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At 11 DPO (days past ovulation) and wondering if your symptoms could be a hint at pregnancy? It’s totally normal for this single thought to plague your mind in this waiting period.
But here’s the truth! Some women may be able to confirm pregnancy at 11 DPO. And for others, it could still be too early to tell.
Continue on. In this article, we’ll look at the early pregnancy timeline and common 11 DPO symptoms to know about. We’ll also give you an action plan for 11 DPO pregnancy testing.
What’s happening at 11 DPO?
11 days past ovulation is a crucial time in early pregnancy. Let’s take a look behind the scenes so you know exactly what’s taking place in your body at 11 DPO.
Implantation occurs
The most common window for the embryo to implant into your uterine lining is 8 DPO to 10 DPO. But the full window includes anywhere from 6 DPO to 12 DPO.
So at 11 days past ovulation, it’s likely that implantation has already happened. Although, there is a small chance the embryo is still getting nestled in. Once implantation is successful, you’re officially pregnant!
hCG rises
Once the embryo is snuggled into your uterine lining, hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) begins increasing. The common trend for hCG levels is doubling roughly every 48 hours.
But you should know this! hCG levels start out small. One study found that at 11 DPO, the median urine concentration of hCG ranged from 9.47 mIU to 57.82 mIU/mL.
Factor this in too! The majority of pregnancy tests only come up positive if hCG levels are 25 mIU/mL or higher. This means that at 11 DPO, even if you are pregnant, a test may not show it yet.
Progesterone continues to rise
Progesterone is a key player in pregnancy. It actually begins increasing soon after ovulation. But after the embryo implants successfully, progesterone continues rising. This helps ensure the pregnancy progresses smoothly.
Progesterone is also the culprit for many notorious symptoms. But remember, levels of the hormone are already on the rise even before implantation. So it can be hard to distinguish pregnancy signs from PMS symptoms.
But don’t worry, we’ll talk about how reliable each of these symptoms is in the next section.
Common Symptoms at 11 DPO
You’re probably sick of people telling you to be patient during the TWW. It may even feel downright impossible to not look for signs of early pregnancy.
That’s why we’ve put together an overview of possible symptoms you may notice around 11 DPO. Check out the table below. It will tell you why you may experience different symptoms.
In case you want a more comprehensive look at each symptom, we’ve got you covered! Keep reading below.
- Implantation bleeding
Bleeding from implantation around 11 DPO is very light. It presents for just a day or two as brownish or pinkish spots of blood on your underwear or toilet paper. If you have a fairly regular cycle, the timing of the bleeding can be a helpful sign. Implantation bleeding will usually happen a few days before your period.
- Low Energy
Fatigue is pretty common at 11 DPO. But logging your symptoms each month will help you decipher if your tiredness is from typical premenstrual symptoms or early pregnancy symptoms.
Cramping
Feeling general abdominal discomfort or an unsettled stomach is a normal part of early pregnancy. The intensity of the aching is likely to be more intense if your period is on its way.
- Mood swings
Noticing you’ve been feeling extra moody around 11 DPO? This is thanks to rising hCG and progesterone. All women respond differently to these increased hormones. That’s why knowing what’s normal for you each cycle is important.
- Tender breasts
When your system has increased amounts of progesterone at 11 DPO, more blood circulates to your breasts. This can lead to them feeling full or even tender to the touch.
- More frequent urination
Increased urination is a common 11 DPO symptom. Higher progesterone levels make your bladder contract with more frequency. And of course, this leads to extra trips to the bathroom.
- Bloating and constipation
Rising progesterone levels can decrease your digestive efficiency. When digestion slows, it’s common to feel bloated or even constipated.
- Backaches
When progesterone levels take off, your ligaments become more relaxed. When this happens, it can cause an achy sensation in your back.
- Vaginal discharge fluctuations
Two general changes are possible here depending on whether or not you’re pregnant. If you are pregnant, your vaginal wall becomes altered. This can cause increased amounts of whitish-colored discharge. If your period is on its way, your discharge may be thicker and stickier. But this symptom varies quite a bit for each woman. And if you’re not used to paying much attention to your discharge, it can be hard to pinpoint a change.
The symptoms mentioned above are some of the most common early pregnancy signs and PMS symptoms for 11 DPO.
But here are a few more symptoms you may notice:
- Increased hunger
- Hot flushes
- Heartburn and indigestion
- Keener sense of smell
- Dizziness
Admittedly, this is a lot to be on the lookout for. So let’s get into how to best keep tabs on all these symptoms.
Tracking your 11 DPO symptoms
Keeping a log of your symptoms each menstrual cycle is a great way to spot atypical signs and symptoms. Not to mention, it’s a good way to stay on top of your overall health. The great news is that there are so many helpful apps for tracking these symptoms (such as the Inito app).
With the Inito app, you can track 20+ symptoms each cycle (including the ones listed above). And if you want to be even more on top of tracking your fertility, you can get the fertility monitor. The monitor tracks four fertility hormones – LH, estrogen, PdG (urine metabolite of progesterone), and FSH – to give you data to both predict and confirm when you ovulate. And it also tells you what DPO you are. All this info can be super helpful when you’re looking for signs of early pregnancy.
But if you’re already at 11 DPO and not noticing any symptoms to track yet, don’t worry. This is very normal. We’ll show you just how normal in the next section.
What if I don’t have any symptoms at 11 DPO?
This is completely fine and not at all a cause for concern! Remember, at 11 DPO implantation may have just happened or could still be in the process of happening.
Additionally, every woman’s body reacts differently to all the skyrocketing pregnancy hormones. Some are very sensitive to these changes, while others are not.
One study examined how many women actually experienced pregnancy symptoms throughout their pregnancy. And here’s what they found:
Now, these findings are from a smaller study (about 200 women). But as you can see, half of the women still didn’t notice any pregnancy signs even at 20 DPO. And that had no impact whatsoever on the health of their pregnancy.
So to reiterate, there’s no need to worry if you’re not seeing any pregnancy signs at 11 DPO. There’s still a possibility you could be pregnant this cycle. That said, taking a pregnancy test is the only way to confirm. In the next section, we’ll go over your 11 DPO pregnancy test action plan.
Can you test positive 11 days post ovulation?
What if you test negative at 11 DPO and you want more advice on what to do? The next section is especially for you!
I tested negative at 11 DPO. What now?
Seeing a BFN on a pregnancy test at any stage can feel crushing. But testing negative is not an end-all, be-all answer. There’s still hope for this cycle! Here’s why…
One study found that the median hCG level for pregnant women at 11 DPO was 25.04 mIU/mL. This is only the starting amount of hCG that most home pregnancy tests can detect. So in this study, half of the women who were pregnant at 11 DPO would have gotten a false negative pregnancy test.
Long story short? Initial post-implantation levels of hCG are small. So you could be pregnant and your urine hCG levels simply may not be high enough yet.
The best thing to do is wait until after your missed period and then retest. And if you’re concerned for one reason or another, reach out to your doctor. If you’re specifically concerned about the timing of implantation, we’ll break it down in the next section.
Is 11 DPO too late for implantation?
As a reminder, the most common window for implantation is 8 – 10 days past ovulation. In fact, 84% of pregnancies have implantation take place in this window. Anything after 10 days past ovulation is considered “late implantation”.
If implantation occurs in the “late implantation” window, the odds of miscarriage go up. But don’t worry about this timing too much. In reality, there’s no true way to know the exact timing of when the embryo implants. And for the most part, this timing is out of your control.
However, one factor you can control is smoking. One study found that women who smoke experienced later implantation than non-smokers. So if you’re TTC, try to give up smoking as soon as possible. You can consult with your doctor if you need support with this.
One other factor that may help with implantation is when you have intercourse. One study found that it’s better to have sperm already waiting inside the uterus before your ovary releases the egg. This is because it could help prevent the egg from aging before it’s fertilized. Conception that results from ejaculation after ovulation could potentially lead to late implantation.
Keep in mind, this was just one study. But since timing sex is something you can control, it doesn’t hurt to give it a try! The day you are the most fertile is the day before you ovulate.
Read more: Differences Between High Fertility and Peak Fertility
Why do I feel like my period is coming at 11 DPO?
Many early pregnancy symptoms are caused by rising progesterone levels. But this pregnancy hormone starts increasing after ovulation regardless of whether or not you conceived.
This is why during the two week wait it can be challenging to tell if your symptoms are from PMS or pregnancy. So even though it’s hard to wait for a sure answer, try not to overthink your 11 DPO too much.
Takeaways
- At 11 DPO, it’s more than likely that the embryo already implanted into your uterine lining. But it’s possible for implantation to happen through 12 DPO.
- Progesterone is already on the rise and will keep rising if you’re pregnant. hCG rises too once implantation occurs. The increased levels of these two hormones can cause you to feel many symptoms. A few are mood swings, breast tenderness, frequent urination, cramping, and backaches.
- Some women also experience implantation bleeding which is light spotting.
- All women react to hormone fluctuations differently. So it’s also possible you won’t experience early pregnancy symptoms yet even if you’re pregnant.
- Using a symptom log like the one on the Inito app can be very helpful! Being aware of your symptoms cycle to cycle will help you notice out-of-the-ordinary symptoms.
- If you don’t test positive at 11 DPO, don’t worry. You could still be pregnant but your hCG levels need more time to double. Check again in a few days.
- To get the most accurate results, wait until after your missed period. If it comes up negative, you can wait a few more days and then retest.
- Call your doctor with any worries you may have about your health or potential pregnancy.
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- Gnoth, C. et al. (2014). Strips of hope: accuracy of home pregnancy tests and new developments. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd.
- Oliver, R. et al. (2021). Embryology, fertilization. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
- Cole, L.A., et al. (2005). Sensitivity of over-the-counter pregnancy tests: comparison of utility and marketing messages. J Am Pharm Assoc
- Pregnancy tests: how they work, types & accuracy. (2021). Cleveland Clinic.
- Wilcox, A.J., et al. (1999). Time of implantation of the conceptus and loss of pregnancy. New England Journal of Medicine.
