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Just coming off of ovulation? Wondering what symptoms to expect in the second half of your menstrual cycle or in early pregnancy?
Follow along for an overview of exactly what your body is up to at 2 days past ovulation (DPO).
This way, you’ll know what symptoms to look for and when it makes sense to take a pregnancy test.
Takeaways
- 2 DPO means that it’s been 2 days since you ovulated.
- If conception happened, the fertilized egg is traveling to your uterus. If the egg wasn’t fertilized, it’s still traveling to the uterus so it can be reabsorbed into your endometrium.
- Either way, at 2 DPO, your body is actively preparing for a potential pregnancy.
- The major thing happening at 2 days past ovulation is that progesterone levels are slowly rising, thanks to the corpus luteum.
- Aside from a slight rise in BBT, it’s totally normal to have no obvious 2 DPO symptoms. This is because progesterone levels aren’t all that high quite yet.
- Symptoms like breast soreness, moodiness, and bloating tend to happen closer to 6 – 8 DPO when progesterone levels peak.
- 2 DPO is too early to notice early pregnancy signs or to take a pregnancy test. Pregnancy can’t become official until implantation occurs (which happens at 6 – 12 DPO).
- It’s best to test for early pregnancy once you’ve had a missed period, which is usually around 12 – 14 DPO. If you are pregnant, this allows for enough time for the pregnancy hormone hCG to rise and be detected.
- To avoid feeling extra stressed at 2 DPO and during the two-week wait, try your best to keep busy.
What does 2 DPO mean?
2 DPO refers to 2 days past ovulation meaning if you ovulated on April 1st, April 2nd would be 1 DPO, and April 3rd would be 2 DPO.
At 2 days post ovulation, you are firmly in the early luteal phase of your menstrual cycle. This is the time of your cycle when your body is preparing for a potential pregnancy.
Not 100% sure if you’re truly 2 days past ovulation? There are a few ways you can track and confirm ovulation. You can look for physical ovulation signs or use a fertility monitor like Inito. Inito accurately measures LH, estrogen, and FSH to track your fertile window and PdG (a urine metabolite of progesterone) to confirm ovulation.
Know more: Daily Progesterone Levels After Ovulation: What to Expect
What happens at 2 DPO?
When you reach day 2 post ovulation, you are officially past your fertile window. (Your fertile window includes the four days before ovulation, the day of ovulation, and the day after.)
At 2 DPO, here are the two scenarios that could be playing out:
Scenario 1 – If fertilization occurred…
- The sperm and egg fuse together to create the zygote. This is a single cell that holds all the genetic material needed to evolve into an embryo.
- The zygote begins journeying through your fallopian tube to your uterus (where it needs to get implanted).
Scenario 2 – If fertilization didn’t occur…
- The egg that was released during ovulation will get disintegrated and travel to your uterus
- Your uterine lining will shed, resulting in your period.
There’s one change that will happen regardless of which of the above scenarios unfolds…
The follicle that released the egg during ovulation will create the corpus luteum. This is a structure that releases progesterone and helps your body prepare for a potential pregnancy.
With all this taking place inside, you’re probably wondering how you can expect to feel. So let’s talk about the most common post-ovulation symptoms you could experience.
2 DPO Symptoms
The majority of symptoms that women notice during their luteal phase are caused by rising progesterone levels.
But at 1 DPO and 2 DPO, the amount of progesterone being released is still rather low. This means that you might have any noticeable changes in how you feel just yet. And if you do, your symptoms are probably very mild.
In any case, here are typical 2 DPO symptoms to be aware of:
- A rise in your basal body temperature: Your BBT spikes by about 0.5 to 1 degrees Fahrenheit
- The early stages of breast tenderness, mood swings, bloating, and sleep disruptions
Know more: DPO Symptoms: Tracking Days 1 – 12 Past Ovulation
Wondering how to keep track of your symptoms? You can use the Inito app to monitor your symptoms and get a clearer picture of how your body works. And if you’re using the Inito Fertility monitor, you can predict and confirm ovulation and correlate your symptoms with your unique hormone trends!
While it’s possible to notice a few subtle post-ovulation symptoms, let’s also talk about what the absence of any 2 DPO symptoms means.
What if I don’t have symptoms at 2 DPO?
The anticipation of those notorious luteal phase symptoms may have you feeling concerned when you don’t yet feel any different. You may worry that this cycle is out and that you’ll have to try again next month.
But the truth is that it’s completely normal to not have any symptoms at 2 days past ovulation!
It’s not until around 6 DPO – 8 DPO when your progesterone levels peak. So you have a few more days still until you may begin to really experience those physical symptoms.
Also keep in mind that everyone experiences luteal phase symptoms differently. This is because each person has their own tolerance to hormonal changes.
For example, small amounts of progesterone may cause one woman to notice bloating right away. But another woman may not have bloating until their progesterone levels are much higher. So a lack of symptoms this early on doesn’t mean anything about whether or not you conceived.
But in case you’re wondering about when you may be able to tell if pregnancy is officially underway, keep reading!
Can implantation happen at 2 DPO?
Nope, 2 DPO is still too early for implantation.
Remember at this stage, a newly fertilized egg will still be taking the fallopian tube expressway to your uterus. That journey takes almost a week!
Your implantation window starts at 6 DPO and lasts until 12 DPO. But for the majority of women who become pregnant, the sweet spot for implantation is 8 – 10 DPO.
Know more: How Long After Sex Does Implantation Occur?
At this point, maybe you’re thinking… Okay, so I get that it’s too early for implantation, but surely there must be a way to tell if fertilization happened. Learn more about this next!
Can I tell if I’m pregnant at 2 DPO?
A pregnancy doesn’t become official until the fertilized egg, aka the zygote, successfully nestles into your uterine lining. So no, you can’t tell if you’re pregnant at 2 DPO.
And unfortunately, there’s also no way to know if fertilization (aka conception) happened. Because whether you conceived or not, your symptoms at 2 DPO will be exactly the same.
But why is this the case?
Remember, the corpus luteum secretes progesterone to support a potential pregnancy regardless of whether the egg is fertilized or not!
This is why 2 DPO is too early to look for signs of pregnancy and definitely too early to test for pregnancy.
As difficult (and frustrating) as it may be to wait, it’s likely to cause you even more stress to read too far into any symptoms so soon after ovulation.
Early pregnancy signs won’t come along until after implantation. This is when the placenta begins producing the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
So to the best of your ability, try to find ways to distract yourself during this time.
Here are some suggestions for keeping your mind off all those 2 DPO concerns:
- Spend extra time outside in nature
- Read a book that’s been hanging around on your shelf
- Watch that new show you’ve been meaning to start
- Dedicate some time to one of your favorite hobbies
- Schedule time to meet up with or connect with one of your besties
Know more: Your Complete Guide to Surviving the Two Week Wait
And at the end of the day, realize that you’re not alone on your fertility journey. Join Inito’s support group for some extra love and support!
Sending you positive energy for a stress-free luteal phase and lots of baby dust if you’re trying to conceive!
FAQs
In the first few days after ovulation, your cervical mucus becomes thicker due to dropping estrogen levels. This means you can expect any vaginal discharge that you notice to be cloudy white and sticky to the touch.
Know more: Luteal Phase Discharge: What It’s Telling You
2 DPO symptoms can’t tell you one way or another if you are headed towards pregnancy. This is because your body is undergoing the same changes at this stage, whether the egg was fertilized or not. A pregnancy doesn’t become official until 6 – 12 DPO when implantation takes place.
Pregnant or not, symptoms you have at 2 days past ovulation will be the same. One symptom at 2 DPO is about a 0.5 – 1 degree rise (in Fahrenheit) in your basal body temperature. And due to the slowly rising progesterone levels, you could notice mild breast tenderness, bloating, and mood swings.
Feeling more tired after ovulation is normal. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong or that you’re pregnant. After you ovulate, the hormone progesterone starts rising. And increased progesterone can cause you to feel more relaxed but also more tired than usual.
Any cramping you feel around 2 days past ovulation (DPO) is likely to be the remnants of ovulation cramps. But some women are more sensitive to hormonal changes than others, so fluctuations in your progesterone could potentially cause cramping too.
No, experiencing ovulation cramping doesn’t indicate one way or the other that you will become pregnant that menstrual cycle. It’s simply a sensation you feel when the follicle ruptures and releases the egg.
The earliest you could possibly get a positive at-home pregnancy test is around 8-10 DPO. But testing even that early isn’t a good idea because it’s very possible to get a false negative test. (Remember, implantation can happen through 12 DPO, and it still takes time for hCG levels to rise to a detectable amount). So, the best time to take a pregnancy test is after your missed period, which is usually around 12 – 14 DPO.
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- Validation of urinary reproductive hormone measurements using a novel smartphone connected reader – Nature
- Time of Implantation of the Conceptus and Loss of Pregnancy – New England Journal of Medicine
- A Prospective Study of the Onset of Symptoms of Pregnancy – Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
- When can I expect a positive HPT if I am pregnant?
- 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
- Prevalence of menstrual pain in young women: what is dysmenorrhea?
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