Maybe you took a pregnancy test 8 days past ovulation, and it was negative, or maybe you don’t even want to get pregnant, and the negative test is a big relief. Or, you had wished to be pregnant, and you were disappointed!
Either way, we will guide you through what could have gone wrong so you can prepare for a positive test at 12 DPO or later.
Now that you’re 8 days past ovulation, it’s time to start feeling symptoms of pregnancy. At 8 DPO, some women can feel a twinge in their lower abdomen, or they might get a very light period (slightly heavier than spotting).
If you don’t experience any pregnancy symptoms at 8 DPO, you can expect them by 12 DPO or later, and that’s perfectly normal.
The typical menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. The first day of your period is Day 1. Ovulation usually occurs about 14 days before your next period begins. 8 DPO is eight days after ovulation. With a 28-day cycle, it takes place on the day of ovulation plus eight days.
You can expect to begin experiencing several early signs at 8 DPO. These include:
Light cramping is a typical early pregnancy symptom that you could experience at about eight days after ovulation (8 DPO). The cramps are often in your lower abdomen or back. They might be off and on for a day, or you could feel them constantly with varying levels of intensity.
Another early pregnancy symptom is having sore, tender breasts. Your bra might outline your breasts, or your nipples could become darker and more sensitive to touch.
If you’re not used to having sore breasts every month during your menstrual cycle, then they can form a great indicator that you might be pregnant. It’s also important to note that the soreness isn’t usually an intense pain; instead, it’s more of a tender feeling.
Feeling tired or fatigued is often one of the first signs of pregnancy. Your fatigue may be worse at night and could interfere with your sleep cycle. It might help to readjust the time you wake up to an earlier hour so that you can get a full night’s rest.
You may notice an increased need to urinate more frequently, especially in the morning after a good night’s sleep. This is a symptom of implantation and early pregnancy, occurring around the eighth day after ovulation. Implantation causes your kidneys to produce more HCG.
In the early stages of pregnancy, some women may experience nausea. If it’s not severe, you can try treating it with foods that have a lot of protein and fat, such as almonds or avocados, but you should also take care to drink plenty of water, so you don’t get dehydrated.
If you experience nausea and vomiting, it is often the result of elevated pregnancy hormone levels. If it’s not from pregnancy, it can be a sign of an illness such as food poisoning or a stomach virus.
Another early pregnancy symptom is spotting from about 7 to 12 DPO or a little later. The spotting can be bright red in color and may resemble a very light period. It’s possible that you won’t experience any bleeding at all, however, so it can’t be used as an indicator on its own.
Bloating is common during the first trimester of pregnancy, so it’s not something you should be too concerned about if it happens at 8 DPO. It can cause your belly to feel puffy because of trapped gas in the intestines.
Headaches are relatively common in the first trimester of pregnancy. An increase in hormones can cause them, or they may also be a sign of dehydration. If you experience severe headaches, it’s best to drink plenty of water and see your doctor for advice.
Constipation is another early pregnancy symptom that you may encounter 8 DPO. This is because the same hormone that causes your digestive system to slow down and causes you to feel bloated is also responsible for implantation.
If you take a pregnancy test, but it comes back negative, you shouldn’t be too worried. You may be just one of the many women who have a false negative after eight days. Some of the most common reasons for negative results are:
Sometimes, if you take a test too early, it can come back with a false negative. You must wait until at least 10 DPO before taking a pregnancy test. If you get an inaccurate result again on the second test, it might be best to see your doctor and get an HCG blood test a few days later.
Improper testing is a common reason that women receive negative results. You should always follow the instructions on the package carefully and use the first morning’s urine for the best results.
A faulty test can also result in false negatives, so if you’re unsure whether to take another one or wait, it’s best to ask your doctor or contact the company that made the test.
If you take a pregnancy test too early, before HCG levels are high enough, then it might not detect the hormone correctly. It might seem like it takes forever for you to get your period when in reality, your body doesn’t have enough HCG hormone to show up on a test.
No, 8 DPO is not too early to test. While most women can take a pregnancy test as early as 8 days past ovulation, there are some who should wait until at least 10 DPO. If you have any reason to believe that you might be pregnant, it’s safe to test at eight days past ovulation. However, don’t be disappointed if it turns out to be negative.
It is not easy to calculate eight days past ovulation especially, if you have regular cycles. For a 28 days cycle, count the number of days between the first day of your last menstrual period and the day you took the test, and then subtract 14 days.
If you have, for example, a 30 days cycle, you add two days to your counting (because your cycle is two days longer due to the follicular phase) and then subtract 14 days.
If you are experiencing early pregnancy symptoms, especially nausea or vomiting, it may be because of implantation.
Bleeding is another symptom in the earlier stages of pregnancy that can cause concern, but if your 8 DPO test was negative, it’s likely not a sign of miscarriage. Some women experience spotting when they’re pregnant, and some don’t, so this symptom might not be related to pregnancy at all.
If you’ve taken two pregnancy tests and had negative results, it’s possible that your HCG levels aren’t high enough yet for the test to detect them properly.
However, if you’re experiencing more than one week of symptoms or you know that something isn’t right, go ahead and schedule an appointment with your doctor. You can ask them to run a blood test, which is more accurate than a pregnancy test anyway.
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