How Many Days After Ovulation Can You Test for Pregnancy?

Have you ever found yourself staring at a pregnancy test, wondering if it’s too soon to tell? If so, you’re not alone. 

When you’re trying to conceive, it’s normal to take pregnancy tests frequently. You’re eager to grow your family, and a positive result is the outcome you’ve been waiting for! When taking pregnancy tests, it’s important to consider where you are in your menstrual cycle and how that affects your chances of conception. 

For women, the average fertile window lasts for five days prior to ovulation,¹ as well as the day of ovulation itself. Conception then happens after ovulation, when the sperm meets the egg. 

While many women wait until after a missed period to take a pregnancy test, it’s possible to get a positive result even earlier. So, how soon after ovulation can you test for pregnancy? Here’s when to take a test after ovulation for the most timely and accurate results. 

Can You Test Positive During Ovulation?

It’s very rare to get a positive pregnancy test during ovulation. If you receive a positive test result this early in your cycle, you likely became pregnant during your previous cycle instead.

This is because pregnancy tests measure the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, in your urine. While hCG is naturally present in all menstrual cycles,² levels increase dramatically during pregnancy. However, this spike in hormone levels happens when the egg implants in the uterus,³ which normally takes anywhere from 6 to 12 days⁴ after ovulation. Many women don’t produce enough hCG to get a positive test until two weeks after ovulation, which is why it might seem like you’re testing positive during ovulation. 

Now that we understand the importance of hCG levels, let's explore how soon after ovulation a pregnancy test can potentially yield accurate results.

How Early Can Pregnancy Tests Show Positive Results?

After sperm fertilizes an egg and conception happens, the next major step in pregnancy is the fertilized egg attaching itself to the wall of the uterus. This is called implantation. The timing of your positive pregnancy test result will depend heavily on when implantation happens. This is because the hCG levels in your urine will start rising sharply after implantation as the placenta starts to produce them. 

Everyone experiences menstrual cycles and pregnancy differently, so your timing may be different from others. Some women experience such a significant spike in hCG levels that they get a positive pregnancy test result just six days after ovulation. Others don’t experience such a sharp increase in hormone levels, so they may not get a positive result until two weeks after ovulation — even though conception has happened and pregnancy has started well before then. 

How Pregnancy Tests Work

Home pregnancy tests work by testing the amount of hCG in your urine. You can purchase these tests over-the-counter at many drugstores, grocery stores, and pharmacies. 

Using a home pregnancy test is very simple. You’ll need to urinate on the absorbent test strip and then wait for several minutes for the test to develop. Be sure to follow the directions on the packaging very closely, as each brand is slightly different. Once the test has been processed, you’ll see a symbol for either positive or negative results, depending on the amount of hCG present in your urine. 

It’s very rare to get a false positive result with a home pregnancy test. False positives happen in just five out of every 1000 tests.⁵ However, it is possible to get a false negative result, especially if you take the test very soon after ovulation. If you get a negative result on your first pregnancy test but still suspect you might be pregnant, consider waiting a week and taking another test when your hCG levels have increased. 

You can also take a pregnancy test at your doctor’s office. These tests also test hCG levels, but blood samples may be used instead of urine samples. The tests conducted at your doctor’s office will also be more sensitive⁶ than home test kits and can detect pregnancy earlier. If you want faster, more accurate results, it may be worth making an appointment with either your primary care doctor or your OB/GYN to get a laboratory test done. This can also help you start pregnancy care as soon as possible. 

So, How Many Days After Ovulation Can You Test?

If you think you may be pregnant, it’s understandable that you’d want to see results as fast as possible, and you might be wondering when to pregnancy test post-ovulation. 

To avoid any confusion, it’s usually best to wait at least 14 days⁷ to take a pregnancy test post-ovulation. This gives the fertilized egg enough time to implant successfully in the uterus and increase hormone levels. 

However, it is possible to get a positive test as early as eight days after ovulation in some cases. If you want to test early, it’s important to look for tests that are marketed as “early detection,” and keep in mind that you still may not get a positive result until after your missed period.

How to Take a Home Pregnancy Test

To maximize your chances of an accurate result, it’s important to take your pregnancy test correctly. Here’s what to keep in mind when taking a pregnancy test at home. 

Time of Day

You can take a pregnancy test at any time during the day. However, many people prefer to take them in the morning, particularly when taking a pregnancy test 1 week after ovulation. This is because your urine is most concentrated⁸ right when you wake up, so your hCG levels will likely be at their highest point. 

Test Accuracy + Retesting

Home pregnancy tests rarely generate false positives, but it is possible to get a false negative result. This often happens when you test too early in your cycle and the implantation process isn’t yet complete. 

It’s also possible to get a false negative result due to user error. Because of this, it’s very important to read the test instructions thoroughly before getting started. False negatives can happen when you don’t collect a large enough urine sample or if you use an expired test. 

When to See a Doctor

If you’re getting inconsistent or confusing results from your home pregnancy tests, consider visiting your doctor for more clarity. They can help you schedule a lab test for more accurate results. If you’re having trouble conceiving, your doctor can also help you identify the underlying causes and put a plan in place to address them. 

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FAQs

Is 10 DPO too early to test?

When you’re trying to conceive, you might be considering how many days DPO to test for pregnancy. In particular, you might be wondering if 10 days post-ovulation is too early to test. 

Taking a pregnancy test 10 days after ovulation can yield a positive result in some women, especially if you’re taking an early detection test. However, it all depends on your individual hCG levels — some women need to wait at least 14 days to see a positive result. 

What is the earliest DPO to get a positive?

Some early-detection pregnancy tests can provide a positive result as soon as eight days after ovulation, which means that you’ll get a positive test result before your missed period. However, not everyone will get a positive test result this early. Some women take longer to start producing high levels of hCG, which is the hormone necessary to get a positive test result. 

Is it possible to get a false negative?

Yes, it is possible to get a false negative pregnancy test result, especially if you take the test very soon after ovulation and conception. This is because it takes time for the body to produce enough hCG hormone to show up on a test. It’s also possible to get a false negative if you don’t take the test correctly. 

How likely is a false positive?

False positive pregnancy tests are very rare, although they are possible. False positives happen less than 1% of the time, so if you get a positive result on your home test, chances are you’re pregnant. 

Why do I have symptoms of pregnancy but tested negative?

If you’re experiencing pregnancy symptoms but got a negative test result, this is likely because you tested too early in your cycle. It takes time for your hormone levels to rise enough to show up on a pregnancy test. In this case, you may want to wait an extra week to see if you get a positive result or go to your doctor for further confirmation. 

Citations

1 Wilcox, Allen J, et al. “The Timing of the “Fertile Window” in the Menstrual Cycle: Day Specific Estimates from a Prospective Study.” BMJ : British Medical Journal, vol. 321, no. 7271, (18 Nov. 2000), pp. 1259–1262, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC27529/. 

2 Cole, Laurence A., and Jovanna M. Gutierrez. “Production of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin during the Normal Menstrual Cycle.” The Journal of Reproductive Medicine, vol. 54, no. 4, (1 Apr. 2009), pp. 245–250, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19438167/. 

3 Makrigiannakis, Antonis, et al. “The Role of HCG in Implantation: A Mini-Review of Molecular and Clinical Evidence.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 18, no. 6, (19 June 2017), www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5486126/. 

4 Wilcox, Allen J., et al. “Time of Implantation of the Conceptus and Loss of Pregnancy.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 340, no. 23, (10 June 1999), pp. 1796–1799, https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm199906103402304. 

5 Suhr, P. “[Pregnancy Tests. Can We Trust Them?].” Ugeskrift for Laeger, vol. 145, no. 27, (4 July 1983), pp. 2104–2106, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6612843/. 

6 Fromm, Christian, et al. “Substituting Whole Blood for Urine in a Bedside Pregnancy Test.” The Journal of Emergency Medicine, vol. 43, no. 3, (Sept. 2012), pp. 478–482, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2011.05.028. 

7 Villines, Zawn. “DPO Symptoms: What to Expect in the 2-Week Wait.” www.medicalnewstoday.com, (19 Jan. 2020), www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322723#7-10-dpo. 

8 Benjapibal, M., et al. “The Correlation of Beta-Subunit Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Level in the Serum and First Morning Urine of Patients with Gestational Trophoblastic Disease.” Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet Thangphaet, vol. 84, no. 7, (1 July 2001), pp. 1000–1005, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11759958/.