Here's Why You Might Want to Wait to Take That Pregnancy Test (2024)

Wondering what day past ovulation (DPO) you should take a pregnancy test?

It's generally recommended to wait until 14 DPO to take a pregnancy test. About 14 days after ovulation typically coincides with the expected first day of your period. This is when enough hCG, the "pregnancy hormone," would be circulating in your body to give a positive reading on a pregnancy test.

The bad news is, it can be challenging to wait that long to test. However, test accuracy is extremely high if you can be patient.

Whether you're hoping for a positive result, or you're wishing to avoid pregnancy and are anxious to know ASAP if you're expecting, there are some things to keep in mind if you take a pregnancy test too early.

DPO Pregnancy Test Timing: Why It Matters

Implantation of a fertilized embryo can happen as soon as five or six DPO. Once the embryo implants, it will produce a hormone called hCG. When hCG rises to a certain level, it can be detected through urine with a home pregnancy test.

Some pregnancy tests might detect hCG in the urine as early as eight days DPO, but waiting until at least 14 DPO is usually recommended for the highest accuracy.

Even in people who have regular menstrual cycles and track their ovulation, there isn't a way to know exactly when fertilization and implantation occur.

Because these factors can vary quite a bit, it's usually recommended to wait until at least 14 days past ovulation (DPO) before doing a pregnancy test. That way, you know the results are most likely accurate.

What Happens If You Test Too Early?

Before heading to the bathroom with your pregnancy test, consider these possible side effects of testing too early.

Disappointment

The odds of getting a positive test at 10 DPO are extremely small, so even if you did conceive, early testing may lead to inaccurate results (and disappointment) if you're hoping to be pregnant.

What about early pregnancy tests, which claim you can take them before your missed period? If used correctly, these may deliver a positive result a day or two before your period is expected (say, at 12 DPO, not 10).

But an early negative can always be false. That could mean waiting another few days and re-testing.

Unclear results

An early negative pregnancy test doesn’t really answer any questions. It just confirms you don’t have any detectable pregnancy hormone in your urine yet.

The process of fertilization and implantation takes several days, and a test taken before this process won't be positive even if you're pregnant.

Chemical pregnancy

In rare cases, an early pregnancy test could detect a chemical pregnancy, which is a very early type of miscarriage. Some losses happen so early that most people don’t realize they're having one.

If you don't test, you will get your period without knowing that you had conceived a nonviable pregnancy. Only you can decide if you'd rather have that knowledge of a pregnancy, even if it's nonviable.

Anxiety

The two-week wait (between ovulation and your expected period) can be a stressful, anxious time. Early testing might help you deal with anxiety, but it may also increase your stress, especially if the results are not clear.

To help you deal with emotions during this time, you may try other coping strategies, such as journaling, meeting up with friends, or exercising.

False results from fertility treatment

If you’re going through fertility treatments, an early pregnancy test may pick up the hormones used in these treatments.

Specifically, if you have a trigger shot—or an injection of hCG, sold under the brand names Ovidrel, Novarel, Pregnyl, and Profasi—you’re injecting pregnancy hormone into your system.

This means that if you took a pregnancy test the day after the injection, you would get a false positive result, even if you're not actually pregnant.

To avoid the risk of a false positive with fertility treatments, it's recommended to wait at least 10 days after the injection to test. Or, you can wait until your fertility health care provider confirms if a pregnancy has occurred for even more accuracy.

Cost

Pregnancy tests range in cost depending on what type you purchase. But even the ultra-cheap pregnancy test strips that you buy in bulk can add up over time.

If you're trying to conceive for several months or more, you'll use a lot of tests. Since you can't get a definitive answer on a too-early test, it can be helpful to save them for when they're more likely to be accurate.