14 DPO: What are the symptoms and when to test for pregnancy?

The two-week wait can be an emotional rollercoaster for women who are trying to conceive. 14 DPO marks the end of this long wait and the period when you can finally gain clarity on whether you got pregnant in the current cycle or not. Some of the most common early pregnancy symptoms you can experience at this time include:

• Breast tenderness
• Fatigue
• Bloating
• Cramping
• Spotting
• Mood swings
• Heightened senses
• Frequent urination
• Nausea

Often, 14 DPO coincides with the first day of your expected period. If you’re not pregnant, your menstruation will likely start on this day or in the following few days. However, if you are pregnant, this is the time when most at-home pregnancy tests should detect it. 

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14 days post ovulation is the time when your cycle’s luteal phase is coming to an end and your expected period is about to start. For every woman who is trying to conceive, it’s an important milestone that marks the end of the draining two-week wait – the time between ovulation and, hopefully, a missed period, when you can finally confirm pregnancy.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the most important aspects of 14 DPO, including the symptoms you can notice, testing recommendations, and other things you want to know about your TTC journey.

Understanding the Early Pregnancy Timeline

In order to understand what’s going on in your body at 14 DPO, you need to understand the general timeline of your TTC journey. Let’s look at its main stages:

• Fertile window – Every TTC journey begins with a fertile window. This is the time interval when you’re most fertile and during which sperm can survive in your body to fertilize an egg. It usually takes place between 11 and 14 days of your cycle.
• Ovulation – While your fertile window is the perfect time to have sex to have the likelihood of pregnancy, ovulation is the only time when actual conception can take place. Traditionally, ovulation is thought to take place on day 14 (considering that it’s a 28-day cycle). At this time, your ovaries release a mature egg that can meet the sperm and be fertilized within the following 12-24 hours.
• Implantation – After the egg is fertilized, it takes some time to travel to the uterus and attach to its lining. This process is called implantation, and it typically takes place between 6 and 12 DPO. This event marks the official start of your pregnancy.

So, what’s happening at 14 DPO? As you can see from the timeline above, by 14 DPO, you should’ve already gone through the main stages of the two-week wait, including implantation. Respectively, at this time, your pregnancy is officially progressing, and you’re undergoing important hormonal shifts:

• Your progesterone and estrogen levels rise.
• The implanted embryo is already producing human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Initially, the concentration of this hormone is very low and undetectable by pregnancy tests. However, its levels double every several days and should be high enough at 14 DPO.

14 DPO Symptoms

If conception is successful, you can notice a number of early pregnancy signals at 14 DPO. The most common ones include:

• Breast tenderness
• Fatigue
• Bloating
• Cramping
• Spotting
• Mood swings
• Heightened senses
• Frequent urination
• Nausea

Other less common symptoms can also include:

• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Headaches
• Backache

If you notice some of these 14 DPO symptoms, it could mean that you’re pregnant. However, it’s important to remember that many of them are identical to the usual PMS symptoms, which can also occur around this time. So, in order to know if you are pregnant, you need to take a pregnancy test.

Also, it’s important to note that not every woman may experience pregnancy symptoms so early. For many, tangible signals don’t show until four or five weeks of pregnancy. So, don’t worry if you don’t feel any different at this point. This is normal and doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not pregnant.

14 DPO Implantation Bleeding or Period?

If you have a standard 28-day cycle, 14 DPO is right when your next period can start. Respectively, if you notice bleeding or light spotting, it’s natural to wonder whether it’s implantation bleeding or just the start of your period.

As you already know, most often, implantation occurs on days 6-12 after ovulation. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have implantation bleeding at 14 DPO. First of all, implantation bleeding can last anywhere from a few hours to 2-3 days. So, if the egg has just implanted recently, you might notice spotting that begins before 14 DPO and lasts through it. Also, it’s possible to have a later implantation. That is, bleeding at this time can indeed be related to implantation.

On the other hand, it can also be the beginning of your period. If you’re wondering how to tell the difference, look at the following factors:

• Blood flow – Implantation bleeding is much lighter than periods. Most often, you will only notice a few drops of blood on the underwear or when wiping. In some rarer cases, it can be slightly heavier, similar to the start or end of your period.
• Color – Period blood is bright to dark red, or pink/dark brown at the start or end of menstruation. Implantation bleeding is usually light pink or brown in color.
• Duration – If you have bleeding that lasts for over 3 days, it might be your period. Implantation bleeding usually lasts for several hours or days.
• Clots – There should be no visible clots in implantation bleeding. However, having clots is normal for period bleeding.

Although there are certain distinctive features that you can look at, distinguishing implantation bleeding from your period can be rather hard. So, the best way to know if you’re pregnant is to do a pregnancy test.

14 DPO Pregnancy Test

If you’re wondering whether you can do a pregnancy test at 14 DPO, the answer is “yes.” In a 28-day cycle, this date usually coincides with the first day of the supposed period. Most at-home pregnancy tests recommend doing a test starting from the first day of a missed period. Furthermore, studies show that most women have positive serum quantitative hCG levels 14 days after embryo transfer, which is the equivalent of 14 days post ovulation. So, if your period doesn’t start yet, you can safely do a test at 14 DPO and expect an accurate result.

To get the most accurate result, choose a trusted test brand and look at sensitivity. Also, be sure to test with your first morning pee to ensure the highest concentration of hCG. Although many at-home tests are sensitive enough to detect hCG levels at any time of the day, testing later in the day can possibly lead to a false negative result or a faint line because your urine is already diluted and the hCG concentration is lower.

FAQ

14 DPO discharge if pregnant: is it any different?

Yes, it can be. Vaginal discharge can change in response to hormonal shifts that take place in early pregnancy. In particular, your cervix can produce larger volumes of vaginal discharge due to rising estrogen. Also, your cervical mucus can become more sticky or creamy. In contrast, typical discharge before a period is low to moderate in amount and more opaque and thick.

What if I have a 14 DPO negative test?

Getting a negative test result at 14 DPO could mean that you’re not pregnant. But not necessarily. Sometimes, you can get a false negative result because there is still insufficient hCG in your body, for example, if you had a late implantation. Also, a false negative result can occur because of diluted pee, an unreliable test, or failure to follow test instructions correctly. In any case, it's recommended to retest a few days later, especially if your period doesn’t start.

How to tell the difference between 14 DPO implantation bleeding or period?

In reality, it can be rather hard to tell the difference. If you experience spotting or light bleeding at 14 DPO, there is a fifty-fifty chance that it’s because of implantation or just your period. Some distinctive features include the flow, color, and duration of your bleeding. Yet, the best way to tell for sure is to take a pregnancy test.

Conclusion

14 DPO is the concluding day of the luteal phase and, respectively, the two-week wait. If you’re pregnant, your embryo should already be implanted and developing, causing hormonal shifts. Respectively, it’s possible to experience some early signs, such as fatigue, mood swings, frequent urination, and others.

However, it’s important to remember that these symptoms are also similar to those in PMS and can be easily confused, and it’s also okay not to experience them at all. The best way to confirm pregnancy is to take a pregnancy test, and 14 DPO is the time when you can finally do this and expect an accurate result.

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