8-14th DPO (Determine pregnancy before missed period!) 

There are 5 methods that can help you recognize the first signs of pregnancy a week before the missed period. These methods are: 

• identification of implantation; 
• use of ultra-sensitive tests; 
• basal body thermometry; 
• tracking of discharges; 
• Self-monitoring. 

These are the most successful and working methods and observations (I tried them all on myself). They are easily applicable and understandable for every woman. The information has been prepared especially for impatient expectant mothers who want to find out about their interesting situation as soon as possible (Short checklist is at the end of the article!). 

Implantation on the 7-10th day past ovulation (DPO) – signs and sensations 

After successful embryo implantation, the body of every woman reacts differently. Pregnancy is a unique thing and its beginning is individual for every expectant mother. 

Guided by this instruction, you can identify the first signs of your pregnancy right now, without an ultrasound, a doctor or laboratory tests.

You become pregnant when the embryo is implanted, meaning it will grow into the wall of the uterus and the blood flow between the mother’s body and the embryo will improve. 

Method No.1: Implantation Signs and Symptoms 

Here are the most likely symptoms that the unborn baby at this very moment is attached to the wall of the uterus: 

• Insignificant bloody discharges. Only a few drops of blood are released at the time of the rupture of uterine endometrial tissue. 

To distinguish implantation bleeding from regular menstruation, you need to evaluate the amount of blood, its color, consistency, and duration: 

›Menstrual blood requires the use of pads, a bright scarlet color, it can be with an admixture of mucus and other inclusions (uterine endometrium) and is normally observed for three to six days. 

›If the pad (or paper) is slightly smeared, the color of the spot is pinkish or brownish and not more than one day – this is a sign of implantation. 

• Pain. If a woman feels a slight tingling sensation (backache), burning in the lower abdomen, slight aching pain once or within one to two days, then, on the next day you can take the next test. 
• The drop in basal body temperature. This is another specific symptom when BBT drops sharply (0.2-0.4 °C or 0.36–0.72 °F) for one day, and grows as rapidly the next morning.

  

Did you observe such a retraction? Wait for the rise the next day. If it happened – you can test! 

And if the embryo implantation was asymptomatic? 

To do this, you need to find indirect signs of HCG production and the effects of increased progesterone. 

 Human chorionic gonadotropin begins to be produced by trophoblast after it has grown into the uterine wall. HCG causes the yellow hormone-secreting body (corpus luteum) to continue to function and produce more progesterone. In a normal cycle, it lives for about 12 days and then breaks down. Both hormones have an impact on the woman’s body, her mood, behavior, and well-being. 

Advice(!): Observe your feelings. Perhaps something happens in this cycle in a completely different way – more intensively manifests itself or vice versa, the usual feeling for this period completely disappeared and everything is calm. 

How HCG grows from week two to week six after ovulation 

It is to this hormone that the woman’s body reacts most of all. If its urine level is high, home pregnancy tests will give a positive result. 

One of the easiest, fastest and most reliable ways to establish the fact that you will soon be a mother is to “soak the test.” Here ‘s how the hormone builds up on the days after the embryo is attached: 

As can be seen from the table, it is quite possible to get a positive strip on 8, 9, 10 days after ovulation. 

Why is there such a range in indicators? 

The fact is that the implantation period is not one day, it is different for everyone. In addition, the starting level of HCG, in other words, its amount at the time of implementation, can range from 0 to 5 mIU/ml. And in the first weeks after implantation, it increases approximately twice every two days. Now we will tell you more about how to test. 

Method No.2: High Sensitivity Pregnancy Tests 

It is believed that one week after ovulation, it is too early to do pregnancy tests. The most manufacturers do is recommend using them only from the first day of the missed period. 

There are tests, for example, One Step and others (sensitivity 10 mIU/ml). Such test strips are able to “catch” the pregnancy already on the 7-10th day past ovulation. 

Advice(!): Look for these exact tests in the pharmacy, with the highest sensitivity – 10 mIU/ml. Then it is possible to catch indirect signs of HCG already on the second day after implantation or 8–11 DPO. 

Cheaper options for test strips differ from expensive ones only in lesser thickness. Below is a photo comparison of budget and more expensive options. The field for analysis is a little narrower, but it is quite possible to recognize. 

This is interesting(!): Ultrasensitive tests – 5 mIU/ml. are being made today (much less!). But here it is easy to get a false-positive result since normally the concentration of HCG of a non-pregnant is from 0 to 5 mIU/ml. 

Take into account that there will not be instantly a large, dark colored second strip, but that’s the beauty of pregnancy tests – a thin pale one will be enough for a positive result!

If the result is negative, there may not be enough HCG in the urine (see table above). 

Keeping to the following five rules, you can easily increase the concentration of HCG in the urine and not get a false-negative test result: 

• do not drink liquid before bed; 
• do not take diuretics; 
• use the first-morning urine immediately without delay; 
• accurately withstand the time specified in the instructions.

Tests are the most reliable home method. 

They will help you quickly confirm your guesses about successful planning. If you notice the first signs of pregnancy, use the test strips the next day. A pregnancy test with a high sensitivity of 10 mIU/ml. will show pregnancy on the 7-10th day after ovulation. 

Note(!): If you are taking progesterone, before canceling on the 25th day after ovulation – take an ultrasensitive test. By this moment, with the standard scheme 5–25/16–25, in most cases the embryo will have time to attach to the uterine wall and you will most likely get positive results. 

Method No.3: The basal body temperature patterns 

I have already mentioned basal thermometry in determining implantation – it’s very nice to get such a complex clue from the body. 

If there is no implantation dip of BBT – there are several other characteristic types of basal curve behavior. 

The third phase on the chart 

With an increase in HCG, progesterone production also increases, and as a result, BBT rises to a new, higher level. On the chart, it looks like this: 

Unusual chart behavior 

Compare the basal curve of several cycles. You can use the chart overlay option. Here are some things to watch out for: 

• The base body temperature always drops a few days before menstruation and suddenly it remains stably high;

  

   

• BBT in the second phase is on average higher than with previous graphs (under constant measurement conditions and with the same thermometer).

  

Method No.4: Special Cervical Fluid 

Normally, on the 8-14th day after ovulation, discharges are scarce, sticky, creamy, and before menstruation, they are often completely absent. Please note the following: 

1. The presence of blood (implantation bleeding) – we talked about this at the very beginning of the article. 
2. The appearance of abundant transparent discharges, sometimes in the form of mucous clots. Thus, the cervical canal is preparing for prolonged “sealing” of the cervix from infection of the fetus. 

Candidiasis(!): It is not the most desirable symptom of pregnancy, but, as gynecologists note, it often appears after a change in the hormonal background, when the microbiological balance of the vagina is disturbed. As a result, mushrooms multiply rapidly. 

Any deviation in the quality, mode and amount of discharges after ovulation is acceptable. Normally, the cervical fluid is clear, sometimes unclear, and odorless. There are no severe or prolonged pain in the lower abdomen, itching or discomfort in the vulva. Otherwise, an additional appointment with the gynecologist is required. 

Read more about how the nature of the discharge changes in different periods of the monthly cycle, read in this article. 

Method No.5: Self-observation 

The fifth way to diagnose an interesting situation is to listen carefully to your body. You will most likely notice the following symptoms. 

The unstable state of mind 

Mental state and mood changes from the very first days of pregnancy. A woman feels overwhelmed, tired, and tearful. Tearfulness and amoeba state for the second day in a row — a frequent sign of early pregnancy — time to do the test. 

Pay attention to such situations:

• you watch a movie and suddenly burst into tears, although before you did not notice such sensitivity;
• can’t concentrate and finish the work I have begun;
• don’t want to do anything, just lie down/sit down and not think about anything;
• the head does not work, or there is a burning desire for everyone to leave you alone. 

Sharp increase in sensitivity 

With the beginning of active production of HG and increase in the amount of progesterone, the woman begins to: 

• suddenly dislike certain odors. Hence, the change in food preferences, body care products, places of stay, etc. 
• run to the toilet more often in a small way. Although this is more likely not a problem with sensitivity, but the body’s reaction to an increase in the amount of fluid with the onset of pregnancy and increased kidney and bladder function. Especially noticeable increase in the frequency of trips at night. 
• feel discomfort or even pain when touching the nipples. 
• sensitive respond to certain foods. The liver is so overloaded with blood purification from the vital products of the embryo that it is unable to perceive normal products normally. The future mother is troubled and nauseous; however, she rarely gets up to vomiting. 

Note(!): Abrupt and sudden aversion to certain odors, when I got pregnant from the first days, I could not bear the smell of barbecue, although I usually love and eat it with pleasure. 

Pain in the head, stomach and back 

New, unusual painful sensations starting from the eighth day after ovulation also indicate the emergence of a new life. 

Headaches begin due to the intense work of the pituitary gland and increased blood supply mainly to the pelvic organs. The lack of oxygen in the blood causes a feeling of heaviness in the back of the head, slight migraine or aching pains. 

Drawing pains in the lower abdomen, lower back (together or separately) during the first few weeks of pregnancy are associated with the growth of the uterus and do not require special treatment. Such pain can be confused with premenstrual. However, the latter appear most often on the eve or on the first day of menstruation, and not a week before them. 

Advice(!): If you are afraid that an increased tone of the uterus will lead to rejection of the embryo, make sure that the level of progesterone is sufficient. If everything is normal, the pain is not caused by a tone, but by a restructuring of the growing uterus. 

Here is how progesterone sufficiency can be determined: 

1. According to BBT chart. Are the indicators normal? On average, body temperature at rest 14 days after ovulation is 0.3-0.5 °C higher than the average values of the first phase. If yes, then everything is fine – check your BBT chart.

   

2. Another option, more reliable, to take an analysis for the level of the hormone in the blood (the norm is from 12 to 18 ng/ml in the first two weeks after ovulation). 

Digestive disorders 

The cause of gastrointestinal problems is the total relaxation of smooth muscles. From here – a slowdown of intestinal motility, indigestion, poor outflow of bile and others. As a consequence of this: 

1. Frequent burping; 
2. Nausea and salivation; 
3. Possible unpleasant taste in the mouth, metallic or sour; 
4. Constipation (just below I will tell you how to deal with them!); 
5. Bloating. 

Note(!): Sometimes the opposite happens – diarrhea. But it already appears due to bacterial indigestion. The fact is that in the first days of pregnancy, a woman’s immune system is naturally suppressed, which helps to maintain and not reject the embryo. At the same time, the expectant mother can easily catch a rotavirus infection, which, in turn, causes diarrhea. 

Cold 

With a decrease in immunity, it costs nothing to get influenza and other ARVI. The expectant mother’s runny nose, chills, body temperature 37-37.5 °C (98.60-99.5 °F) are completely harmless to the child and do not require special treatment. On the contrary, it is a very frequent sign of successful implantation. You can do the test! 

About body temperature(!): If a woman does not have a cold, but has a BT of 37 – 37.5 °C, this may be explained by the action of progesterone in the second phase of the cycle. If in normal non-pregnant cycles there was no increased BT, and suddenly appeared in this cycle – pregnancy is possible. A frequent concomitant symptom of such an increase is chills. 

Bonus! How to permanently remove constipation with a single product 

For normal bowel function, you need to eat 7 tablespoons of bran with a hill every day. The daily dose can be divided into two or more times. 

Bran helps to establish a chair even with: 

• Irritable bowel syndrome; 
• Poor peristalsis (lazy intestines); 
• Irregularly shaped sigmoid colon; 
• Chronic constipation and other concomitant diagnoses. 

Delayed stool retention leads to the development of hemorrhoids. All because of the severity and pressure of the ever-growing uterus – as a result of stagnation of blood, over strain, sprain and inflammation of the venous walls. 

Bran is not absorbed by the body and serves as a wonderful “broom” for the intestines. It accumulates water well and perfectly softens the feces. Just remember to drink enough water! 

Direct benefit(!): Think that it is better to spend about $ 40 each month on lactulose syrup (I, for example, drank Duphalac), an equally effective, harmless remedy for constipation – it can be given to infants. Or still, spend $ 4 on a monthly supply of bran. The price, in the end, is 10 times lower, and the effect is the same (Personally verified!). 

What do you think, how many bran branded dishes can you cook and enjoy eating? Lots of all pastries, liquid milk porridge, lactic drinks and desserts. 

Summarize 

I described five working methods that will help every planning woman, long before the missed periods, easily and quickly at home to identify the beginning of her pregnancy. 

These are the main and most frequently repeated symptoms. They are described by numerous stories of experienced mothers on the forums, doctors tell about them. I studied each of them – thanks to them I learned very early that my dream finally came true. Try to you understand your body and “feeling” the birth of a new life! 

Advice(!): The desired pregnancy can come quite quietly, without signs and special sensations, so do not rush to be upset without seeing the described manifestations. In this case, your assistant will be basal temperature and HCG tests from the 8–11th DPO. 

I wish you to see the second strip as soon as possible! 

Pregnancy Recognition Checklist 

1. Small spotting from the 7th to the 10th DPO. 
2. Cervical fluid a week before the onset of menstruation, mucous, jelly-like, may be streaked, more abundant than usual.
3. Thrush (candidacies) began. 
4. Aching pain, tingling in the lower abdomen, pulls the lower back for a short period of several days.
5. BBT fell for one day, and then returned to normal or became even higher. 
6. The third phase is already emerging on the chart for the second day (0.1-0.3 °C or (0.18-0.54 °F) higher than the average BBT in the second phase).
7. A few days before the onset of menstruation, the basal temperature did not go down as usual but remained elevated. 
8. The average BBT in the second phase after the 7th DPO is already three days higher than usual.
9. A sharp change of mood, tearfulness, weakness, apathy. 
10. Very sensitive breasts, especially nipples.
11. Aversion to odors and some familiar dishes. 
12. It is not clear why the head hurts (monotonously or simply splits).
13. A cold or a sensation of a cold with a temperature of 37-37.5 °C or 98.60-99.5 °F nasal congestion and chills. 
14. Digestive upset: nausea / turbidity, heavy stomach, belching, salivation, unpleasant unusual taste in the mouth, bloating, constipation (all together or some of them).
15. Diarrhea for no apparent reason. 

Observe such symptoms? Then it’s time to do an ultra-sensitive pregnancy test!