If you are trying to conceive, you probably count the days after ovulation to take an early pregnancy test. You could also closely examine your body to determine if you have any early pregnancy symptoms at 12 DPO.
When you are 12 days past ovulation (12 DPO), you’re close to knowing whether you are pregnant. Nonetheless, you may still not know your expectations or how to determine if you are pregnant at this critical time of your menstrual cycle.
Below are some of the common symptoms of early pregnancy at 12 DPO and instances where you should take a pregnancy test to get the most reliable results.
What is 12 DPO?
12 DPO stands for twelve days past ovulation. It means you are getting close to the end of the long 2-week wait period and close to taking an early pregnancy test. Generally, your more fertile window is five days before and on the ovulation day. So, if you’re trying to conceive, it is important to have sex that lines up with your peak fertile window. However, it takes a few weeks after you ovulate to know if you have succeeded in falling pregnant; this is why you must wait two weeks for a pregnancy test.
14 DPO, you can take a pregnancy test that will offer the most accurate result. If you take a test 12 days past ovulation, you are approaching the 14-day marker but aren’t there yet. At this time, you may still get a few symptoms of early pregnancy if you manage to conceive this cycle.
What Are the Common Symptoms of Pregnancy at 12 DPO?
While you have not finished the two-week wait at 12 DPO, you can still observe some early pregnancy signs in your body. As the Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone levels continue to rise during the early days of pregnancy, your body will go through many changes that you may notice at this time.
Some of the common changes include:
Cramping at 12 DPO
Most women experience cramping 12 days past ovulation. At first, it’s easy to assume that the cramping is caused by menstruation, but you should not lose hope. Cramping can also occur because of implantation. The fertilised egg is being borrowed into the uterine lining at this period. The fertilised egg causes the uterus to stretch, and that’s why you may feel mild or moderate cramps.
Breast Changes at 12 DPO
One of the common early signs of expectancy is changes in your breasts. If you are expectant, you may see changes around 12 DPO, like breast sensitivity or darkening of the areola and nipple. All these changes occur because of the rising hormone levels as the body prepares to breastfeed the newborn. Although breast aching and sensitivity can signify the monthly period and early pregnancy, nipple changes rarely occur due to PMS.
Spotting at 12 days Past Ovulation
You do not need to panic if you notice spotting at 12 DPO. This doesn’t mean that your period is arriving early that month. As the fertilised egg is implanted in the uterus lining, you may experience a pink or light brown discharge, also known as implantation bleeding. About 15 to 25 per cent of women experience implantation bleeding. This bleeding is common and often occurs when you would have had your period, and it is a sign of pregnancy.
Excess Fatigue at 12 DPO
Some women can experience fatigue 12 days past ovulation due to PMS, while it may be unusual for others to get tired around this month. If you are one of the people who rarely feel fatigued at 12 DPO, then that could be you. Pregnancy takes a toll on the body right from the early stages as the body is doing a lot of prep work to allow the baby to grow in a conducive environment. Therefore, do not be worried if you experience serious fatigue at 12 DPO.
Frequent Urination at 12 DPO
If you pee more frequently at 12 DPO, it could mean you are pregnant. Around this time, the uterus is growing and stretching to house the embryo, but the surge is mainly because of the additional blood flow to the kidneys; the additional blood flow to the kidneys can produce up to 25% more urine once you have fallen pregnant.
No Symptoms at 12DPO: Should I Be Worried?
Some women do not get the above early pregnancy symptoms, making it difficult to know if you are pregnant before taking an early pregnancy test. Maybe you had sex during the fertile window but haven’t taken a pregnancy test because the 14 days haven’t elapsed. So, could you still be pregnant if you haven’t experienced any early pregnancy signs at 12 DPO?
Firstly, there is no need to panic or rush to take a pregnancy test. If you are at twelve days, it has been less than two weeks since conception. Most women rarely experience any symptoms at this time of their pregnancy. If your mother did not have pregnancy symptoms at this point, then there is a good chance that you may not experience any symptoms. New studies show that some pregnancy conditions are hereditary.
So, if you haven’t noticed any pregnancy symptoms by 12 DPO, you should take a pregnancy test after 14 DPO or the first day of the next expected period. By then, the hCG hormone levels will be high enough to tell if you are pregnant, even if you do not feel pregnant yet.
At Fertility2Family, we can help you determine the most appropriate time to take a pregnancy test by tracking the fertility hormone concentration to detect a 14 DPO more accurately.
How Soon Will a Pregnancy Test Read Positive?
If you hope for that big fat-positive result after taking a pregnancy test, you might be tempted to test as soon as possible. You can certainly take a pregnancy test at twelve days past ovulation, but remember that the best time to take a pregnancy test, at minimum, is two weeks after you ovulate or the day you expect to get your next period.
At 12 days after ovulation, the hCG hormone levels might not have reason enough for the home pregnancy test to detect them. This can lead to a false negative pregnancy test (14.7% chance of false negatives in one study), even when you have conceived.
Alternatively, you may get an early miscarriage, or a chemical pregnancy, which can cause a false-positive test result. You will get a negative result if you do another pregnancy test for the second time two weeks after ovulation or on the first day of your next period.
What Does Getting a BFP at 12 DPO Mean?
Before celebrating your positive result, remember that 12 DPO is still early to tell if you’re pregnant. After 12 days, there is a minimal chance that your results can give a false positive (less than 1%). The most common reason for a false positive is a chemical pregnancy, which can account for 50 – 75% of all conceptions.
The only way to tell if your big fat positive result is accurate is to test again after 14 days or on the first day of the next period. If you cannot wait two weeks, make an appointment with your doctor or gynecologist. The medical expert will confirm if you conceived or not.
Can You Get a BFN at 12 DPO and Still Be Pregnant?
Likewise, getting worried when you get a big fat negative after taking a pregnancy test at 12 DPO is not advisable. This is because 12 DPO is still early to take a pregnancy test, and your hCG hormone levels might still be too low to be detected by the test kit, even if you’re expectant.
Again, the most reliable way to tell if you are expecting a baby is to wait until 14 days after ovulation. If you cannot wait, be sure to talk to your gynecologist, as they have the knowledge to tell if you’re pregnant before the 14 days.
Evan Kurzyp
Evan is the founder of Fertility2Family and is passionate about fertility education & providing affordable products to help people in their fertility journey. Evan is a qualified Registered Nurse and has expertise in guiding & managing patients through their fertility journeys.