[mightymom]

I am a mother of two boys 9 and 11, so it's been a while since I have experienced any symptoms of pregnancy.
I have been on the Alesse 28 for 11 months now, and have been getting my period regularly, either the day I start the sugar pill, or within the first couple days. However, last month I thought I had started my period the morning after I started the sugar pill. It started with some light spotting and then it stopped after a couple hours, then nothing. I had originally thought nothing of it, as I have missed a period in the past (about 4 years ago), and was not pregnant, and I thought that it might have something to do with the pill. I continued with the next pack of pills, but when I started the sugar pill this time, there was no spotting, and no period. I am now 3 days late for my next period, and I missed the last one.
During the past couple of weeks, my breasts have been getting tender (but that is also a sign of my period coming, as my breast are usually sore for a few weeks before my period), I have had major gas from both ends (if you know what I mean), I have also been experiencing irregular breakouts on my face (I feel like I am in high school again), I have had a dull headache that just doesn't seem to want to go away, and the last few days I have been getting shooting pains down my left leg, which almost feels like growing pains, and have also experienced some sharp pains in my lower back, almost as though I have a pinched nerve. Interestinlgy enough, my sex life has also changed somewhat, as I have been experiencing far more intense orgasms (I don't know if that has anything to do with pregnancy, but I just want to note any changes I have been experiencing).
I have taken 3 pregnancy tests, one last month when I first missed my period but experience the spotting. I then took two this month, one last week, and one two weeks prior. All were negative. But with my second pregnancy, my home test did not become positive until I was over 14 weeks. And when I took a blood test at the doctors, the HCg level was so low that the doc wanted to do an ultrasound, and when that was done, they could not find a fetus, so I was told to come back in a month to check again. I did that, and sure enough, there was my little boy! I don't know if I can walk into the doc's and just ask for an ultrasound just to see, given the problems I had previously detecting my last pregnancy.
So I am a bit confused, and I am not sure what this all means. I know that women who sometimes are worried about becoming pregnant, can manifest symptoms of pregnancy, but I would really like to know if I am indeed pregnant. I definitely do not want to have to play out the waiting game again, that killed me last time, and I want to make sure that I am leading a healthy lifestyle for a mommy to be. Any suggestions?

[LearningAsIGo]

You have a history of registering low betas in early pregnancy.

Because of that history, its perfectly reasonable for you to call your doc to request further testing to be sure. A quantitiative blood test would be useful along with an ultrasound.

Call soon so you can be sure