PREGNANCY

12DPO: pregnancy symptoms and testing at twelve days post ovulation

Last modified on Monday 19 December 2022

Wondering what symptoms to expect at 12dpo? Trying to figure out if it's time to take a pregnancy test yet? Here's everything you need to know about what to expect at twelve days post ovulation.

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The dreaded two-week-wait is one of the least fun parts of trying for a baby. It can be easy to get caught up in symptom spotting, and researching all the details of what’s going on with your body.

You’ve probably heard of the term ‘ dpo ’, or ‘ days past ovulation ’, but for the uninitiated it’s pretty much what you’d expect – how many days have passed since you last ovulated .

The NHS advises that ovulation usually occurs roughly two weeks before your next period would start . If you need help working out when you last ovulated, or when to expect it next, you can try out our ovulation calculator , as well as getting more details on how ovulation works .

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If you’ve been keeping track of your cycle, and you know that you’ve hit 12dpo, then knowing what’s happening in your body can help to manage the last few days before you’re likely to get an accurate result on a pregnancy test.

We’ve brought together the research from the NHS , Healthline , and other fertility experts to help you to understand the symptoms you might experience at 12dpo and when you can start accurately testing.

What’s happening in my body at 12dpo?

Exactly what’s going on depends on a few factors, from how long and regular your menstrual cycles are to when you last had sex. However, there are a few specific options as to what’s happening.

At 12dpo, it’s possible that:

  • an egg has been released and made it down the fallopian tube without being fertilised (you’re not pregnant)
  • an egg has been released and fertilised, but hasn't yet implanted in your womb (you may be pregnant)
  • an egg has been fertilised, and has implanted in your womb (you are pregnant)

To give you an idea one how these can happen, here’s a breakdown of how the process normally works:

On the day you ovulate, an egg is released by one of your ovaries and enters your fallopian tube. Over the course of roughly 24 hours, the egg heads to your womb, which is the window in which it can be fertilised.

If the egg meets sperm, then there’s a chance that one of them will fertilise it. If that doesn’t happen, it’ll keep going to your womb, and will leave your body when you have your next period.

Sperm can stay alive for up to five days inside your body, so if you’ve had sex within that many days before you ovulate, or up to 24 hours after, then there’s a chance the egg will have been fertilised by the time it makes it to your womb.

When a fertilised egg gets to your womb, then it might implant into your uterus. Implantation generally occurs between 6-12 days post ovulation , so today is generally speaking the last day that it could happen.

When a fertilised egg implants in your uterus, your body begins to produce the pregnancy hormone hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin. This is what pregnancy tests are looking for in your urine, though according to Healthline it can take around 7-12 days after implantation for there to be enough hCG for pregnancy tests to pick up . hCG is also responsible for some of the early pregnancy symptoms like nausea, sore breasts, and fatigue.

What symptoms might I experience at 12dpo?

Given that the egg might only have implanted today, or a few days before, you’re still unlikely to experience pregnancy symptoms at 12dpo . You might well be pregnant, but it usually takes at least a week before hCG has risen to levels that will cause symptoms, or are high enough to for a pregnancy test to detect.

It’s made a bit harder to tell by the similarity between early pregnancy symptoms and PMS. However, if you had an early implantation, then you might well start to notice early symptoms at this stage.

According to the NHS here are some of the symptoms that you might experience:

  • feeling or being sick
  • feeling more tired than usual
  • sore or tender breasts
  • peeing more often
  • strange tastes, smells or cravings

Learn more about the early signs of pregnancy.

What have other Netmums experienced?

Our TTC section of the Netmums Forum is full of other women who are, or were, in a similar time in their conception journey. Here’s what some of them have had to say about their experiences at 12dpo:

‘So today I’m 12dpo with a bfn! I’ve had cramps since OV which is unusual for me! They eased off now! But I’ve had so many inhale symptoms. Honestly, I would of put money on it being this month due to my body feeling so different!! Anyhoo... would you reckon a FRER would show by now if I was? I’m due in the 3 days so you’d think they’d be a line even if faint by now!! I’m quite deflated tbh as I was so convinced! Has anyone ever heard of this happen and have a BFP? X’

- Nat W (later posts indicate she was not pregnant )

‘So today I'm 12po and period due today based on last month's cycle but my cycles can vary from 28-34 days so might be just that it's going to be a bit later this month but I'm just wanting to hear from people who didn't get their BFP till after 12dpo? And I don't mean you waited to test when AF due and got BFP but people who tested every day and didn't get it till later.

‘I'm trying not to get my hopes up but my boobs are still very much sore and normally they tail off a few days before AF due, my temp is still elevated as well and today I've woken up feeling quite sick/fuzzy head almost like I'm gonna get a head cold (which it could very well be the start of one) but starkers BFN's every day. I have only been using internet cheapies so I am gonna go get a FRER today. Someone please give me hope 🙏🏼’

- Sal C (later posts indicate she was pregnant )

‘We have been trying for a baby for 8 months and still nothing 🙁 had one chemical but that’s it. This month I thought we had done it. Loads of symptoms, boobs massive and sore, really sensitive to smells (can’t even stand our dog near me as the smell of dogs is making me gag! 😩) tired, headaches and cramps. My cycles are just 27 days so surely it would have shown up by now? With my first I didn’t test until after I missed my period for a few days as it wasn’t planned. Maybe I should just be patient, but it’s really hard.’

- Anon (later posts indicate she was not pregnant )

‘I'm pretty sure I'm out this month! However yesterday I would have been 12dpo and was quite crampy in the morning but it eased off and today have had nothing. Good sign?

'I'm really hoping something comes of this! My boobs are quite sensitive! And I'm an emotional wreck! But that could be just a period!! Holding off till Friday to test! My husband thinks that it won't be our month this month! And I will be super shocked if it is!!’

- Abby W (later posted to say she was pregnant )

‘Hi! I’m at 12 DPO and I feel like I have all these early pregnancy symptoms but had a bfn this morning... I’ve been really fatigue, have cravings (maybe that’s just me and my appetite), white stretchy CM, tender nipples, etc... Maybe overthinking the symptoms?’

Iris Y (later posted to say she was not pregnant )

‘Sorry if it's TMI. So I'm 12dpo. I've had uterine discomfort for over 7 days now, also a lot of gases. I felt nauseous but I'm starving... I had BBT drop 3 days ago and now a big rise. Today after work I got home and my panty liner was full of a milky yellowish CM. I dont wanna test as I had 3 early miscarriages, but this time is a lot of different things going on... Idk... what you girls think?’

Christina S (later posed to say she was pregnant )

Can I take a pregnancy test at 12dpo?

The NHS recommends not taking a pregnancy test until the day that you’re expecting your next period to start. This is usually around 14dpo if you have an average 28-day menstrual cycle. That means that at 12dpo it’s still a couple of days too early to take a pregnancy test .

There are some extra-sensitive tests that might give you a result from 9dpo , though the longer you wait the more accurate they are. Getting a negative result this early doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not pregnant, as it might have only happened today!

If you can manage to wait two more days, you’ll have a better chance of getting an accurate result, especially if you had an early implantation. This will give the hCG levels time to build up enough for the test to pick it up.

Learn more about when to take a pregnancy test.

How can I get through the TWW?

Making it to the end of the Two-Week Wait can feel like a marathon, especially if you’re trying to hold off on taking tests. Symptom spotting is totally normal, and don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t wait any longer and take an early test. You’re not alone!

It can help if you find an enjoyable way to distract yourself and take your mind off of it. You might have a series you’ve been meaning to binge, or a book you’ve wanted to read for a while. You could try taking up a new hobby or learning a new skill, or spend some time with family and friends.

Try to keep in mind that the longer you wait, the closer you get to an accurate pregnancy test. If you’re struggling with the wait, you might find it helpful to join one of the Trying to Conceive Clubs on our Forum. You’ll find other parent-hopefuls who are in the same boat, or have their own TTC experiences to share that could set your mind at ease.

We have put together a list of some of the ways to survive the TWW , which might help get you to the finish line. We’re crossing our fingers that you get your BFP!

More on DPO

If you want to keep an eye on your potential pregnancy symptoms and what's going in your body on each day post ovulation, check out our articles from day 1 to 19:

1DPO 2DPO .• 3DPO 4DPO 5DPO 6DPO 7DPO 8DPO 9DPO 10DPO 11DPO 12DPO 13DPO 14DPO 15DPO 16DPO 17DPO 18DPO 19DPO