You are 4 weeks and 1 day

The wait is over. If your period hasn't started, take a home pregnancy test to find out whether you've conceived.

251 days until your due date

If you've missed your period (assuming your cycle is normally no longer than 28 days, so your period is late), you may want to do a home pregnancy test today.

Home tests, sold in pharmacies and most supermarkets, contain a chemical that reacts to hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) in your urine. An implanting embryo produces this hormone, so it appears in your urine if you're pregnant. On the day your period is due, hCG is likely to be over 50 mIU/ml, and most tests are sensitive enough to detect this with 97–99 percent accuracy, so they can be used from the first day of a missed period. Some can be used earlier.

Tests only turn positive once hCG reaches a certain level, so testing too early can give a negative result even if you're pregnant. If your period doesn't come but your test was negative, test again in two or three days. If you're pregnant, your hCG will have risen and the result will be positive.

If you get a positive result but your period starts anyway, you may have had a very early miscarriage.

Explainer

Waiting for the result

A test tells you within minutes whether you're expecting a baby, but while you wait for this life-changing result, it can feel like forever.

Good to know

How to use a home pregnancy test

Always read the instructions, but most tests work like this:

Urinate on the stick and leave it for the stated number of minutes.
A symbol appears in the control window to show the test is working (if it doesn't, the test is faulty). If a symbol then appears in the results window, you're pregnant.
Test first thing in the morning, when your urine is most concentrated and hCG is easiest to detect.
The result symbol gradually fades, so read it at the stated time, not later. If you're unsure, test again the next morning.

This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.