Pregnancy or Paranoia?

[Rachel777]

Hello,

I am a 20-year-old female, who had sex for the first time three months ago, back in July. I had sex a total of five times, and haven't had any sexual relations since the very beginning of August. Every time I had sex, it was protected with a condom, and as far as I could tell, there were no mishaps. The only possible thing I can think of is ejaculate from fingers entering my vagina, but even at that, we were careful, and I don't foresee that as a high possibility.

Still, however, I am paranoid that I may be pregnant. I have gotten my period every time that I was supposed to, along with the accompanying symptoms (cramps, aching, fatigue, etc). But at the same time, I'm dieting and exercising, and the scale shows that I'm losing weight- and in many areas, I can tell this is the case. My stomach, however, appears to be growing and appearing bloated. I'm 205lbs at 5'9", so it is a subtle thing to tell, but I recall being at 215lbs, and having my stomach be smaller than this.

My stomach sometimes feels a little gassy, but this has been going on for a couple of weeks, so I can't imagine that gas or bloating could be causing this for so long. When I was having sex, and shortly after, I went through the "am I pregnant?" paranoia, but after two months of everything appearing normal, I quit worrying, until I really began to notice my stomach.

I know you're obligated to recommend that I take a pregnancy test, and I will heed this advice. I would like to know, though, whether I should be concerned, or to what extent I should be concerned. If you can give me any other warning signs to look for, or if you have any other questions for me, that would be great. My family has absolutely no idea that I am sexually active, so a pregnancy diagnosis at this point would be devastating for my family and me.

Thank you in advance for your advice and counsel. Perhaps I'm over-reacting, but at the same time, perhaps I have cause to be concerned. Thank you!

[Rachel777]

Thank you for your help. Knowing that has definitely put my mind at ease. I've yo-yoed for years, so perhaps it would make sense that my stomach would become more resilient to losing weight.

Also, could anybody tell me what the difference would be between bleeding during pregnancy, and having your actual period? Obviously, there are the biological differences, but if you're just observing this on face-value, what would be some of the things you can pinpoint as a period versus bleeding during pregnancy?

Thank you in advance for your help!

[martikadragoon]

Rachel~ Your likely not pregnant. And dieting can cause a change in the despersion of fat over your body. some places may shrink first while others are almost seemingly unchanged or even appear to get a bit bigger.  Take the test, if it's negative and your still getting your periods on time your fine!

[Rachel777]

Thank you for all of your advice.

My periods have seemed regular, but what would the difference be if I was just bleeding during pregnancy as opposed to having a period? How can I tell which is which?

Also, can you think of anything that would account for my stomach seemingly getting bigger (or at least staying the same and/or getting more "poochy") while I'm losing weight overall?

[alaysha]

If you got a period this month then most likely you wouldn't be pregnant. Its possible to bleed during pregnancy but not have an actual period. Also dieting can cause an upset stomach especially if you are dieting enough to have lost 10 pounds in one week.

[Rachel777]

Oh, and I thought it might be pertinent to add that after two of the times I had sex (separated by about a month, maybe a little less), I had my period begin the next day, or the very next day. My periods have never been very regular, as in, they happen every month, but never at the same time each month. Even still, maybe providing my menstrual cycle since I've been having sex might help to clear up any other questions you may have:

Sex: July 6th
Period: July 7th

Sex: July 18th
Sex July 21st
Period: July 23rd

Sex: August 7th
Sex: August 8th
Period: August 28th

Period: September 23rd (ish... I can't remember for certain)

Period: October 10th (This period began a bit differently from the rest, in that nearly a half a day was almost like spotting, before it moved into a normal, heavy cycle).

[Rachel777]

I've been dieting for a little over a week, and have thus far, lost about 10 pounds. I haven't started exercising yet, though, so what is common to experience through exercise wouldn't apply to me just yet. Do you have an alternatives of what could be causing this, and/or does pregnancy still seem unlikely?

[alaysha]

I wouldn't be concerned. The odds of getting pregnant from sperm on a finger is almost like 0. Also you yourself said that you have been getting normal periods. A lot of times when you start exercising it actually can make you sick because its getting rid of all the toxins in your body which can cause upset stomachs which in turn leads to bloating. It goes away eventually but if you just started exercising that is what happens most of the time in the beginning. However, if you are worried and think that there is a chance then take a pregnancy test.