The two week wait (TWW) is the period of time between ovulation and when you take a pregnancy test. This is such an exciting and precious time when the fertilized egg that will become a baby starts to develop. During this time, many women experience a variety of symptoms that may indicate early pregnancy.
Pregnancy Symptoms After Ovulation, Days Past Ovulation (DPO)
1-5 Days Past Ovulation (1-5 DPO Symptoms)
During this time, the fertilized egg starts its journey down the fallopian tubes and to the uterus where it finds a cozy spot to implant for the next nine months. Since implantation does not happen until about 6-10 days post ovulation, in these early days after ovulation any symptoms you have are likely related to the release of progesterone and not necessarily related to pregnancy just yet.
Common signs of high progesterone:
- Breast swelling or tenderness
- Bloating
- Fatigue
- Lower libido
- Mood swings
6-10 Days Past Ovulation (6-10 DPO Symptoms)
By this time, implantation should be happening right now! Not every woman experiences signs of implantation, and some have no idea that it is happening.
Two of the most common signs of implantation:
- Cramping
- Light spotting
Some women continue to experience fatigue, breast tenderness, and swelling, or mood swings. During this time, you may be eager to take a home pregnancy test, but it may still be too early for the pregnancy test to show positive. After implantation occurs, the pregnancy hormone hCG takes a few days to get high enough to show positive on an at-home pregnancy test. We recommend waiting until you are 12-14 days post-ovulation or on the first day of your missed period.
11-14 Days Past Ovulation (11-14 DPO Symptoms)
After implantation, the cells that become the placenta start to produce the pregnancy hormone – hCG – which creates symptoms very similar to what you feel right before the start of a new period. PMS and pregnancy symptoms can be so similar that it can be hard to know which is the cause.
Common early pregnancy symptoms:
- Tender swollen breasts
- Nausea or vomiting
- Increased urination
- Fatigue
- Missed period
The most common sign of pregnancy is a missed period, since this is not typically a sign of PMS. If your period is delayed and you experience some of the above symptoms, take an at-home pregnancy test!
While every woman and pregnancy is different, some start to experience pregnancy symptoms early on, while others may not feel any until that hCG hormone progresses further along in the first trimester. The best way to confirm pregnancy is through a pregnancy test, which you can take in the comfort of your own home. Once you see that BFP (Big Fat Positive), call your obstetrician to set up an appointment for confirmation.
No Two Week Wait Symptoms After Ovulation? Are You Not Pregnant?
It’s common for women to see a variety of symptoms after ovulation as the body prepares for pregnancy or menstruation. However, the absence of symptoms does not mean you are not pregnant.
It’s important to remember not all women experience the same symptoms and some women experience no early pregnancy symptoms at all. It’s neither good nor bad if you do or don’t have symptoms. Additionally, some early pregnancy symptoms do look a lot like premenstrual symptoms making it difficult to differentiate between the two.
The most reliable way to know if you are pregnant is to take an at-home pregnancy test. This will provide the most accurate results for you to know if you are pregnant.
When To Take a Pregnancy Test
Generally speaking, we would recommend waiting until about 14 days, this time period is also known as the two week wait, past your predicted ovulation day for the best result. As an alternative, you can test on the first day of your missed period though some people may see a positive result days earlier!
A pregnant woman’s hCG level rises after getting pregnant and doubles every 2-3 days, it is detectable on a pregnancy test at 25 mIU/mL. A pregnancy test shows a faint test line when you test very early, and gets darker as hCG levels increase.
If you receive a negative pregnancy test, wait a few days before testing again as your hCG levels may not be high enough to be detected, giving you a false negative test result. If you see a positive pregnancy test, congratulations! Be sure to call your healthcare provider to set up a prenatal appointment to confirm your pregnancy.
A lot of women feel fatigued, sick, sleepy, moody, or have sore breasts early in pregnancy, before they experience the most obvious sign of pregnancy: a missed period.
However, many of these signs and symptoms aren’t unique to pregnancy. So, women who want to know whether or not they are pregnant will use an early pregnancy test. A positive result on a pregnancy test is the most reliable sign to confirm a pregnancy as early as possible.
Is a Faint Line On a Pregnancy Test Considered Positive?
The short answer is yes. Even a very faint line on your pregnancy test could be regarded as a sign of a positive test. To better confirm your pregnancy, you need to do another test after a couple of days to see whether the test line continues to darken. See how the test line gets darker for a pregnant woman in the Premom app example picture below.
There are also many different methods for you to confirm your pregnancy besides pregnancy tests such as a blood test to examine your hormone level.
How To Take a Pregnancy Test
- Dip the white absorbent tip of the test into the urine up to the black “MAX” line and keep the tip in the urine until the dye rises into the results window. (Est. time for Easy@Home brand: 5-10 seconds)
- Follow steps 1, 2, and 3, as above.
- If you upload your hCG test result to the Premom pregnancy test gallery, you can track your hCG progression in your urine from a faint test line — from approximately 6 days before your missed period day — until a fat and bold test line shows up.
References
- Dix, M. (2019, July 17). Implantation signs and symptoms: Bleeding, cramps, and more. Healthline.
- Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2021, December 3). Symptoms of pregnancy: What happens First. Mayo Clinic.
- Pugle, M. (2022, January 28). High progesterone: Signs, symptoms, and complications. Verywell Health.
