An early pregnancy test might pick up very low amounts of hCG. However, it’s possible that you don’t have enough circulating hCG to get a positive result even on a sensitive test. Another common reason for getting a false negative is not having enough hCG in the urine you test.

Our experts answer your pregnancy questions If your cycle is unpredictable and your test was negative, you might actually be pregnant but took the test too early. Even if you did miss your period but it hasn’t been at least a couple of weeks since you conceived, you could still get a “false negative.”

One explanation for a false negative pregnancy test is what’s called the hook effect. It’s not common but sometimes this effect leads to urine and blood tests giving the wrong result. This error might happen even after you’ve had one positive pregnancy test and test again a couple days later.

You’ll likely notice the first signs of a bump early in the second trimester, between weeks 12 and 16. You might start showing closer to 12 weeks if you are a person of lower weight with a smaller midsection, and closer to 16 weeks if you’re a person with more weight.

You may experience some bloating at the beginning of pregnancy, and your clothes might fit a little snugly, but you probably won’t be showing a baby belly at one month pregnant.

During the early stages of pregnancy, around 7 or 8 weeks, the growth of the uterus and the development of the baby, turn the the belly harder.

Tummy twinges, pinching and pulling Some women experience feelings inside their stomachs in the early stages of pregnancy that replicate the sensation of their muscles being pulled and stretched. Sometimes referred to as ‘abdominal twinges’, these tingles are nothing to worry about.