Didn’t mean to leave you out, folks.
Green Bean!!! Sweetie! None taken! I meant that I get a TON of support here, more than I do IRL. Not to mention Satan is a sweetie. Sorry so cryptic, but I am choked up with the friendship I get here…
Ah, I understand now. Sorry for the misunderstanding! Thanks.
well i know there is reason for you to be scared relic but remeember no matter what im behind you 100% and i love you as always. and you know if ever you need cash i am willing to get you the money you need. but like evey one is saying i think it would be best to wait intill your period is late then take the test over the counter or in the clinic your decision but i does hurt me to know that right now you are worried and i cant be there to hold you and comfort you.
remember always i love you
your sailorboy
I hope I’m not out of line with this advice, but you may want to chew on it a little.
If you can’t afford a $10 pregnancy test and you’re still getting financial support from your dad, you probably should think about going on the pill. You can get it for free from Planned Parenthood (they work on a sliding scale- I got mine for free for years when I was in college) or possibly from the college infermary.
(Disregard the above advice if you have some other source of income you haven’t written about- I’m just worried that if you can’t afford to become pregnant and do, it will cause you and yours a lot of troubles)
If it makes you feel any better, I’ve had several "Oh my GOD I MUST be pregnant scares over the years, and all turned out to be some weird hormonal swing that caused severe PMS symptoms. The stress you’re under from wondering about being pregnant could also cause you to be a little late, too. Try to relax and just take it one day at a time.
Zette
I have chewed on it Zette, but I don’t like the idea of swallowing a pill every day when I only need it once or twice every two or three months. I really don’t think the pill is the best option right now. It would have been eight, nine months ago, but I was living at home and my parents refused to let me. We just got cocky once (no pun intended) and it backfired on us. We won’t make that mistake again.
I know, Sailorboy. I love you too. Lots and lots.
I really can’t add anything that hasn’t already been said, but it does sound like PMS to me. Are you eating well? In my case, I get much worse PMS if I’m not getting enough B-vitamins. Start taking multi-vitamins if you aren’t already doing so. If you are PG after all, the vitamins will be needed for you and baby, anyhow. Try to relax, and best of luck to you.
Tabithina, I have a bottle of multi-vitamins, but they are gel capsules and I can’t swallow them. I convinced my mom to switch brands for me.
The symptoms have been going away. I started drinking quite a lot of water and that seems to be helping too. Me thinks I have been introduced to PMS. Oy. Lucky me. 
Not to turn this into “pregnancy scares we’ve had,” but only to let you know you’re not the only one having gone through this…
Several years ago I went to live in another part of the country on summer break from college. Met a Very Nice Boy (hereafter known as VNB) doing the same thing. We worked at the same place, and saw each other often. At the end of the summer we decided that this was no great romance. We figured there was no point in communicating, but to leave it as a lovely memory. Got back to college a couple of weeks later only to realize…Oh yeah. You see where this is going. I was in the EXACT same money situation as relic. Spent the last of my summer job money on a train ticket back home, couldn’t borrow from anyone and was FREAKING OUT! 19, in college with a possible bun in the oven from VNB, who I wasn’t going to even contact. When my period was TWO WEEKS late I finally talked to someone about it. She told me Planned Parenthood would do free tests for college students. Called, made my appointment for the next day and within one hour of doing that, I got my period.
Now I have an IUD. 
Okay, everyone, I got my period. Sorry to get you all nervous. Grr, wish I could call Sailorboy.
Thanks for all the advice and support. Until next time (Which will be 5 to 15 years down the road when we WANT a baby!),
relic
That’s wonderful news! How many days late did you wind up being?
Btw, accurate tracking has helped me many times when i couldnt remember when my period was due. Try this website, they don’t ask for anything other than the dates your periods began. It then averages the time between them and predicts when your next one should be. I find it helpful.
Actualy, it was right on bleeping time. I just freaked out too early. All I can say is Phew!
I think we’ve all freaked out like that at one time or another. I’m glad all is well.
Came into this way late, but I’m glad to hear all is well, relic. I went through all of those symptoms once, a week before my period was due - and I WAS pregnant. Took two tests to find out, as the first came up neg - it was too early to tell.
Congrats :), and be careful.