Extreme fear and paranoia about getting pregnant

[silencebroken45]

Sorry, I know I haven't posted on here very much but I'm a rather active lurker.

I have an incredibly loving supportive boyfriend who has been my best friend for 2 years and my parents absolutely love him. I'm also about to start college classes in the fall, just got a new job, everything is going amazingly. I just recently started having sex. I'm at the age of consent in my state, but I'm under 18 (the reason I'm starting college early is because I was homeschooled and graduated early)

I've been on birth control for almost a year (I was originally put on it for my irregular screwy periods) and have taken it faithfully every day. I think I've missed one pill the entire time I've been on it, and that was months ago. My boyfriend and I also use condoms. There's been maybe 3 times where we didn't, and he didn't finish in me (yes, I know, withdrawal is not an effective form of birth control but I figured it was better than him finishing in me).

We're in sort of a long distance relationship at the moment, and when ever he's not here, I always start panicking at the possibility that I might be pregnant. I know there's ALWAYS a chance, and that's just part of having sex. When ever he's here, I know I'm just being irrational, but there have been times where he's been gone that I've been so convinced that I'm pregnant that I've made myself sick over it. I have an anxiety disorder, so I'm generally pretty panicky about anything not just this, I worry too much, I always have. I've realized that it's really not worth all of this stress that it's causing me and that I can wait until I'm 18/moved out of my parents house to have sex again, so please no lectures. I know that if I can't handle being pregnant I shouldn't be having sex.

I haven't missed my period. My last period came right on time, but it was much lighter than it usually was, and it constantly went from brown to red the whole time. Normally my period is red for the first few days, and then it turns to brown, but this time it was a mix of red and brown the ENTIRE time, even the beginning. It ended on the day it normally ends, so it wasn't actually any shorter than usual, just lighter. I had been stressing myself out because I was afraid I was going to MISS my period, and I've heard that can definitely mess it up, so I'm hoping that's what that was. I'm supposed to get my period in about a week and a half, and I'm stressing myself out again! I really want to just calm down, but it's difficult. I've been hungrier than usual lately and I've had to pee more often.

Basically... all I'm looking for is some reassurance, I suppose. I think I'm starting to make my boyfriend go insane because I'm so worried, and I definitely can't talk to my parents about this. Thank you for reading this and for any replies

 

[CherryAcid]

I cant really help you but i feel almost the same as you about pregnancy. I hav a post on here as im currently having a pregnancy scare and im trying not to stress too much about it as it can take longer to arrive. Anything medical seriously creeps me out so if i am i am seriously not looking forward to ending the pregnancy and the thought of keeping it scares me even more.

 

[silencebroken45]

^ Aaah, same here. I'm a serious hypochondriac. I was convinced for easily a month that I had ovarian cysts once even after a doctor told me I didn't, among other things.

 

[CherryAcid]

Well i will only go to the docs if i am really suffering, but when it comes to pregnancy im very scared!

 

[vocaltest]

Take a pregnancy test? Thats the only thing you do to be sure!

It sounds to me like a normal period. Periods aren't the same each & every time, they vary. I know how you feel though, sometimes I go through stages of being incredibly paranoid that I'm pregnant.

 

[silencebroken45]

Thanks.. I think I will take a pregnancy test, but I need to wait another week before I can actually manage to get one. I guess I'm mostly asking how likely it really is that I'm pregnant and if I actually have very much reason to worry.

 

[vocaltest]

When did you last have sex without a condom?

 

[silencebroken45]

The beginning of April, before I got my period.

 

[claralikesguts]

i always get extremely paranoid too... a while back, i was so scared because i had a few pregnancy symptoms, like fatigue, nausea, and frequent peeing but at that point, i hadn't even been sexually active for 8 weeks (when pregnancy symptoms start to show). but no matter how safe you are, there's always a chance you can get pregnant. so i actually think it's best to be somewhat paranoid and worried rather than careless about protection and such.

 

[kaliraksha]

Yeah, if you take your birth control correctly (read your package in detail) it's like 99% effective, that coupled with condoms and no ejaculation inside (minus pre-cum) I would say there is a really really really small chance you might be pregnant- I mean sometimes you can do all the right things and it still happens. A period is a period, if you bled for a few days you got a period... they're not always the same there are a lot of factors that can affect it and it might be a sign that something else is off and seeing an obgyn may be helpful. Just start being religious about your birth control, on the hour every day- that will be your biggest tool against combating fears.

The other thing I would do is buy a few pregnancy tests and just keep them on hand, and look up info for a non-profit women's clinic that might do free or cheap pregnancy tests. Or if your anxiety is really inhibiting your normal life, especially in other places... consider asking about anti-anxiety medicine to take when you need it.

I totally get you, even on birth control because of my hormones I get irregular periods and I freak out and all of a sudden a stomach ache, tender breasts or slight nausea and I'm freaking out about being pregnant. I always wonder how liberating it will be when I'm at a point in my life when being pregnant would make me happy.

Do your best to not worry, a lot of us have been there and the best thing you can do is take precautions and know your options just in case. Not much good will come from worrying, it's not going to make you un-pregnant if you are. Given your situation I would amost bet you aren't... but life works in mysterious ways and the only thing you can do is wait.

 

[MxAxC-_ATTACK]

I also am very very paranoid about getting pregnant. Im 26, but I am just NOT ready yet. Even though I use birth control every month I want to have a party when I start my period because I stress out until it happens, sometimes its like 4 days late and I freak out, convince myself that I am pregnant, then I get my period and its like "OH Thank you!"

 

[LMD84]

i think alot of women have the same feelings as you. i know i get very paranoid about getting pregnant. i'm not on the pill but me and hubby use condoms and sometimes i always get a little paranoid about it. but realistically with you using the pill and condoms i'm sure you'd be ok. obviously accidents can happen even when using contraception but as long as you're sensible you should be ok. for example if you vomited recently make sure that you use a condom as your pill may not be working 100% due to sickness.

plus like others have said, keep some tests in your bathroom just for when you are feeling extremely paranoid.

 

[xxManBeaterxx]

i think all sexually active women who dont desire children at this time in their life have the same paranoid feelings every once in a while. on the sunday's when i take my sugar pills i pray to the infertility god i will get my period soon, when i was 17/18 years old i used to worry so much i swear i had pregnancy symptoms. then at 18 i actually did become pregnant , and i probably didnt have sex for a whole year after, no lie lol, but i was very inconsistant with taking my pills at the correct time so i only have myself to blame, yet if i could go back in time and change everything, i wouldnt change it one bit.

 

[silencebroken45]

Haha, I'm totally ready to not have sex for a year right now. If you dont mind me asking did you take your pill at the wrong time or did you completely miss pills too? Did you use condoms?

 

[pumpkincat210]

The only sure way, so you don't continue to freak yourself out and panic is to just abstain totally. I know it's a bummer, but you are putting yourself through hell. If you really can't handle the thought of getting pregnant, should you be having sex in the first place? If you do decide to continue having sex take your pill faithfully the same time each day, use high quality condoms and spermicide. Keep a couple of early detection pregnancy tests on hand. and finally have a plan in place if you do get pregnant. Talk to your boyfriend about it, see if you are in agreement with what to do "in case". You probably won't get pregnant if you are both careful and it's not the end of the world if you do either. You have options.

 

[User35]

being stressed and freaking out can make your body and period do some wacky things. From like 15 or 16 up untill now almost every month I have a little freak out session cause I think Im pregnant. Being married now I dont have to worry about having sex..lol j/k.

 

[BEA2LS]

i sometimes get that way, too and worrying only makes it worse

 

[User49]

pmd u x