If you are trying to conceive, it may be hard to wait until you take a pregnancy test to see if you’re pregnant. In fact, you may wonder about some of the things you’re feeling shortly after ovulation — could they be pregnancy symptoms? Show While taking a home pregnancy test a day after your missed period — or even a few days after that — is the best way to determine if you’re pregnant, some women may wonder about symptoms as early as 4 DPO, otherwise known as 4 days past ovulation. In reality, your symptoms aren’t likely to start until around the time of your missed period (about 14 DPO). But anecdotal evidence suggests it’s possible to have signs earlier. Let’s take a closer look. 4 DPO is a very early stage in your cycle’s luteal phase, or time after an egg is released. If the egg released during ovulation is fertilized, it’s an early step toward becoming pregnant. If the egg was fertilized by a sperm cell when you ovulated, the fertilized egg will transform into a zygote. Eventually, the zygote will travel down the fallopian tubes, making its way to becoming a morula or a blastocyst. This is the beginning stage for an embryo. When an embryo implants in your uterine lining, you’re considered pregnant. But all this takes time. At 4 DPO, fertilization, if it occurred, has only just occurred, and the fertilized egg is just starting its journey toward the uterus. It’s normal for women to have a heightened awareness of any bodily changes when they’re actively trying to conceive. Some women may experience symptoms this early on, but don’t worry if you aren’t exactly feeling pregnant at 4 DPO — because technically, you’re not. Some women may start to experience mild symptoms at 4 DPO but it’s more likely that you’ll need to wait a few weeks. The earliest symptoms of pregnancy you may start to notice include:
A missed period is the most telltale sign of pregnancy, but if you’re 4 DPO, you likely have around 9 to 12 days before you’ll experience this sign. Other symptoms that you may experience within the first trimester of pregnancy include:
It’s important to pay close attention to your body as it changes. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about early pregnancy symptoms. If you’re trying to conceive, it’s normal to be antsy for results! The most accurate and reliable results will show up best from the first day of your missed period — likely around 13 to 15 DPO. It may be best to wait at least three weeks after conceiving before taking a test if you don’t have regular menstrual periods. Some pregnancy tests may have instructions specific to the test you take. Check the packaging on the test before taking it. Can I be pregnant and test negative?If your test comes back negative and you still think you’re pregnant, it’s certainly possible! You may have taken the test too early and need to produce more pregnancy hormones first. You can talk to your doctor, who may recommend taking a blood test for the earliest and most accurate results. False positives are rare. Positive pregnancy tests rarely indicate something other than pregnancy, including:
While it’s unlikely for signs of pregnancy to show at 4 DPO, some women report symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about your pregnancy or have questions about conception. We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process. A pregnancy test can detect pregnancy before a woman misses her period, but some may notice symptoms even earlier than this. The first sign of pregnancy is often a missed period, which happens around 15 days past ovulation (DPO). Some women may notice symptoms as early as 5 DPO, although they won’t know for certain that they are pregnant until much later. Early signs and symptoms include implantation bleeding or cramps, which can occur 5–6 days after the sperm fertilizes the egg. Other early symptoms include breast tenderness and mood changes. In this article, we look at the early signs and symptoms of pregnancy and discuss how soon women can get an accurate reading from a pregnancy test. Women who are trying to conceive are often particularly sensitive to what is happening with their bodies as they are looking for symptoms of pregnancy. Some women share anecdotes about their pregnancy symptoms as early as 4–5 DPO, while others report not noticing any changes to their body until much later. Although signs are possible this early on, they are unlikely to appear this soon in the majority of people. Many of the early symptoms, such as breast tenderness or fatigue, are instead linked to hormonal changes during ovulation or menstruation. Implantation may already have taken place at 5 DPO, or it may be about to happen soon. As a result, depending on the time of conception, it is possible for women to feel some symptoms of pregnancy this early on. Pregnancy tests are not accurate at 5 DPO, but some women later find that their early symptoms were indeed due to pregnancy. At 5 DPO, if the sperm has reached and fertilized the egg, the cells within the newly formed zygote begin multiplying to create a lump of cells called a blastocyst. These cells continue to multiply as the blastocyst makes its way down the fallopian tubes and into the uterus. When the blastocyst reaches the uterine wall, it attaches itself to get access to nutrients through the blood. At 5 DPO, the blastocyst may either be traveling to the uterine wall or already connected to it. If it is attached, the blastocyst has started its journey toward becoming a fetus, and pregnancy is underway. The specific symptoms of pregnancy vary hugely from woman to woman. There is no “normal,” as each pregnancy is unique. However, some of the earliest symptoms that women may notice tend to include the following: Implantation cramping and bleedingWomen may experience cramps very early on in pregnancy. These are due to implantation, which is when the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus. Implantation cramps may occur a few days after ovulation, and many women say that they feel cramps around 5 DPO. These cramps may occur in the lower back, abdomen, or pelvis. Around 25 percent of women may notice slight bleeding around the time of implantation. This is called implantation bleeding, and it tends to be lighter in color and flow than a menstrual bleed. Raised basal body temperatureMany women keep track of their basal, or baseline, body temperature while trying to conceive because it changes throughout the menstrual cycle. The temperature increases after ovulation and may stay higher than usual until the period begins. A basal body temperature that remains unusually high beyond the typical length of time may indicate pregnancy. However, these signs are not unique to pregnancy and can be due to another hormonal or lifestyle factor. Other early signs and when they happenAccording to the National Institutes of Health, other early signs and symptoms of pregnancy may include:
Some women also report feeling dizzy or wobbly early on in pregnancy, often when they get up after lying down. This symptom may be due to changes in the blood vessels carrying oxygen to the brain. Some women cannot explain any specific symptoms or changes in their body, but they intuitively feel that something is different. They might describe it as not feeling like themselves or feeling as though they are suddenly always a step behind. This may be a sign of fatigue and an indication of hormonal changes. As tempting as it can be to take pregnancy tests early and often, it may not be helpful. At 5 DPO, there is no reliably accurate way to check for pregnancy. Most tests check for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which the placenta makes. This hormone starts building up in the body after implantation. While implantation may occur early on in some women’s menstrual cycles, it does take time for the hormone to build up to a level in the blood that will make it detectable in a blood or urine test. According to the American Pregnancy Association, blood tests for hCG levels should be accurate 11 days after conception, while it would be best to wait 12–14 days before taking a urine test. Taking a pregnancy test too early may give inaccurate results. It is possible that a pregnant woman could still get a negative result if the level of hCG has not yet built up in her body. A false positive is also possible, which is a positive result on a pregnancy test when the woman is not pregnant. This can happen when a woman performs the test incorrectly, has a chemical pregnancy, or is taking certain hormonal medications as part of fertility treatment. When a woman thinks that she might be pregnant, she may wish to note any signs and symptoms and discuss them with a doctor. It will only be a few more days until the level of the pregnancy hormone hCG in the blood or urine is sufficient to allow an accurate reading on a pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests are available for purchase online. |