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1 day post ovulation—1 DPO—marks the first day of the two-week wait.
If you’re at 1 DPO right now, you may be wondering: is it too late to conceive this cycle?
Or if you know you had sex during your fertile window, you may be curious: Will I start noticing signs of early pregnancy at 1 DPO?
Let’s shed some light on these valid questions!
Yes, you can still conceive by having sex the day after ovulation (though your chances are better before you ovulate). And regardless of when you had intercourse, it’s too early for you to take a pregnancy test 1 DPO.
To better understand the full picture of the two week wait and what to expect specifically at 1 DPO, keep reading!
Takeaways
- 1 DPO, aka 1 day post ovulation, refers to the first day after your body releases an egg.
- At 1 DPO, it is still possible to conceive since the egg can survive for up to 12-24 hours. The chances of conception on this day are about 8%.
- The day after ovulation, it’s possible that fertilization already occurred. But fertilized or not, the egg is making its way toward your uterus via the fallopian tube.
- Around 1 DPO, you may notice a few symptoms from the release of the egg itself. These include ovulation cramping or spotting and increased cervical mucus.
- At 1 DPO, the follicle that ruptured turns into the corpus luteum to kickstart progesterone production.
- Since progesterone is only just starting to rise, it will likely be another few days to a week until you experience additional symptoms.
- It’s totally normal to not notice any symptoms at 1 DPO.
- 1 day post ovulation is too early for implantation to occur. Implantation doesn’t happen until 6 – 12 DPO.
- At 1 DPO, there’s no true way to tell if conception occurred or not. Physical early pregnancy symptoms typically aren’t noticeable until a few days after successful implantation. (This is when your hCG starts reaching levels that are detectable on a urine pregnancy test.)
What is 1 DPO?
1 DPO simply means the first day past ovulation. For example, if you ovulated on February 2nd, on February 3rd you would be 1 DPO.
Learn more: Common Signs that Ovulation is Over: 6 Changes to Watch Out For
So now that you know what DPO means, what can you expect at 1 DPO? Let’s dive in!
What happens at 1 DPO?
1 DPO marks the end of your ovulatory phase and the beginning of your luteal phase. (Your luteal phase is basically a preparation phase to ensure your body is ready for a potential pregnancy.)
From the time of release, the egg has a 12-24 hour window to become fertilized before it’s no longer viable.
This means that there is still a chance for you to conceive on this day (although it is low). In fact, if you have sex on 1 DPO, your chances of conceiving are about 8%.
Depending on your exact timing, here’s a snapshot of what could be going on at 1 DPO:
- The egg that you ovulated yesterday may still be waiting to meet up with the sperm as it travels through your fallopian tube.
- If you had sex in your fertile window or went through artificial insemination, the sperm may have already fertilized the egg.
- If fertilization occurred, the zygote (the fertilized egg) is making its way to your uterus.
Regardless of what happens with the egg, the follicle that released the egg will create the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum’s main job is to produce progesterone to support your body in the event that you get pregnant.
As you can see above, there are quite a few possibilities at 1 DPO. So this may have you questioning: Are there any 1 DPO symptoms I can look for?
We’ve got you covered. Learn more about how you may be feeling at 1 DPO in the next section!
Common symptoms at 1 DPO
Most symptoms, if any, that you experience on or around 1 DPO will simply be from ovulation.
This is because the egg was released so recently that the corpus luteum won’t be producing that much progesterone just yet. (And many symptoms in the two-week wait and early pregnancy are caused by rising progesterone levels).
That said, here are some symptoms you may experience around ovulation time:
- Ovulation pain (aka mittelsmschmerz). This usually feels like a dull ache or sharp twinges that coincide with ovulation and happen on and off for a few hours up to 1 – 2 days.
- Ovulation bleeding. This is very light pinkish bleeding or spotting that could go on for a day or two. It’s not the same as implantation bleeding (which happens around the time of implantation) and is much, much lighter than a period.
- More cervical mucus. Your cervix produces increased amounts of cervical mucus when you ovulate to help the sperm travel to your uterus. You may still notice EWCM at 1 DPO.
- Higher basal body temperature. Your basal body temperature (BBT) usually rises by roughly 0.5 to 1 degree Fahrenheit after ovulation.
Know more: The Complete Guide to Ovulation Symptoms
Once the corpus luteum ramps up progesterone production, you may begin to experience more symptoms though.
These additional post-ovulation symptoms may include:
- Bloating or constipation
- Tender or sore breasts
- Mood swings
- Trouble sleeping
And if you do notice any of these symptoms at 1 DPO, they’re likely fairly mild. This is because your progesterone levels don’t reach their peak until 6 DPO to 8 DPO.
Sound like a lot to keep track of? That’s why many women use a symptom-tracking app! The Inito app helps you take note of all these symptoms so you can get a clearer idea of your cycle. And if you’re using the Inito fertility monitor to track ovulation, you can also correlate your symptoms with your unique hormone trends to better understand how your body works!
Know more: DPO Symptoms: Tracking Days 1 – 12 Past Ovulation
Concerned about not experiencing any symptoms at 1 DPO? We totally understand—fertility and pregnancy journeys can be a bit stressful. But keep reading to learn why this is no cause for alarm.
What if I don’t have symptoms at 1 DPO?
No need to worry—this is completely normal!
Every person is different and it may take a while before you begin noticing any physical symptoms. So even though it can be challenging (believe me, we get it), try not to compare your experience of post-ovulation symptoms to others’.
Also remember that your body has only just begun revving up progesterone production. So the amount of progesterone in your system at this stage may not cause any noticeable symptoms for another week or so.
Aside from symptoms, another common question that pops up at the start of the two week wait is: When can I expect the fertilized egg to implant? Learn more about this next!
Can implantation happen at 1 DPO?
No, 1 DPO is too early for implantation. Remember, at only 1 day after ovulation, it’s possible that even fertilization hasn’t happened yet.
And even if you have a fertilized egg already, it’s still making its journey to your uterus (which takes about 5 – 6 days).
This means that the implantation window only begins around 6 DPO. (For most women who become pregnant, implantation happens between 8 – 10 DPO.)
But perhaps you’re curious to know: How can I tell if fertilization has occurred or not? Let’s go over this below.
Can I tell if I’m pregnant at 1 DPO?
Sadly, no! There’s no way for you to physically tell if fertilization occurred at 1 day past ovulation.
This is because at 1 DPO your body is undergoing the same changes whether the egg was fertilized or not. (This main change is that the ruptured follicle, now the corpus luteum, begins pumping out progesterone.)
A pregnancy won’t become official until implantation occurs around 6 – 12 DPO. So until then, any symptoms you experience are simply caused by your rising progesterone levels.
If you’re using a fertility app or cycle tracker, you can certainly take note of any symptoms you notice at 1 DPO. But realize that many luteal phase symptoms and early pregnancy symptoms overlap.
FAQs
No, ovulation pain and mild cramping don’t indicate pregnancy one way or the other. It’s a common sensation that many women feel around ovulation.
That said, if you have really intense pain around ovulation, you may want to consult with your doctor just to be safe.
Know more: Ovulation Pain: What to Know About Mittelschmerz
You should ideally wait to take a pregnancy test until the day of or after your missed period (around 12 – 14 DPO).
At 12 DPO, 99% of pregnancy tests will give you an accurate test result. But this is with two assumptions in mind. The first is that you used the pregnancy test according to the directions. And the second is that you accurately tracked when ovulation occurred in your menstrual cycle.
It all depends on when implantation occurs and how quickly your human chorionic gonadotropin levels rise. Once implantation is successful, your levels of the pregnancy hormone (hCG) begin nearly doubling every 48 hours.
But the initial amount of hCG is very small, so even by 9 – 10 DPO, only about 10% of women who are pregnant will actually test positive. So if you take a pregnancy test too early in the two week wait, you could get a negative test (even if you are pregnant).
This is why it’s best to wait to test for pregnancy until you miss your expected period. This is when most women will have levels of hCG that are high enough for an at-home pregnancy test to detect pregnancy.
Know more: Your Complete Guide to the Two Week Wait
This is a myth. Breast tenderness is usually a symptom you experience when your progesterone levels are on the rise. And progesterone will rise after ovulation whether fertilization happens or not. So at 1 day past ovulation (DPO), breast tenderness or pain doesn’t indicate pregnancy one way or the other.
Not necessarily! The released egg can live inside of your reproductive tract for about 12 – 24 hours. This means that if you have sex 1 day past ovulation (DPO), you still have a small chance of conceiving (about an 8% chance).
Know more: When You Feel Ovulation Pain, is it Too Late?
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- Validation of urinary reproductive hormone measurements using a novel smartphone connected reader – Nature
- A Prospective Study of the Onset of Symptoms of Pregnancy – Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
- Time of Implantation of the Conceptus and Loss of Pregnancy – New England Journal of Medicine
- Strips of Hope: Accuracy of Home Pregnancy Tests and New Developments – PMC
- Relationship Between the Menstrual Cycle and Timing of Ovulation Revealed by New Protocols: Analysis of Data from a Self-Tracking Health App
- When can I expect a positive HPT if I am pregnant?
- Prevalence of menstrual pain in young women: what is dysmenorrhea?
- A prospective study of the onset of symptoms of pregnancy – Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
