10 DPO: What to expect and how to tell if you are pregnant?

10 DPO is one of the final days of the two-week wait, so if you’re trying to conceive, you may feel anticipation and look out for early pregnancy signs at this time. By 10 DPO, you should already have an egg attached to your uterine lining and experience hormonal shifts needed to sustain early pregnancy. These shifts can cause the following 10 DPO symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Breast tenderness
• Cramping
• Implantation bleeding
• Thicker and less elastic cervical mucus

While these symptoms can signal the start of the pregnancy, some of them are also common for PMS. Due to this reason, it can be hard to tell if you are pregnant or just getting closer to your period. To know for sure, you need to wait until you miss your period and take a test.

{{button}}

If you are trying to conceive, the two-week wait (TWW) between your ovulation and missed period can be very nerve-racking. This is the time when many women experience a rollercoaster of emotions, from fear and anxiety to hope and anticipation.

It’s absolutely natural if you want to understand what’s happening in your body at this time and count down the days until you can finally take a test and find out if you’re pregnant. To help you on this journey, we’ve developed a series of articles explaining different days within the two-week wait, common symptoms, and other things to be prepared for. In this article, we’ll focus on 10DPO and tell you everything you need to know.

Understanding the Basics: What Is DPO?

DPO is a term commonly used by women trying to conceive (TTC). In the TTC community, this term stands for “days past ovulation.” It’s used to track the number of days that have passed since the latest ovulation and, potentially, conception, to understand what is happening in the body and recognize early pregnancy signs. Besides, tracking DPO will help you determine the right time to take an at-home pregnancy test.

10DPO: What Is Happening in Your Body?

10DPO is the 10th day after your body releases the egg. Respectively, it’s one of the final days of the TWW and one of the biggest moments of anticipation. So, what’s going on in your body at this time?

According to studies, 84% of women experience implantation between 8-10 days after their ovaries release an egg. That is, if conception happened, an egg should already be implanted in the uterine lining by this point in the TWW, marking the official start of your pregnancy. If implantation happens between 8-9 days, your body will already start experiencing a hormonal shift at 10 days post ovulation:

• Your estrogen levels will remain high, instead of dropping as they usually do right before your period.
• Your progesterone levels will start increasing to further thicken the uterine lining and support fetal growth. If conception isn’t successful, this hormone naturally drops, which causes the breakage of the uterine lining and causes your period.
• After implantation, a structure that forms around the embryo (chorion) starts producing another hormone – human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). hCG is the hormone detected by pregnancy tests, so when it builds up, you can finally take a test.

10 DPO Symptoms

The hormonal changes that occur at 10DPO perform a number of important functions in your body. While this happens, it’s possible to experience a number of symptoms, such as:

• Fatigue – The sustainability of early pregnancy requires a lot of work from your body. Unsurprisingly, increased fatigue is one of the most common symptoms, experienced by up to 98% of women.
• Breast swelling and tenderness – Hormonal shifts frequently affect female breasts. A big share of women report their breasts to feel fuller and more sensitive after implantation. 
• Abdominal cramps – Experiencing mild cramping in the abdominal area is also a common symptom at 10 days post ovulation. These cramps can appear because of implantation and rising progesterone levels. And although they often feel similar to period cramps, they are often less prolonged and intense.
• Spotting – When the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining, it can cause light spotting. Although it can take place earlier, spotting 10 DPO is rather common, and you can potentially distinguish it from period bleeding by pink or brown color, light flow, and short duration.

10 DPO Discharge If Pregnant

Apart from the 10 DPO symptoms mentioned earlier, it’s also possible to notice certain changes in your vaginal discharge at this point of the TWW. 

The hormonal changes that take place after implantation, and rising estrogen, in particular, modify the consistency of your cervical mucus. It becomes less elastic and thicker in order to prevent infections and bacteria from reaching the uterus.

Does 10 DPO Feel Like Period Is Coming?

When you are at 10DPO, you are only about 4 days away from your next period. This means that you might also be experiencing PMS symptoms around this time. According to studies, up to 90% of females experience some premenstrual symptoms. And this brings up another common question: Is it possible to mistake 10 DPO symptoms with PMS symptoms?

The short answer is “yes.” The symptoms that are typically associated with 10DPO can greatly resemble PMS symptoms. Abdominal cramps, breast tenderness, and fatigue are also quite common before a period. So, if implantation isn’t successful, it’s also possible that you experience these symptoms because your period is approaching. Telling this for sure can be very hard. And that’s why the best strategy is to wait and take a pregnancy test.

Is 10 DPO Too Early to Test?

Since 10DPO is when implantation has typically already occurred, your body might already be producing hCG. All pregnancy tests, regardless of the type, work by detecting hCG levels. So, does this mean that you can already test and get a clear result?

Generally speaking, taking a 10 DPO pregnancy test is still rather early. The thing is that the majority of tests detect certain levels of hCG. And since it takes time to build up in your body, you can still have too little hCG to be detected by a test.

So, when is the right time to take a test? To answer this question, it’s important to understand how hCG levels work. As you already know, they start rising immediately after implantation occurs. The initial hCG levels can vary significantly, and their growth rate can also vary. Still, according to experts, this hormone doubles approximately every 48-72 hours. That is, you should wait at least 2-3 days after implantation to test. Ideally, it’s recommended to wait even longer – until you miss your period in order to avoid false negatives and faint results.

10 DPO No Symptoms: What Does It Mean?

The majority of TTC women are counting days during the two-week wait and hoping to notice early pregnancy symptoms. This is absolutely natural, and, as you now know, you may notice some signs at 10DPO. But what if you don’t feel any different?

If that sounds like you, there is no reason to worry. It’s absolutely normal to have 10 DPO no symptoms. Just as normal as experiencing them. The truth is that every pregnancy is different, and while some women experience early signs before they miss their period, many women notice the first pregnancy symptoms much later – around 5-8 weeks. So if you don’t notice anything, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not pregnant.

FAQ

What happens in my body at 10 days post ovulation?

10DPO takes you to the final stretch of the two-week wait. By this time, the fertilized egg should already be implanted, which means that your pregnancy has officially begun. At this time, your body will start making hormonal shifts, increasing progesterone and estrogen levels, and starting the production of hCG.

What are the surefire 10 DPO symptoms if pregnant?

The most common 10 DPO symptoms include fatigue, abdominal cramps, spotting, and breast tenderness. Also, it’s possible to notice changes in your discharge, which should become thicker if the implantation is successful. However, although each of these symptoms could indicate a pregnancy, they don’t give you a 100% guarantee. To know for sure, you need to take a pregnancy test.

10 DPO feel like period is coming: what does it mean?

The common symptoms of 10DPO are very similar to those of PMS. Fatigue, cramps, and breast tenderness are among the most common symptoms people experience right before their period. So, it can be hard to tell the difference. Also, it’s normal not to experience any symptoms at all. This also doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not pregnant.

Conclusion

10DPO is one of the final TWW days, which can cause a lot of emotional pressure. At this time, it’s natural that you are looking out for early symptoms and can’t wait to get a positive test. And it’s possible that you experience certain symptoms that indicate the start of the pregnancy. These include fatigue, cramping, spotting, and others. Still, none of them gives you a 100% guarantee. Not before you see a big fat positive on a test.

Unfortunately, taking a 10 DPO pregnancy test is still rather early. At this time, your body may still not have enough hCG to be detected, which can result in a false negative result. Thus, the best tactic is to wait and test after you miss your period.

{{pink-banner}}