8 days post ovulation (8 DPO): What’s happening in your body?

Trying to get pregnant can be overwhelming, stressful, and exciting all at the same time. At 8 DPO, your period is still one week away, and it’s natural to focus on every small sensation in the body, hoping it's an early pregnancy sign.

Waiting for confirmation of conception every month can be quite challenging. This article will help you understand the changes that may be happening in your body 8 days past ovulation, along with the 8 DPO symptoms if pregnant, and when you can take a pregnancy test.

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What is the meaning of 8 DPO?

8 DPO means 8 days past ovulation. You are now in the latter half of the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. During this stage, your body is getting ready for a potential pregnancy, irrespective of whether fertilization occurs or not.

While there are still no symptoms, implantation—the attachment of the fertilized egg to the uterine lining—generally happens at 8 DPO. This officially begins your pregnancy.

8 Days Past Ovulation: What Is Happening in Your Body?

At 8 days past ovulation, several important events may take place in your body.

Potential Implantation

8 DPO is the time when implantation of the fertilized egg happens in the uterine lining. This is an important step in pregnancy, and implantation typically occurs between 6 and 12 days past ovulation.

Changes in Hormones

The levels of progesterone continue to increase at 8 DPO. Progesterone hormone helps to support pregnancy during the early stage. If implantation of the fertilized egg has occurred, the body begins producing human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the pregnancy hormone in small amounts.

Changes in the Uterine Lining

The uterine lining is thick and full of blood vessels to support a future pregnancy at 8 DPO.

8 DPO Symptoms

At 8 days past ovulation, you may start noticing early pregnancy symptoms if conception has occurred. However, the hormonal changes that occur before the beginning of periods can also cause some of these symptoms (Premenstrual syndrome or PMS).

Some of the 8 DPO symptoms if pregnant are:

• Cramping
• Spotting
• Tenderness or pain in the breasts
• Mood swings
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Fatigue or tiredness
• Increased urination

Cramping

You may experience mild cramping at 8 DPO. Cramping may occur due to implantation—the fertilized egg (called an embryo) attaches to the uterine lining. There is no scientific evidence to relate 8 DPO cramping to implantation.

However, it may occur in some women as implantation may cause contraction of the uterus, resulting in cramping and back pain.

Spotting 8 DPO

Bleeding in women who are trying to get pregnant can be alarming, but experiencing light spotting 8 DPO can be an early sign of pregnancy. Also known as implantation bleeding, spotting is one of the common 8 DPO symptoms if pregnant. This happens when the fertilized egg gets implanted in the uterine lining.

Breast Pain

Hormonal changes after implantation can cause breast symptoms such as pain and tenderness at 8 DPO. Pain in the breasts is one of the common 8 DPO symptoms if pregnant, as the breasts enlarge and become sensitive as they are getting ready to produce milk.

8 DPO Nausea

Mild nausea may appear in some women at 8 DPO as an early pregnancy symptom, though morning sickness of pregnancy typically develops later. Symptoms of indigestion or constipation at 8 DPO, along with nausea, can all occur due to hormonal changes during this stage.

Headaches

Due to the hormonal changes, you may experience tension and migraine headaches during the initial pregnancy stages. Headaches at 8 DPO can cause discomfort; therefore, take ample rest and stay hydrated.

Fatigue

You may develop fatigue and exhaustion due to increasing progesterone levels during early pregnancy. Hence, tiredness and fatigue are common at 8 DPO.

Mood swings

The hormonal changes at 8 days past ovulation can cause mood swings, irritability, etc. Surprisingly, mood swings are common symptoms of both early pregnancy and PMS.

Increased Urination

Increased urination is another symptom that may occur during early pregnancy at 8 DPO. During pregnancy the flow of blood to the kidneys is increased, due to which the kidneys make more urine. This can begin soon after conception leading to increased urination at 8 days past ovulation.

Bloating

You may feel slightly bloated at 8 DPO, either due to early pregnancy or PMS.

Unusual craving, smells, and tastes

The hormonal changes of early pregnancy may make you overly sensitive. You may develop unusual cravings for new foods or become less tolerant to foods you like at 8 DPO.

What is The Type of Discharge at 8 DPO?

The discharge changes throughout the menstrual cycle due to the fluctuations in hormonal levels. At 8 DPO, you may observe the following changes in your discharge:

There is an increased white, creamy, and sticky discharge at 8 DPO if pregnancy has occurred. If there is no pregnancy, then the discharge may decrease compared to the discharge around ovulation. It becomes thick and sticky.

Can You Take a Pregnancy Test at 8 DPO?

Though you may be eager to confirm your pregnancy, it is still too early to do a pregnancy test at 8 DPO. Let’s look at the reasons why an 8 DPO pregnancy test may give you negative results even if you have conceived:

Timing of Implantation

Implantation of the fertilized egg happens between 6 and 12 days post-ovulation. At 8 days past ovulation, implantation may have occurred recently or may not have happened yet.

Levels of hCG

Even if implantation has occurred, the levels of hCG are not high enough to be detected in the urine pregnancy test.

Sensitivity of the test

Most home pregnancy test kits cannot detect pregnancy until the time you miss your period.

Some women may get a positive pregnancy test at 8 DPO, but such cases are rare. Therefore, for reliable and accurate results, it’s advised to wait until the day of the missed period.

Do 8 DPO symptoms indicate a BFP?

The acronym BFP stands for ‘big fat positive’ and is very commonly used in the fertility space. BFP indicates a positive result on the pregnancy test. 8 DPO is too early to get a BFP on a pregnancy test, and the 8 DPO symptoms may be either due to pregnancy or PMS.

8 DPO No Symptoms

If it’s already 8 days past ovulation and you are not experiencing any of the symptoms of early pregnancy, you should not worry. 8 DPO symptoms don’t appear in many women as the level of hCG in blood is still insufficient to be detected by a pregnancy test.

Furthermore, there is no fixed time as to when you would start feeling the symptoms of early pregnancy. Trying to get pregnant can be stressful and emotional. Hence, 8 DPO no symptoms can be quite frustrating.

It’s advised to remain patient and calm during the two-week wait period. Doing activities such as reading a book, doing regular exercise, practicing mindfulness etc. can help you keep your mind off of thinking about the 8 DPO symptoms too much.

FAQs

Is spotting 8 DPO implantation bleeding?

Spotting 8 DPO can likely be implantation bleeding. The implantation of the fertilized egg typically occurs during this time. But implantation bleeding may not occur in all pregnant women and spotting at 8 DPO can be due to other reasons. If you have concerns about any kind of bleeding, it’s advised to consult a healthcare provider.

8 DPO no symptom, is it normal?

Yes, it is normal to have no symptoms at 8 days past ovulation even if you are pregnant. Lack of symptoms at 8 DPO does not imply that you are not pregnant. Many women may not notice any 8 DPO symptoms if pregnant. The response to early pregnancy is different in everyone.

When should you test again if the pregnancy test at 8 DPO is negative?

At 8 days past ovulation, it’s very early to get a positive pregnancy test, even if conception has occurred. If you have a strong feeling that you may be pregnant, it’s best to wait until at least the day of your missed period.

Can you have a blood test at 8 DPO to detect pregnancy?

Blood tests are more sensitive in comparison to urine tests and they may detect pregnancy between 7 and 10 DPO. However, the result may still be false-negative if the test is done before implantation of the fertilized egg. For further information consult your doctor.

Conclusion

At 8 DPO, conception may have happened, but it’s still very early to take an 8 DPO pregnancy test. The hCG levels at 8 days past ovulation are inadequate to be detected in a pregnancy test.

Implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine lining may happen during this time. The hormonal changes, especially rising levels of progesterone may cause 8 DPO symptoms such as mild cramping, breast tenderness, spotting, fatigue, nausea, mood swings, and increased urination.

However, during the two-week waiting period after ovulation, you can find it challenging to distinguish between symptoms of PMS and symptoms of early pregnancy.

8 DPO no symptom is also common in some women even if pregnant. It is best to remain calm and patient during the two- week period and wait until at least the day of your missed period to take a pregnancy test.

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