12 DPO: What to expect at 12 days post ovulation

At 12 DPO, you’re in the final stretch of the two-week wait. By this time, a fertilized egg should already be implanted, officially starting your pregnancy and initiating hormonal shifts to sustain it.

Due to hormonal changes, it’s possible to experience the following early pregnancy signs at 12 DPO:

• Breast swelling and tenderness
• Food aversions
• Heightened senses (often, taste and smell)
• More frequent urination
• Fatigue and sleepiness
• Mood swings
• Nausea

Although these symptoms could indicate pregnancy, they are also very similar to PMS symptoms that can also take place around this time. To know for sure, it’s recommended to wait until a missed period and do a pregnancy test.

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If you’re trying for a baby, the time between ovulation and a big fat positive can feel like forever. Known as a two-week wait, this period often turns out to be rather emotional and stressful for women trying to conceive (TTC). Yet, it’s an important stage of your TTC journey, during which your pregnancy might officially get started and even show early symptoms.

Due to the importance of this stage, many TTC women are counting down the days of the two-week wait and are actively interested in what is going on in their bodies every day post-ovulation (DPO).

To help you understand your journey better, we’ve created a series of articles covering different DPOs. In this article, we’ll tell you more about 12 DPO and the changes that might be happening to you at this time.

What Is 12 DPO?

12 DPO stands for 12 days post ovulation. This is one of the final days of the two-week wait, which makes it an important milestone of your TTC journey.

12 DPO falls into the end of the luteal phase of your menstrual cycle. This phase begins after ovulation and usually lasts for 12-14 days. The primary function of the luteal phase is to prepare your body to accommodate a possible pregnancy. To fulfill this, your body increases the production of progesterone, which thickens the uterine lining to allow implantation. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, progesterone drops, causing the lining to break, and you get your period. However, if pregnancy does occur, progesterone levels continue growing to support fetal development.

What’s Happening in Your Body at 12 DPO?

If you’ve been trying to conceive, 12 DPO is a time when your pregnancy could’ve officially started. The official start of pregnancy begins after implantation, when a fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine lining. This process can occur anywhere between 6-12 days post ovulation; however, most women experience it between 8 DPO and 10 DPO.

If implantation is successful and you’re pregnant, you will experience hormonal changes at 12 DPO. Your progesterone and estrogen levels will be increased. Both of these hormones play a significant role in supporting the growth and development of a fetus, whereas progesterone is also needed to maintain the uterine lining and prevent a miscarriage.

Additionally, after implantation takes place, the developing embryo will trigger the production of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). hCG is the primary pregnancy hormone responsible for maintaining early pregnancy. It’s also the hormone used to test pregnancy. It starts developing as soon as the egg implants and doubles every two to three days as the embryo and placenta develop.

If you’re not pregnant, at 12 DPO your body will start decreasing progesterone levels. This causes the uterine lining to shed, and the onset of your period.

12 DPO Symptoms: What to Look Out For?

Being very close to the end of the two-week wait or the start of your period, 12 DPO is the time when you can either experience early pregnancy symptoms or face PMS symptoms that lead up to the start of menstruation. Let’s break down the most common symptoms you might be facing, depending on whether you’re pregnant or not.

12 DPO Symptoms If Pregnant

If conception and implantation occur, your hormones will be actively changing at 12 days post ovulation. These shifts can trigger early pregnancy symptoms, such as:

• Breast swelling and tenderness
• Food aversions
• Heightened senses (often, taste and smell)
• More frequent urination
• Fatigue and sleepiness
• Mood swings
• Nausea

These symptoms may appear in response to changing hormonal levels and the increased energy your body uses to sustain early pregnancy. Also, at 12 DPO, you may still experience implantational bleeding and mild abdominal cramping associated with it. Although implantation usually takes place before 12 DPO, it can last for 2-3 days. So, it’s still possible to notice very light bleeding or spotting, typically of a light pink or brown color.

12 DPO Symptoms Before Period

If conception or implantation doesn’t occur, you may assume that you won’t have any symptoms at 12 DPO. However, that’s not always true. The truth is that 12 days after ovulation is around the time when you are about to get your next period. That is, you may have PMS symptoms at this time.

The most common symptoms include:

• Bloating
• Abdominal cramping
• Mood swings
• Breast tenderness
• Fatigue

As you can see, these symptoms are very similar to those that you can experience in early pregnancy, which naturally creates a lot of confusion. However, stats show that over 90% of women experience some PMS symptoms before their period, so there is no way to avoid this. Also, there is no surefire way to tell the difference between PMS and early pregnancy signs until you miss your period and get a positive test.

12 DPO No Symptoms

Although it’s common to experience early pregnancy symptoms or PMS symptoms at 12 DPO, it’s also common not to have any symptoms at all. And it’s okay.

12 days post ovulation is still quite early into pregnancy. Quite a few women don’t notice any tangible symptoms until four or five weeks. So, if you are trying to conceive but don’t feel any different at 12 DPO, don’t panic because it’s not necessarily a sign of failed conception. It’s important to stay patient and wait until you can do a pregnancy test.

12 DPO Discharge If Pregnant: Is There Any Difference?

Speaking about 12 DPO symptoms if pregnant, it’s also worth discussing the possible changes in vaginal discharge. After all, your cervical mucus is highly sensitive to hormones and internal changes, which makes it a good indicator of what’s going on inside your body.

So, is 12 DPO cervical mucus any different from a regular discharge? It might be. Some women notice several changes in their mucus after implantation:

• It can increase in volume, whereas the usual discharge before the period is low to moderate.
• It can become more sticky or creamy. A normal discharge before a period is typically thick and opaque.

If you notice these changes in your mucus, it could be an early sign of a pregnancy. However, it’s important to remember that changes in discharge are not always definitive symptoms. Cervical mucus can change due to many other causes. Thus, it always requires doing a test to confirm pregnancy.

12 DPO Pregnancy Test: Is It Still Early?

As you already know, there are a few 12 DPO symptoms that can hint at early pregnancy. Still, since these symptoms are also identical to PMS, the best way to tell if you’re pregnant for sure is to do a pregnancy test.

If implantation is successful, you will already have some hCG in your body at 12 DPO. All pregnancy tests work by detecting hCG in your urine or blood, which can make you think that you can already do a test at this time. However, it’s not that simple.

Despite the fact that implantation has already occurred, 12 DPO is normally considered a “gray area” for pregnancy testing. This is because 12 DPO hCG levels are still quite variable and, often, too low to get a definitive positive or negative result. Certain types of pregnancy tests are highly sensitive and can detect hCG levels as early as 10 days after conception (ovulation). This means that you can do a pregnancy test. However, you shouldn’t rely on the result blindly.

Ideally, it’s recommended to wait until the first day of your missed period to test. However, if you are too curious and decide to test earlier, here’s how to act in different situations:

• 12 DPO positive pregnancy test – If you choose a high-quality brand and a sensitive test, the positive result at 12 DPO is likely accurate. However, it’s recommended to confirm the result later, after you miss your period.
• Negative pregnancy test 12 DPO – If you get a negative result, don’t get too stressed over it at this time. It’s still possible that you’re pregnant, just have too low hCG levels to detect it. It's recommended to retest after 14 DPO.
• 12 DPO faint line – In some cases, it’s possible to get a faint line instead of a definitive test result. This might be due to low hCG concentration, diluted urine, wrong test timing, and other reasons. In this case, it’s recommended to retest later to confirm the result.

FAQ

Is the egg already implanted at 12 days post ovulation?

Often, yes. Implantation can take place at any time between 6 and 12 days post ovulation. In most cases, it occurs between 8-10 DPO. In any case, 12 DPO is the time when implantation should already occur, unless there is a miscalculation in the ovulation timing.

Can I get a 12 DPO positive pregnancy test, or is it too early?

It’s possible to get a positive test result at this time. However, the right testing time depends on several factors, including test sensitivity and implantation timing. In order to get a big fat positive, you need to have sufficient hCG levels. This hormone starts producing immediately after implantation, but takes time to build up in the body. Generally, it’s recommended to wait until you miss your period (around 14 DPO) to get an accurate result.

If there are no 12 DPO symptoms, does it mean I’m not pregnant?

Not necessarily. If implantation is successful, your hormones will likely already be shifting at 12 DPO. These shifts can trigger some early pregnancy signs like breast tenderness, frequent urination, mood swings, and others. However, it’s also common not to have any symptoms until 4-5 weeks into pregnancy. So don’t worry if you don’t notice any early signs and wait until the right time to do a test.

Conclusion

12 DPO is an important milestone in early pregnancy. At this time, you can already be pregnant and experience hormonal shifts that could even trigger early pregnancy symptoms. Furthermore, depending on test sensitivity and implantation time, sometimes, you can already get a positive pregnancy test at this time.

Still, as you now know, 12 DPO is a “gray area” for pregnancy testing. Your hCG levels might be insufficient to result in a big fat positive, which is why it’s recommended to wait until you miss your period.

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