Finding out if you’re pregnant is a thrilling experience. You are most likely looking for signs at 12 DPO since you are not yet ready to take a pregnancy test. I know I was there. With a first response test, you can now take a pregnancy test and get a nearly accurate result. Remember that reading pregnancy symptoms at 7 DPO, 8 DPO, 9 DPO, 10 DPO, 11 DPO, or 12 DPO is also a fantastic approach to determining whether or not you are pregnant. Continue reading if you want to find out if you are experiencing 12 DPO symptoms

In this post, the following will be discussed. 

• What is happening to your body at 12 DPO?
• What are pregnancy symptoms at 12 DPO?
• 12 DPO Cervical Mucus
• No Symptoms at 12 DPO
• When should you test
• Can I test at 12 DPO?
• BFP at 12 DPO
• BFN at 12 DPO
• How accurate are pregnancy tests at 12 DP0?

Disclaimer: 

I am not a doctor. This post is for educational purposes only and you should not take it as medical advice. Also, this post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you buy something, which will add no additional cost.

What is happening to your body at 12 DPO?

At 12 days past ovulation, your embryo probably has already implanted into the uterine wall. It is releasing HCG and changes in your hormones including an increase in progesterone are taking place. The increase in the pregnancy hormone, HCG, and the increase in progesterone would prevent you from getting your period. 

According to the National Library of Medicine, implantation of an embryo can only occur during the implantation window because the uterus during those days would be suitable for the embryo. 12 DPO is part of the implantation window. If you have just implanted at 12 DPO, no symptoms would appear yet. Your embryo has just started to shift your hormone levels and release HCG, the pregnancy hormone. You would still not get your period. The embryo would prevent that. 

If you are having a hard time knowing what 12 DPO is, I could make it easier for you. 12 DPO is 12 days past ovulation. Ovulation occurs when the egg is released from the ovary. If you know when this happens, you could calculate how many DPO you are. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, you can find out when you ovulate by taking your body basal temperature or ovulation tests. Ovulation tests test for the hormone LH which usually peaks right before ovulation occurs.

What are pregnancy symptoms at 12 DPO?

Potential pregnancy symptoms at 12 DPO include cramping, bleeding, breast sensitivity, fatigue, headaches, and usual urination. 

Cramping

According to Healthline, implantation cramping at 12 DPO occurs when the embryo goes into the uterus and attaches to the uterine wall. It feels like light lower abdominal cramps. So, it doesn’t hurt like period cramps. It feels like pinches and twitches or literally something going inside of you. To me, it didn’t feel like cramps. It was barely noticeable. So, most people do not even realize it is happening. You might just think it is gas.

Breast Tenderness & Sensitive Nipples

According to the American Pregnancy Association, sensitive breasts and nipples are symptoms of both PMS and early pregnancy 12 DPO symptoms. If they hurt way more than usual, then you may be pregnant.

They hurt because milk production begins from the very start of a pregnancy. It takes a lot of time to make the primary food for babies for the first 6 months of life. It doesn’t matter if you choose to formula feed; your body would still make the milk. You can choose to dry up your milk after labor, but keep in mind that it might cause some pain.

Spotting

Spotting during early pregnancy is known as implantation bleeding. When the embryo implants into the uterine wall, it may disturb blood vessels which would cause bleeding. The blood would be brown or pink. Some say it is red. It should be very light and not have any clots in it. Not every pregnant woman would experience this. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that 15 to 25 out of 100 pregnant women experience some spotting at the beginning of their pregnancy.

Fatigue

Fatigue at 12 DPO is no joke. I am personally always tired, but during pregnancy, you may fall asleep a lot more. You may fall asleep on the couch and may feel dizzy. Progesterone causes women to feel exhausted and sleepy. Just sleep when your body tells you to. You are growing a human being inside of you. That is a lot of work.

12 DPO More than Usual Urination

Frequent urination at 12 DPO is a thing. Personally, I did not experience this. The National Library of Medicine states that kidneys work harder even during early pregnancy. Kidneys make urine; so more urine would be produced. Be careful with the number of trips you need to take to the bathroom; people may suspect you are pregnant. It is one of the popular 12 DPO symptoms.

12 DPO Nausea and Food Aversions

Again, progesterone and HCG cause nausea at 12 DPO. This is the most popular 12 DPO pregnancy symptom. You could also have food aversion. You may hate the food you once liked and like the foods you hate. Anything with a strong smell like coffee can make you want to vomit.

According to MayoClinic, it can happen at any time of the day not just mornings like most believe. It could happen all day. Usually, at 6 weeks of pregnancy, it gets really bad. Eat small amounts of food many times a day. Eat gum all day long.

How does your cervical mucus look at 12 DPO if pregnant?

Your cervical mucus at 12 DPO would be very thick and may have some blood in it if you are spotting due to implantation bleeding. It usually becomes thick after implantation. So if your embryo implants before 12 DPO, you may experience this type of cervical mucus beforehand. The cervical mucus gets thicker and thicker in order to create a barrier that blocks any bacteria from entering the uterus. This barrier is called the mucus plug.

You would have the mucus plug during your entire pregnancy. If you see something huge, clear with blood, or sticky come out, you may have lost your mucus plug. If it isn’t time for labor, you shouldn’t worry. Your body can make a new one.

No Symptoms at 12 DPO

If you have no symptoms 12 days past ovulation, you should not worry. Most women do not have 12 DPO symptoms. Usually, 12 DPO pregnancy symptoms begin around d 6 weeks of pregnancy. Being pregnant doesn’t ensure having symptoms. You may have no symptoms from the start to the end of your pregnancy. The only way to find out your pregnant is by taking a pregnancy test whether it is a at-home one or a blood test.

12 DPO PMS or Pregnancy

You may get confused about the symptoms you are feeling at 12 DPO. That is two days before your period. So, PMS usually appears at that time. Here is how to tell the difference.

• Breast tenderness is much more severe during early pregnancy.
• Spotting is brown or pinkish in color during early pregnancy.
• Cramping is much lighter and should not hurt during early pregnancy.
• Nausea usually occurs only during early pregnancy.

You can know for sure if it is PMS or pregnancy by seeing if your period arrives. Just make sure you see heavy reddish blood before assuming it is your period. That is because implantation bleeding and periods can be confused.

When should you test?

If you want the best result, you should test at 15 DPO, which is one day after you expect your period. If you have implanted after 12 DPO, you may not get a positive at 12 DPO. Test with a first response pregnancy test for the best result because it detects an HCG level of 5 MIU/Ml.

Can I test at 12 DPO?

Yes, you can test at 12 DPO. As I mentioned before most women get a positive at 12 DPO because they implant beforehand. However, it is possible to implant on 12 DPO which would make your pregnancy tests appear negative because HCG hasn’t had the time to build up yet. If you want my advice, buy pregnancy strips if you are the type that likes to test very early and many times. They come in packs.

BFP at 12 DPO

Congrats! You got a BFP at 12 DPO.  Many pregnant women get a faint positive at 12 DPO. Faint positives are still positives. Retest in 48 hrs to make sure it gets darker.

This would give you a hint if you may be having a chemical pregnancy or not. During a chemical pregnancy, the line may not get darker, or it might get darker until a certain point then it will become lighter.

Chemical pregnancies are heartbreaking. But, remember having one does not mean you will have another. Chemical pregnancies are very common.

I had a chemical pregnancy once. I knew pretty quickly because my pregnancy tests were not getting darker after 48 hrs. Usually, chemical pregnancies occur because of genetic problems in the embryo.

Evaporation lines are the worst. Just take more than one pregnancy test to out rule an evaporation line.

BFN at 12 DPO

Getting a big fat negative at 12 DPO does not mean you are not pregnant. You should not be sad until you take a pregnancy test a week after the day you expect your period to arrive.

However, most women do get a faint positive by 12 DPO. You may get a negative result because you have calculated your ovulation day wrong or because you have implanted late.

How accurate are pregnancy tests at 12 DP0?

Most women get a positive on 12 DPO. In fact, 82 percent who are pregnant would get a positive on 12 DPO. That is pretty high. However, if you wait until 15 DPO, 100 percent of women would get a positive that day. If you are pregnant and you get a negative on 15 DPO, then you have miscalculated your ovulation day or have used the pregnancy test incorrectly. According to ScienceDirect, many menstrual cycle apps calculate ovulation day incorrectly.

Conclusion: 12 DPO Symptoms

If you are feeling pregnancy symptoms at 12 days past ovulation like cramping, fatigue, bleeding, headaches, and morning sickness, you may be pregnant. A pregnancy test should be positive on 12 DPO, so feel free to test.

If you get a negative, just wait a few more days and test again. Accurate results can be seen 15 days past ovulation. However, according to the National Library of Medicine, many women still get inaccurate results for various reasons.

Leave a comment below about what symptoms you may be feeling, and I will tell you my opinion. Remember, for an accurate answer to your question “Am I pregnant”, you need to see your doctor. Only she/ he can confirm that.