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When Do Pregnancy Symptoms Start?

While for most something like a missed period seems a pretty obvious reason to take a pregnancy test, there are cases out there where pregnancy symptoms are a more significant deciding factor. Maybe you don’t have regular menses. Maybe you’re concerned you may just be experiencing early pregnancy bleeding and not an actual period, or you’re worried about the possibility of a false negative pregnancy test. Maybe you’re trying to conceive and just really impatient—because 2 weeks? Really? that’s forever!—no matter the reason, understanding when pregnancy symptoms start is certainly useful information. Sadly, pregnancy symptoms and their onset vary widely from woman to woman and even from pregnancy to pregnancy. What is always the same is the timeline of events leading to what pregnancy symptoms may appear. To answer the question: when do pregnancy symptoms start, we’ll start there, and then look at general statistics on pregnancy symptom timing just to compare.

The pregnancy symptom timeline:

First, a quick crash course in the pre-pregnancy phase of things…

Every month, there is a cycle of hormones that prepare your uterus for possible pregnancy, develop and release an egg for possible fertilization, and either maintain pregnancy or prompt the shedding of your uterine lining so the process can start all over. The majority of women ovulate, or drop said egg, mid-cycle. So if your cycle is, say, 28 days, with cycle day (CD) 1 being the first day of bleeding, ovulation would be around CD14. Pregnancy is only possible when an egg is present in the Fallopian tube, and an egg on average only survives about 24 hours after ovulation. So, the first question you should ask yourself when questioning when do pregnancy symptoms start is if pregnancy is even possible.

For example, intercourse during or just before your period leaves a very slim chance of pregnancy, because sperm can only survive on average about 5 days, the egg isn’t usually around until mid-cycle and is long gone by late cycle. You can read more about calculating your chances of pregnancy here.

Now, assuming sperm and egg met within 48 hours of ovulation, what happens next…

Once the egg is fertilized it has to travel to your uterus and implant. You will not have pregnancy symptoms before implantation because, well, you aren’t pregnant. Implantation takes an absolute minimum of 6 days. The average is 8 to 10 days. After implantation hormone levels have to start to accumulate. At minimum again, a pregnancy test is possible 48 hours after implantation, and that’s on an early pregnancy test that detects exceptionally low levels, levels unlikely to cause symptoms. You can read more about pregnancy test timing here.

Back to hypotheticals again, if you had that average woman’s 28-day cycle with CD14 ovulation, this means at minimum pregnancy symptoms aren’t even possible until CD22. (6 days for implantation, 2-day hormone build= ovulation +8 or in conception forum speak DPO 8 (days past ovulation) a more likely timeline says you’d be looking at DPO 12 or CD26, coincidentally right about when your period would be due, and that’s just for hormone levels to be present and detectable for an early result pregnancy test, seeing pregnancy symptoms would likely take even longer. So, if you’re sitting here reading this 5 days after unprotected sex thinking you have pregnancy symptoms, the timeline says, “nope.”

Too lazy to read all that? The quick version is it is actually anatomically impossible to have pregnancy symptoms any sooner than 8 days after ovulation (or unprotected sex if you don’t know when ovulation occurred).

If that’s true why did your aunt’s sister’s friend Sally tell you she experienced pregnancy symptoms sooner than that? Because one of the hormones behind a large number of pregnancy symptoms is present just before your period each month, (PMS culprit) Progesterone. Progesterone begins to build just after ovulation and acts to maintain the uterine lining for pregnancy. If you don’t become pregnant, progesterone drops, and you get a period. If you do become pregnant, progesterone production increases and is joined by hCG (the pregnancy test hormone). Progesterone all by its lonesome will cause gas, bloating, sore boobs, cramps, night sweats, and much more, so a high progesterone cycle can mimic pregnancy symptoms.

Alright, so assuming you are 8 days past ovulation, statistically speaking, when do pregnancy symptoms start?

Surprisingly, there are very few actual studies on this subject. The only one to be found was conducted in 2002 and published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. If you can’t find a version online and would like to read that bad chicken, I’ve uploaded it to Life with Gremlins, and you can view it here. This study included 221 women of which 136 had successful pregnancies, only symptoms that persisted at least 3 consecutive days were counted as verified to rule out fluke tummy aches and the like.

-9% of non-pregnant women reported “pregnancy symptoms.” This rate increased in women who got a late period and suggested many women mistake PMS for pregnancy (see my note on Progesterone).

-None of the women who were actually pregnant reported symptoms before CD27.

-59% of pregnancy symptoms began between CD29 and 41. The average was CD36 (when half the women had symptoms) or about 1 week after a missed period for most.

-71% had pregnancy symptoms by CD42 (6 weeks pregnant).

-89% had pregnancy symptoms by CD52 (8 weeks pregnant).

-When data was counted using ovulation date, rather than the last menstrual period and counting cycle days, the average date for pregnancy symptoms to start was 20 days past ovulation.

-Smoking and/or marijuana use delayed the onset of symptoms.

-Women who had previously been pregnant showed symptoms slightly earlier (but never earlier than CD27).

-Nausea was the most common symptom.

These statistics are in line with the timeline suggested above. Our guess was pregnancy symptoms would occur no earlier than CD26 (the study stated the earliest date was CD27). It should be kept in mind that it is possible to be pregnant without pregnancy symptoms, and it is possible to get a negative pregnancy test and still be pregnant. If you suspect pregnancy, a blood test is the only definitive answer.

Wrapping it all up, when do pregnancy symptoms start?

No earlier than 8 days past ovulation. On average 20 days past ovulation or cycle day 36 (period about 1 week late) with the vast majority of women showing symptoms by cycle day 52 (period about one month late).

When to Take a Pregnancy Test for Accurate Results

When can you take a pregnancy test? How early will a pregnancy test be accurate? Do you need to wait for a missed period? These are all common questions relating to when to take a pregnancy test, and for good reason. It’s not like knowing if you are or aren’t pregnant is some trivial detail—a baby is a big deal, a life-changing, forever deal.

So, how do you know when to take a pregnancy test?

While many urine pregnancy tests boast they can predict pregnancy 6 days before a missed period, this is arguably inaccurate.

At best, you can get a positive pregnancy test, albeit often faint, and with an early result test, 3 days after implantation. A study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in 2008 found that hCG levels don’t reach the minimum sensitivity of home pregnancy tests until roughly 3 days after implantation with levels as follows:

Day of implantation: 0.65 – 0.78 mIU/mL
Day 2: 1.95 to 2.6
Day 3: 4.55 to 6.13
Day 4: 10.1 to 13.91
Day 5: 21.19 to 30.03
Day 6: 44.2 to 60.97
Day 7: 73.58 to 104.91

The most sensitive over-the-counter test (First Response Early Result) has been shown to pick up levels of 5.5 mIU/mL. Other tests, such as Clearblue, have a much higher threshold of closer to 22 mIU/mL. This would make day 3 to 5 when a positive test would be possible.

Now, implantation can occur 6 to 12 days after ovulation, but in most cases, it’s 8 to 10 days.

So, let’s assume a few scenarios with a 28-day cycle placing ovulation and sex at mid-cycle or cycle day (CD) 14.

Fastest timeline: (DPO 9) (which is quite rare) Implantation occurs on CD 20. You might be able to get a faint positive on CD 23 or 5 days before a missed period.

More likely timeline (DPO 12): Implantation occurs on CD 23. A test might show faintly positive on CD 26 or 2 days before a missed period.

But at the slow end of the spectrum (DPO 14): Implantation occurs on CD 26. A positive is possible the day after a missed period.

Remember, these examples would change with cycle length. For instance, on a 26-day cycle with ovulation at mid-cycle (CD 13), a slower 12-day implantation lands on CD 25, so a test wouldn’t likely be positive until 2 days after a missed period.

You can use this formula to determine when to take a pregnancy test at the earliest. Add about 2 more days for a safer bet:

# Cycle Days/2 + 12
or
Ovulation Date+12

Keep in mind that the sensitivity of the test you use and the time it takes for implantation can vary greatly, and pregnancy tests can be expensive. Early testing can also lead to concerns over false positives (or negatives).

Looking at pregnancy test data:

To support this, over at Fertility Friend, they did a survey of 93,184 charts where women were tracking their periods, ovulation, and/or temperatures and found the following statistics:

17 percent of women received a false negative as a result of testing too early, but an impressive 40.7 percent test too early overall, with most testing 10 days past ovulation (DPO) or roughly 4 days before a missed period. The average DPO for a positive pregnancy test is 13.6 days, a whopping half a day before a missed period for most ladies. As you can see from the chart above, even a few days make a huge difference.

This data also correlates with a 2014 retroactive look at pregnancy test accuracy studies published in the National Library of Medicine from 1960 to 2013. hCG levels were found not to exceed 10 mIU/ml (the commonly suggested sensitivity of many home tests) until 10 to 12 days after ovulation or 2 to 4 days before a missed period.

Further, the study also found that the majority of home tests were not actually able to detect levels this low, and when they were, home-users often misread the tests (squinters). 25 mIU/ml was a more common sensitivity level. A level not reached until 12 to 14 days after ovulation (around the time of a missed period.) The suggestion based on this data was that a test should not be taken earlier than 4 days before a missed period.

This likewise confirms the data shown above for hCG levels by days after implantation that suggested day 3 to 5 would be the earliest time frame for a positive test depending on brand. By ovulation, using the 8- to 10-day average, this would be day 11 to 15, again around the time of a missed period.

Given all of this, the day of your missed period is a fairly safe bet, but about 4 days after is more ideal, as 100 percent of women who were indeed pregnant got a positive test at that point over at Fertility Friend and data on hCG rises in pregnancy against test sensitivity would support a highly accurate result as well.

All that being said, when to take a pregnancy test, what’s the answer?

For the most accurate results, aim for 4 days after a missed period or 16 to 19 days after ovulation. Avoid testing any earlier than 4 days before a missed period or 10 DPO.

If you enjoyed our guide on when to take a pregnancy test, you may also find helpful:
Calculating Your Chances of Pregnancy
False Pregnancy Test Results: How Common Are They?
Missed Period, Negative Test: What Gives?
Early Signs of Pregnancy Quiz
Period While Pregnant

Am I Pregnant? Calculate Your Chances of Being Pregnant with Quiz

Let’s start out by getting this out of the way: no one can tell you whether you are or are not pregnant over the Internet. I can’t. A quiz can’t. Scrutinizing timing and symptoms can’t. The only way to confirm a pregnancy is in person via examination, urine, or blood testing. Regardless, I get a ton of comments asking, “could I be pregnant?,” “what are the chances of getting pregnant from…” or “am I pregnant?” So, that leaves us at what can I tell you?

Not interested in explanations and just want a quick answer? Click to jump to the Pregnancy Chances Calculation: Am I Pregnant Quiz below.

Am I pregnant? How do you know if you’re pregnant?

The first thing to consider when calculating your chances of getting pregnant is timing.

When was:

-Your last period
-The date of intercourse
If you know, the date of ovulation is also quite useful. You can find a full guide to pinpointing ovulation here.

Understanding when you can get pregnant helps a great deal in figuring out your chances of pregnancy. It is possible to become pregnant from intercourse at any time if you happen to be ovulating or ovulate while semen is still viable, but the chances are significantly higher during your fertile period. When is that? For most women, ovulation lands around mid-cycle.

So, if your period is on average 28 days, ovulation is likely around the 14th day, with day 1 being the first day of period bleeding. Note I said most. Not all women ovulate mid-cycle, and ovulation does fluctuate slightly each cycle for some. You can help guess when you are ovulating by paying attention to vaginal discharge. When you are fertile, it will become more plentiful and watery. At ovulation itself, you may see egg-white-like discharge, sort of like clear snot (I know lovely imagery here.) There are also ovulation test strips you can buy if you are ttc, and basal body temping can also be a huge help.

Keep in mind that the egg is most viable in the first 12 hours, and though unlikely, may survive up to 48 hours. Sperm is most viable within 48 hours but can survive in the body for 5 or more days (studies differ on the subject).

Let’s consider some scenarios with that then.

Early intercourse: Can you get pregnant on your period?

The chances of getting pregnant are low with intercourse during your period, but not impossible—remember, if there is intercourse, pregnancy is always possible.

How can you get pregnant on your period? Well, because sperm can survive beyond that ideal 48-hour window, if you ovulate on the early side, it could still be around to catch the egg. It’s a scenario where the stars really have to align just right, so to speak.

Ex/ 26-day cycle, 6 days active bleeding, early ovulation at day 10. Intercourse on CD (cycle day) 5 during your period, sperm can still be viable at 5+ days when the egg drops.

This, obviously, also applies to the question, can you get pregnant right after your period as well, more so actually, because you are closer to mid-cycle.

Late intercourse: Can you get pregnant right before your period?

The chances of getting pregnant just before your period are lower because while sperm can hang on quite some time in the vaginal canal, the egg is a bit more delicate. Most studies put viability at about 12 to 24 hours before it’s long gone. In this case, that means to become pregnant just before your period, you would need to ovulate quite late.

Ex/ 26-day cycle, ovulation CD 22, intercourse on CD 23, egg survives CD 22-23.

It would be nigh impossible to catch the following cycle’s egg this way if you are wondering. Why? Even if intercourse was on CD 26 just before your period began, with a low probability 5-day survival, you would still be looking at CD 5 for ovulation, which is very, very early, and questionably biologically possible.

Both the above situations have a low chance of pregnancy, so what has a high chance of pregnancy?

Mid-cycle intercourse: poses the highest chances of getting pregnant

The closer to mid-cycle the intercourse is, the higher the chance of pregnancy. In general, because ovulation does fluctuate, anything after about CD 9 and about a week before the end of your cycle can be considered a fertile period.

Ex/ 26-day cycle: fertile period from CD 9 to CD 19. Peak (ovulation) probable at CD 12-14

It should be kept in mind that, on average, it takes a healthy couple 6 months to conceive, and it’s estimated that in a healthy couple under the age of 35, there is only a 25 percent chance of pregnancy with a single sexual act during a fertile time. Sex mid-cycle does not guarantee pregnancy. It just poses the highest chances of getting pregnant all cycle.

Side note, what if you don’t get periods?

Just because you aren’t having a menstrual period doesn’t necessarily mean you also aren’t ovulating. It’s entirely possible you just have very long cycles. Most women who don’t get periods do have occasional bleeding. Lack of menstruation can mean you aren’t ovulating, or it can mean you just aren’t doing so regularly. Either way, this is something you should speak with a care provider about, as it is often indicative of an underlying condition. If you’re ttc, that can greatly reduce your chances of getting pregnant.

Next, let’s talk about pregnancy symptoms.

I’m going to come right out and say you shouldn’t consider pregnancy symptoms at all, in my opinion. They are irrelevant this early, but then, I do have a quiz on early symptoms of pregnancy here, so why the hypocrisy there? You will not have pregnancy symptoms before you are pregnant. Period. This falls back into timing.

After sperm meets egg, it takes 6 to 12 days for that fertilized egg to find its way to the uterus and implant. It takes another 48 hours on average for pregnancy hormones to become high enough to even start to be detectable—that’s 8 to 14 days after fertilization, which could be up to 48 hours after ovulation. Until that egg implants, you aren’t pregnant. There are no pregnancy hormones. Your symptoms aren’t pregnancy-related. I have a pregnancy symptom quiz, yes, but with big warnings all over it that it applies after a missed period (which for most is about 14 days after ovulation).

You may now be thinking to yourself, puh, this lady don’t know Jack or his sister Sally’s ovaries, because I’ve had pregnancy symptoms before a missed period before. The thing is, one of the major players in all those fun pregnancy side effects is progesterone, and progesterone is actually present in the body before pregnancy. Its production is super-charged by ovulation, and its purpose is to maintain a pregnancy. So, if you don’t get pregnant, it drops, and you get a period. If you do, it continues to rise. A high progesterone cycle will mimic the symptoms of pregnancy from nausea to gas.

Down to the details….

Next, look at the specifics. There are some common situations that decrease fertility and reduce the chances of getting pregnant, even if it’s mid-cycle.

I was on birth control when we had sex. Can I be pregnant?

No method of birth control outside of not having sex offers 100-percent protection. Most forms are pretty dependable if carried out properly, we’re talking in the 90ish percentile, but even if there was a condom or birth control, it is still possible to become pregnant. The chance is just very small.

What if the condom fell off, broke, or came off inside of me? Am I pregnant?

Condoms break, slip off, and sometimes even come off inside of women. In all the above cases, it is possible sperm escaped, and pregnancy could occur. Plan-B or the morning after pill is usually a good idea in this circumstance, as well, the chances of getting pregnant are a lot higher than if the condom had stayed on.

He pre-ejaculated without protection. Can that cause pregnancy?

Yes. Precum (the liquid that sometimes precedes a true ejaculation) does sometimes contain sperm and can result in pregnancy. A man has no control over pre-ejaculation. That’s why the pull-out method of birth control can fail, and a condom should not just be used for ejaculation but also during the entire sexual act if condoms are your primary source of birth control.

The chances of getting pregnant with precum alone are less than 4 percent (you can read an in-depth look at the chances of pregnancy from precum here).

Can I get pregnant from masturbation with another, anal sex, or dry humping?

In these types of situations, what matters is if there was semen involved and if it touched your vagina. Even if there is no penetration involved in the sex, if semen comes in contact with your vagina on fingers or any other object, pregnancy can occur. The chances, in this case, are, again, drastically decreased. If clothing was involved, the chance of pregnancy is even lower, nigh on nonexistent, but not impossible. If there was no semen or precum, there is no chance of pregnancy.

We had sex in water. Am I pregnant?

Sperm is destroyed rather quickly in water due to osmotic shock, so unless the ejaculation occurred within your body, chances are very slim you are pregnant. If the semen was inside of you, the sex being within water would have no effect on your chances of getting pregnant.

After you take all of the above into consideration, you should be able to calculate your own chances of getting pregnant—or being pregnant for that matter—to answer the question, “am I pregnant?” However, we’ve also created this convenient chances of pregnancy quiz to help you out. We’re fine-tuning this still, so if your situation isn’t covered or you have any suggestions, comments, or tips, feel free to drop us a comment. We love hearing from our readers!

Am I Pregnant Quiz

This “am I pregnant quiz” is designed to estimate your chances of pregnancy from no chance to high (not by percentage). The questions are conditional, meaning depending on your answers, your quiz length may vary from 1 to 9 questions. Keep in mind that a high or low chance of pregnancy doesn’t guarantee that there will or won’t be a pregnancy. Many couples trying to conceive try for months—or years even—and don’t become pregnant, and many other couples who are trying their best not to conceive (birth control, condoms, timing, all of it) do. Probability isn’t a promise, nor are these quiz results. This quiz is merely intended to provide a quick answer as to your likelihood of conception.

Have questions about your chances of getting pregnant? Still asking, “am I pregnant?” Drop me a comment or read in-depth about pregnancy probability statistics. Coming up next, when should you take a pregnancy test?

You may find riveting in the meantime:
Period While Pregnant: Can it Be?
Implantation Bleeding or Period: How do I know?
Late Period, Early Period, Irregular Period: Oh, why?
Early Pregnancy Symptoms