10DPO: pregnancy symptoms and testing at ten days post ovulation
Dan Collins
WriterWhich symptoms you can expect at 10dpo? Should you take a pregnancy test or wait longer? Find out everything you need to know about what to expect at ten days post ovulation.
By now, if you’re trying for a baby, it’s likely you’ve come across the term ‘days post ovulation’ or ‘dpo’. If not, the clue’s in the name: it’s how many days have passed since you ovulated.
The NHS tells us that ovulation generally happens around two weeks before your next period. To keep track of when you last ovulated, or when the next one might happen, you can take a look at our ovulation calculator, as well as reading up on how ovulation works.
If you’ve already keeping tabs on your ovulations and you know you’re at 10 days post ovulation (10dpo), then it can help to know what to expect at this stage of the process. That’s why we’ve brought together research from the NHS, Healthline, and other experts, to bring you all the information you’ll need to know.
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What's happening in my body at 10dpo?
Exactly what's happening at 10dpo depends on a range of factors, such as how long your menstrual cycle is, and when you last had sex. While we can’t tell you exactly what’s going on in your body right now, we can give you a good idea of what could be happening.
At 10dpo, it’s possible that:
- an egg has been released and made it down the fallopian tube without being fertilised (you’re not pregnant)
- an egg has been released and fertilised, but hasn't yet implanted in your womb (you may be pregnant)
- an egg has been fertilised, and has implanted in your womb (you are pregnant)
Here's how it all happens:
On the day that you ovulate, an egg is released from your ovary and begins to travel down your fallopian tube towards your womb. The trip takes 24 hours, which how long a sperm has to try to fertilise the egg if they come into contact. If the egg doesn’t meet a sperm and become fertilised, it will leave your body when you have your next period.
Sperm cells last up to 5 days inside your body, so if you’ve had sex up to a few days before you ovulated, or with 24 hours after, there’s a chance the egg could be fertilised before it reaches the womb.
If it has been fertilised, when it makes it to the womb then it might implant into your uterus. This normally happens between 6-12 days post ovulation, so there’s a reasonable chance that it might have already happened by now! According to Healthline, the fertilised egg usually implants in the womb about 8-9 days after fertilisation, though it can vary by quite a few days either way.
When the fertilised egg implants in your uterus, your body starts to produce the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. That’s the hormone that pregnancy tests are looking for, though according to Healthline it’s still a bit early for a test as it can take around 7-12 days after implantation for hCG to build up to detectable levels, so that's about 13dpo, or around the time your period would be due. hCG is also the cause of some of the early pregnancy symptoms, like nausea, sore breasts, and fatigue.
What symptoms might I experience at 10dpo?
Generally, you’re unlikely to experience pregnancy symptoms at 10dpo. Even if you are pregnant, it takes time for hCG to be detectable, or to start giving you early pregnancy symptoms. Add to the mix that those symptoms can be quite like PMS, and it can make working out what’s going on a bit tricky.
That said, it’s starting to get more likely that the early symptoms might start to show up, especially if you had a particularly early implantation. Here are some of the symptoms to keep an eye out for, according to the NHS:
- feeling or being sick
- feeling more tired than usual
- sore or tender breasts
- peeing more often
- strange tastes, smells or cravings
Learn more about the early signs of pregnancy.
What do other Netmums experience?
There’s plenty of other women who’ve shared their experiences of being 10dpo in our Forum. Here’s what some of them have had to say:
‘We have been TTC for a few months now. In the past I have fallen pregnant straight away. In spite of a few pregnancy failures, I have a lovely little girl nearly two. I am 10dpo and feel very pregnant. I have symptoms that I have only ever experienced when pregnant. These are: sore boobs (never get them with AF), a feeling of pressure/a lump low down in my womb, really irritable, vague nausea, plenty of sharp aches and pains both left and right side. Biggest sign was bolt of lightning pain shot through my womb Tuesday night. I shouted out. This happened with my last pregnancy. I took a Superdrug test but it was BFN. Am I just too early??? Or am I going to start menopause? I am 39!’
- Anon (later posted to say she had a positive pregnancy test)
‘Hi all, 10 months into TTC. Off work today as I feel really ropey, feel like there is a big knot of nausea under my ribs where you usually feel heartburn starting and keep burping and gagging! Gagged when brushing my teeth this morning too.
Trying not to get my hopes up too much though as there are a lot of viruses and bugs doing the rounds at the moment!’
- Anon (later posted to say she had a positive pregnancy test)
‘Hello ladies! Been TTC for 4 months now with our first child. We got married in October and then tried from December time. We BD every 2-3 days and use Ovia to monitor ovulation.
I am currently 10dpo and these are my symptoms so far...
- 1-5dpo Absolutely no symptoms
- 6dpo Gas that smelt very bad (TMI) Sorry! Watery/creamy CM
- 7dpo Breasts that felt mildly tender to touch, the same smelly gas. Watery CM
- 8dpo Smelly gas again... Creamy/Watery CM
- 9dpo Tender right breast unable to wear a bra it hurts so much. Creamy/watery CM High cervix I can’t actually feel it.
- 10dpo (Today) Painful right breast and nipple very sore and some shooting pains earlier. It’s so uncomfortable that I can’t sleep on it and the skin feels really tender to touch. Creamy/watery CM High cervix I can’t actually feel it.’
- Jenny (later updates seem to indicate that she was not pregnant)
‘I’m now 10dpo ,4 days left till AF and today I woke up nauseous, comes and goes. I’m a little less motivated (tired) and I’m really emotional. it’s going to sound funny but my partner messaged me and put one less (x) on the message and I got teary. I’m laughing now and think what a tit! But honestly nothing ever bothers me such as that so it’s odd to now ha… I don’t get any symptoms before AF so has anyone had this type of thing happen to them before they got their BFP?’
- Anon (later posted to say she had a positive pregnancy test)
‘I'm 10dpo trying for our third baby, I have a lot of signs that I recognise and a feeling that I must be pregnant, I did a test yesterday at 9dpo and it was negative. I went to test today after waiting all night and it didn't work!! Grr. Going to try with SMU in a bit, but they're only Tesco tests, does anyone know if they're actually any good a few days early? Is anyone else 10dpo and waiting to test, how are you feeling?’
Katie (later posted to say she had a positive pregnancy test)
‘This is the first proper month of me tracking my cycle TTC. We DTD twice during my fertile week. Since a few days past ovulation, until now my boobs have been so tender they hurt to touch and even when I walk especially in the evening. I'm more tired than normal and have no energy to do anything. I feel bloated some days and am experiencing period cramps most days. Does this mean I'm pregnant I thought it was too early to have these signs? I'm driving myself crazy and probably will end in disappointment. Anyone in a similar boat? I just feel I need someone to talk to to keep me sane.’
Ashleigh (later updated to say she was not pregnant)
Can I take a pregnancy test at 10dpo?
The NHS suggests not taking a pregnancy test until the day that your period is supposed to begin, which is usually around 14dpo if you have an average 28-day menstrual cycle. So that means that it’s still a little too early to take a test.
Some extra-sensitive tests might be able to give you a result from as early as 9dpo, so there’s a chance that one of these could work, but the longer you wait the more accurate they are. So if you take one and it’s a BFN, don’t lose heart just yet! It might be a false negative.
Pregnancy tests are looking for hCG, which doesn’t start to be produced until a fertilised egg has implanted in your womb, and then takes a while for it to build up to detectable levels.
Learn more about when to take a pregnancy test.
How can I get through the TWW?
The Two-Week Wait can be nerve-racking, as you wait to finally be able to take an accurate pregnancy test. The best thing you can do is to be kind to yourself, and to be as patient as you can be.
It’s totally normal to be tracking every little change in your body, so don’t worry if you feel like you’re obsessing a bit. If you can though, try to take your mind off it as much as you can by finding fun and enjoyable distractions.
Dive into a book or bingeable TV series, spend some time on your favourite creative pursuit, or play a fun game on your phone. Try to hold off on testing for a few more days, as a negative result at this stage doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not already, or going to be, pregnant.
Sometimes a problem shared is a problem halved, and there are plenty of other mums-to-be to talk it all through with in our Forum. You can find some new friends to help you through the TWW in one of our Trying to Conceive Clubs and get some much-needed reassurance from people going through the same thing you are.
For more ideas on how to get through the TWW, you can check out our article here.
More on DPO
If you want to keep an eye on your potential pregnancy symptoms and what's going in your body on each day post ovulation, check out our articles from day 1 to 19:
1DPO • 2DPO.• 3DPO • 4DPO • 5DPO • 6DPO • 7DPO • 8DPO • 9DPO • 10DPO • 11DPO • 12DPO • 13DPO • 14DPO • 15DPO • 16DPO • 17DPO • 18DPO • 19DPO
