to piggyback off u/zelliez - amazon sells the test strips they use in clinics for ultra cheap and in bulk. You can get them bundled with ovulation tests too, if that's something you need
Louder for the people in the back, please.
Amazon has VERY CHEAP TESTS! Buy in bulk and test whenever.
I learned the hard way that the most commonly known pregnancy tests in the US are the expensive, digital, bulky, thermometer-like huge pieces of plastic. Just get a cheap pink dye test, they do THE SAME THING! And more often than not, those bulky expensive tests are just one of those cheap ass tests covered in a bunch of unnecessary plastic.
Because pregnancy tests in drugstores are expensive af, I found you can get super cheap pregnancy test strips on Amazon, 50 strips for $12! I have PCOS, so I never have periods, so I just use one of those strips every few months just to make sure. So much peace of mind :)
ClinicalGuard® HCG Pregnancy Test Strips (Individually-Sealed, Pack of 50) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VT3BUE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ekodBbRJ0BV3K
If you want to regularly want to check that you’re not pregnant I highly recommend ordering “internet cheapies” from Amazon. They work just as well for a fraction of the cost. These are the ones I got.
When I had my IUD, I bought a bunch of the cheapo pregnancy test strips off Amazon just for those days when I felt stressed because I didn’t have my period yet. Missed period stress is the worst. Being able to take a quick test to put my mind at ease every now and then was worth paying $7.50 for 20 strips on Amazon. Plus then you can be that friend who can support her best Judy when she’s worried she’s knocked up. “Come on over whenever; I’ve got Oreos and a pregnancy test with your name on it.” ��
You can also buy multi packs of tests from Amazon for cheap. Always useful for the paranoia. The exact same dollar store tests are like 89c at walmart. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VT2OQG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2ZURzbJTGRD89
Tacking these on for anyone watching.
They're just as effective and easy to use as the $15 ones at the store, just without the fancy packaging and housing.
I've even seen them used at doctor's offices and hospitals.
It seems strange at first, but regular testing is an important part of taking care of your own health.
Even if you use birth control.
You can get a box of pregnancy test strips off Amazon for $0.36 I’m not trying to get pregnant but sometimes get nervous and love keeping these on hand.
AccuMed Pregnancy Test Strips, 25-Count Individually Wrapped Pregnancy Strips, Early Home Detection Pregnancy Test Kit, Clear HCG Test Results, Over 99% Accurate https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071YNWRPP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_8SDDNGY8ZA5JXE4RVE4E
Many places are trying to get doctors to stop unnecessary tests to keep costs down.
There was no reason for her to order the test as:
1.Pregnancy isn’t really a concern.
2.A urine pregnancy test at the doctors is no different than one you do at home.
Since you want to test, buy them in bulk: https://www.amazon.com/Wondfo-Pregnancy-Strips-25-count-medical/dp/B0002YIQEQ
Edit:
P.S. I’m not hating on testing, I still keep a few tests at home if I’m late and anxiety builds (even though I have my tubes tied and usually use a second method as well). Just doctors don’t tend to want to order unnecessary tests.
Speaking of Amazon, I bought a huge pack of cheap pregnancy tests from them when I had a Mirena because I was paranoid it wouldn't work or that I'd get an ectopic pregnancy. They're the strips they use at the doctor's office, without the big plastic thingy around them like the ones they sell for way too much money at the drug store. Work just as well despite costing pennies apiece.
Anybody who needs one, I don't mind sticking some in the mail. Just dm me your address. Or if you want 25 of your own for less than $8, here they are: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071YNWRPP/
No problem! I never understood why they were so expensive anyways. These are individually wrapped and have individual expiration dates on them, whenever I got them the expiration dates were always at least 18 months out, and I was pretty happy with that. They come in larger packs, and you can also buy them in combination with their ovulation kits.
ClinicalGuard® HCG Pregnancy Test Strips (Individually-Sealed, Pack of 20) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VT2OQG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_bU9bCbW57TG8D
You can buy pregnancy test strips on Amazon for less than a quarter apiece.
If you are really paranoid about it, just test yourself whenever you feel anxious.
I have Nexplanon, too, and am adamantly child free. I have a fund for if I ever fall pregnant.
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I also bulk buy these tests once a year and take one every month-ish. They're super cheap and just as effective as the $10 ones. Also, none of the in person awkwardness.
Hey my dude! Hope you're managing okay.
The other commenters are absolutely correct -- the cramps may be caused by the Plan B. Here's some more good news: If you take Plan B within 24 hours of unprotected sex, it is 95% effective. You're likely in the clear : )
From here, I have a few points of advice:
I had an abortion when I was nineteen. It was absolutely the best choice I could have made for the situation I was in. No regrets, no shame. Nobody is excited to get an abortion, it just becomes a necessity for some people.
Also, pregnancy tests are the most accurate with your first pee in the morning. Continue to take a test for the next few weeks or so. If you do end up needing an abortion, it's ideal to schedule it as quickly as possible. Your options become more scarce the longer you wait.
Best of luck, my dude <3 Confide in a friend if you can. Don't try to carry this stress all alone.
I find it funny how the Catholic Church has sorta gone full circle on contraception.
In the beginning, they banned condoms because they were too effective and artificial but allowed natural family planning, which was seen as being more "open to life" and natural..
The real joke is that modern "natural family planning" is now extremely high tech and artificial and almost as effective as condoms. The Catholic Church's own website tells parents to buy equipment like https://www.amazon.com/Clearblue-Digital-Ovulation-Test-Tests/dp/B002VLYAOI/ to ensure proper birth control.
It's a joke to call modern natural family planning open to life when it's literally 99.6% effective at preventing pregnancy.
husband here, you can't interfere with the natural process, so you need to go along with it. What this means is either following the natural cycle of fertility or you use something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Clearblue-Digital-Ovulation-Test-Tests/dp/B002VLYAOI
Which tells a woman when she is fertile... and therefore when she is less fertile.
The tricky thing is not getting in God's way. If God wants you to have a baby, you shouldn't be working again Him.
It's for this reason Catholics are known to have larger families (more common in traditional communities).
But heck... I've been married 4 years, have two kids, life is pretty good. My feeling might change a bit later, but there are routes to naturally plan pregnancies. I'm sure someone will mention Natural Family Planning (NFP) but that takes work. A simple fertility test is easier, and 90% electronic.
They work after a certain amount of time. I (accurately) tested positive at four days late, and the women of the Baby Bumps subreddit at the time were surprised that I got a positive that early. It's recommended that you wait a week past the date for accurate results... and that's a looonng freaking week. One of the women said that she got a negative two weeks after her missed period before it tested positive.
That said, I got a bag of cheapy tests off of amazon for 8 bucks, and they're good for a long. Really helped my mental state last time I was late :)
This is what I was going to come and say - AMAZON. A friend of mine was in a similar situation last year and didn't realize she could get pregnancy tests online. These are the "Amazon Choice" ones and are cheap and prime. Decently reviewed. One of the reviewers also said it comes in discreet packaging. And even if there are a couple of duds in the batch (which I don't imagine why there would be, but you'd run that risk even in the more expensive ones) there are lots of other ones to do as well.
The biggest thing though, and I know this will be the hardest part, is to just take everything a day at a time. Right now, you can't control what's going on, but you can control your reaction. If you're not pregnant and your period is late, it could be due to a multitude of factors, not least of which is stress. Mine was late by a month and a half because of stress in school. You just don't know until you do the test or your period comes, whichever happens first. It will be ok. It may not be great, but it WILL be ok. hugs
For moments like these, I highly recommend getting a ton of tests for cheap from Amazon. I got 50 for like 10 bucks a while back and it's really helped me calm down.
Amazon! These are the ones I got, but there are plenty more options available as well. The only thing is they are strips, so you have to pee in a cup and then dip the strips in the cup (I have a designated cup for this under my sink lmao). I got the 25 pack but they offer up to 100! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VT30C8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1v
I'm so sorry you had to deal with all of that. I completely understand how you feel, a baby would 150% ruin my life.
If you look at the top comment on reviews for the Amazon listing for FRER, there is a really awesome person who very meticulously tested out the FRERs and some cheapie LH tests with precise amounts of HCG. It helped me a ton with my first pregnancy!
Want to add a plug for some cheap pregnancy tests too! https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01H7P9Q5A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_C4NF37WM1CV0CMJ6E07Z?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I'm not actually sure they would help in this situation because then the excuse "I'm not buying another expensive test!" would help. But if anyone else wants that info or to hoard them at a friend's...
Sorry if this is redundant/something she’s doing already, but you could tell her that you did some research and wanted to know if she wants to try using ovulation predictor kits (I got these and they are cheap and easy, and come with much cheaper pregnancy test strips too https://www.amazon.com/Wondfo-Ovulation-Test-Strips-Pregnancy/dp/B00RY8UBNC/ref=mp_s_a_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=ovulation+strips&qid=1614124497&sr=8-16 ) also highly recommend tracking on the fertility friend app.
I’m a data nerd so having all that information to go on really helped me not to stress too much.
Good luck to you both, it seems like you are heading in the right, supportive direction!
Dollar store pregnancy test are just as accurate as expensive ones and cost a dollar! You can also get 50 for $11 on amazon if you are the type to freak out every month.
Got a super faint line yesterday and another faint one this morning! And then I went and bought a digital test to try tomorrow because I still don't quite believe it.
ETA more info:
I was using these super cheap tests from Amazon and I just bought a Clearblue digital to try tomorrow.
I used an Ava bracelet that I bought with HSA dollars to track my cycles since last December. Except, we went to a super remote area on vacation last month and so I was unable to sync data. So I just guessed ovulation week based on previous predictions and banged it out every day for 5 days, with day 3 being the predicted ovulation on day 14, since I sometimes ovulated on day 16 or 17. We had sex twice on day 3.
I tested the day before my estimated period (cycle day 26) and got nothing. Tested the morning of my missed period and had a faint line. Tested again this morning, another faint line.
So if you want to be sure you arent pregnant. You can buy a bulk pack of dip stick pregnancy test on Amazon. They are like less than 20 dollars and are usually what drs offices use. My OBGYN reccomends those ones or the dollar store tests.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071YNWRPP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fab_aZiHFb6HC0SYK
Have you looked into other forms of birth control that might ease your mind? I know what this feels like and the anxiety sucks but if you are using your pill perfectly then you probably dont have much to worry about.The dipstick pregnancy test are a cost effective way to ease your mind.
Honestly you’re more than covered. I wouldn’t worry about it at all.
Statistically your birth controls are 99% (Vasectomy) and 99% (IUD) AT WORST. So you’re looking at a 0.0001% chance of pregnancy as a worst case scenario.
But I totally understand the paranoia and sympathize. My girlfriend was constantly worried so I bought this on Amazon. Bulk pregnancy tests every week until you’re comfortable. Even take 3 at a time if you’re skeptical of their accuracy. We’ve never had an issue with them, and it’s dirt cheap all things considered, especially for the peace of mind.
You have 2 fantastic birth controls in place, and honestly you could probably get away with no IUD either. But ultimately it’s whatever you are most comfortable with