17DPO: pregnancy symptoms and testing at seventeen days post ovulation
Zara Mohammed
WriterWondering what symptoms to expect at 17dpo? Want to know if it's too early to take a pregnancy test? Here's everything you need to know about what to expect at seventeen days post ovulation.
As you probably know by now 'dpo' stands for 'days post ovulation', and it refers to the number of days that have passed since you last ovulated. It's used to determine when you should take a pregnancy test and start to look out for pregnancy symptoms.
The NHS says that ovulation normally happens around two weeks before your next period. This is around the middle of your cycle (for the average 28 day cycle). Women who are trying to get pregnant keep track of their ovulation in different ways. Some choose to keep a close eye on what their cervical mucus looks and feels like, others track their basal body temperature. You can use our ovulation calculator to make things more simple, and also read more about how ovulation works.
At 17 days post ovulation (17dpo) there have been lots of changes happening in your body. We've rounded up info by looking into research from the NHS, Healthline and other experts, so that we can help you know what to expect...
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What’s happening in my body at 17dpo?
It's still tricky to say exactly what's going on in your body right now, especially if you've not yet taken a pregnancy test and received a positive result. This is because things like the length and regularity of your menstrual cycle, and when you last had sex, can affect things the timings when you're trying for a baby.
What we do know is that if you are indeed 17dpo you have come out of the TWW (two-week-wait) and a pregnancy test should be able to offer you accurate results. Have you taken one yet?
If you haven't yet taken a test, or you have and you're not sure what the results mean because they are unclear, here is a summary of what could be happening in your body...
At 17dpo, it's possible that:
- an egg has been released from your ovary, but made it through your fallopian tube without being fertilised (you’re not pregnant)
- an egg has been released from your ovary, was fertilised, and has now implanted in your womb (you’re pregnant)
Here's how it works:
Your ovaries released an egg around the middle of your cycle, this is called 'ovulation'. The five days leading up to ovulation, the day of ovulation and the day after is known as your 'fertile window'. If you had sex during this period then your egg will have a good chance of getting fertilised by sperm. Sperm can survive up to five days inside the body, so they'll be hanging around in the area waiting for the egg to be released.
The egg only has a 24 hour window to get fertilised. Once it is released it will begin its journey down the fallopian tube and continue towards the uterus regardless of whether sperm succeed in fertilising it. If they do, then it's called 'conception'.
If conception didn't happen the egg will leave your body when you have your next period. If the egg did get fertilised then it will try and burrow into the wall of your uterus instead. This is called 'implantation'.
Implantation normally happens between 6 – 12 days past ovulation, so at 17dpo, if it's going to happen it will definitely have happened by now.
Once implantation has occurred you are officially pregnant and your body will start to produce human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), or the pregnancy hormone. This is what a pregnancy test will detect, but it takes time for levels to build up in your body.
Expect to wait around 7-12 days after implantation for hCG to build up to levels that will give a positive result. This is also around the time you might start to notice early pregnancy symptoms like nausea, fatigue, and sore breasts.
What symptoms might I experience at 17dpo?
You've probably already taken a pregnancy test by now. If you got a bfp (big fat positive) it means you're pregnant – congratulations! Many women take a test at this stage though and it is either negative or unclear, which can be confusing if you haven't yet started your period.
Sometimes mixing up your dates might mean that there's still more time for hCG to build up in your body, which means you could be pregnant, but you're not as far along as you thought you were.
Whether you know that you're pregnant or not, we're sure you're eager to know what to expect next in terms of pregnancy symptoms. Alas, it's probably still too early for you to experience many pregnancy symptoms at 17dpo because the hCG levels are still pretty low. However, there are some women who do report super-early symptoms.
The first big sign to look out for at this stage is your missed period! At 17dpo you're only three days late (depending on your cycle) and there could be many different reasons for a missed period. Your period could still arrive any day.
According to the NHS, the main early symptoms of pregnancy to watch out for are:
- 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?
Here are some quotes from the Netmums forum, sharing real-life experiences at 17dpo:
'I'm 17 dpo as of today, 3 days late. I had sex during my most fertile days (without even knowing), when I get my periods I bleed very heavily and it is excruciatingly painful. So usually a week or a few days before AF shows up I start to feel symptoms like my breasts hurting, strong random cramps and then the day before I'm scheduled to start I start spotting and have light brown bleeding. This time around I have had no symptoms of AF coming at all, I was supposed to start on the 9th. For about almost a week now I've had this really weird feeling down in my uterus area like a tight pulling sensation and it comes and goes, my breasts are not sore but my nipples are freaking killing me. I have had moments where I feel wet and think it's AF and go check but it's just cm. I have felt EXTREMELY sleepy/tired, at work I'm constantly standing and moving around and never have I ever been so tired as to where I have to take 1-2 long naps a day, even after napping I feel tired. I have been getting very nauseous and it's at the most random moments, no throw up just dry heave. I tested the day I missed and BFN, I have tested every morning since and I'm still getting BFN's. What's going on with me y'all?' (Pregnancy not confirmed)
– Baza.29
'I am officially 5 days late. I know I ovulated around the 24th of month. We bedded all around that time. I'm never late. At around 9 days after this I had brown light spotting which stopped by midday on day 10. I do not get this usually. I've been having headaches. My nipples are tingling. Blue veins and swollen boobs. Feel bloated. Constipated. Light headed sometimes. Appetite change. Lots of discharge. Higher temp for me. Not my usual af signs. I'm a cramper get them really bad. Doubled over in pain. And nothing. No sign at all. So confused. Am I out this month or is there any hope. I'm so confused!' (Confirmed – NOT PREGNANT)
– Lei28egq
'Hi all, now my body hates me! Im regularly as clockwork period is 28 day ovulation is day 14....we 'baby danced' around ovulation in May and I've had nausea from hell, PMS from hell but AF is now 3 days late. I've tested loads of cheap ones, all negative not even a hint of a line.... my FR test other day was odd but I think it was an evap. My boobs are horribly sore, I feel sick, I have such cramps like period is coming and lots of Damp (TMI) and I think my period is there but its not. Is it possible to be pregnant but not a line? Lots are getting early at 10 etc and I'm now 17 with not a hint... I feel my body is being cruel! I guarantee i come on after i post this. Lol' (Confirmed – NOT PREGNANT)
– Bec24bmc
'So I'm diagnosed infertile... Had an ectopic pregnancy in 2018. Had IVF in 2019 resulting in our gorgeous little girl in may 2020. On Tuesday I realised I was 2 days late so did a test for fun... Darkest bfp I've ever had! I'm booked for a scan this afternoon to check for ectopic pregnancy given my background and I'm terrified! I don't understand why the bfp is so dark from day one! Has anyone else had a crazy dark bfp this early? X' (Pregnancy not confirmed)
'Hello, I am new here and looking for anyone in a similar situation. 17 dpo, had what I thought may have been implantation bleed on 22nd(2 days, very light spotting) . No AF. I never get any symptoms before ov or AF (sorry) but the last two weeks I have been cramping, this SO BLOATED, really sore nipples and kind of shooting, electric type tingling in boobs, backache, my cervix is high and closed, crazy dreams every night, nausea the last few days in the afternoons, and sooooo tired everyday by lunchtime no matter how much sleep I get. Was so excited to test today, but BFN!! I couldn't believe it. I have never experienced any of those symptoms before. Has anyone ever had a similar experience? Should I keep the faith this month? Time to go to the doctors do you think? Would love to here your opinions and advice.' (Pregnancy not confirmed)
– Sus45rno
'So I had a Faint bfp 11dpo. 12dpo to 17dpo bfn bad pelvic pain almost feels like a sharp jagg and stitch. Just out of drs. Had a blood test done to see if any hcg present. Find out results in 2 days time. Doctor said it could poss be a false positive (brand was one step) Or poss an etopic pregnancy.' (Pregnancy not confirmed)
'I'm 17dpo and 3 days late af I have been doing ebay cheapie tests and have tried two super drug tests on a few of them I have got extremely faint second lines but by now would I not be getting stronger lines? I'm sure with my previous pregnancies I didn't have to wait this long for a strong bfp! I have lots of symptoms, sore breasts with veins more predominant, feeling very sick, bloating, constantly weeing, and extremely tired! But without this strong bfp it's driving me mad!' (Confirmed – CHEMICAL PREGNANCY)
– Vic03ykr
What if I’m spotting or bleeding at 17dpo?
It can be confusing if at 17dpo you have a small amount of bleeding. If you haven't had a positive pregnancy test and your period's overdue then logically you'll be thinking - is it AF coming to town? But part of you still wants to hold onto hope that it's not your period, so you may also be wondering if the spot bleeding is related to implantation bleeding.
According to Healthline, 'Early pregnancy bleeding is fairly common and may occur in up to 25 percent of the population. In many cases, it’s the first sign of pregnancy.' They say that implantation bleeding can take place 'between 7 and 14 days after conception.' So there is a small chance that the bleeding you have noticed is related to implantation.
Implantation bleeding is thought to occur when the fertilised egg burrows into the uterine wall and ruptures a small amount of blood vessels in the lining.
With so much to think about, you could be struggling to tell the difference, but implantation bleeding is typically lighter than period bleeding, and it will only ask a few days (24 - 48 hours). Other symptoms of implantation bleeding can be similar to the symptoms you get with your period.
According to Healthline implantation symptoms can include:
- mood swings
- nausea
- headaches
- back pain
- light cramps
- tender or swollen breasts
Can I take a pregnancy test at 17dpo?
If you haven't already taken a pregnancy test, or you have but it wasn't clear, or it was negative but your period still hasn't arrived, then yes, you can continue to take pregnancy tests at 17dpo.
The NHS recommends taking a pregnancy test from the day your period is due, which is typically about 14dpo. Be aware that results may vary if your cycle is different.
By 17dpo there should be enough hCG in your system for a pregnancy test to detect. However, there is a possibility that you may have got your ovulation dates mixed up. In this case, you may not be as far along in your cycle as you think. This could mean that hCG levels are still too low to be detected by a pregnancy test.
Learn more about when to take a pregnancy test.
If you get a BFP (big fat positive) congratulations! Now's the time to call your GP or midwife to book your first antenatal appointment.
My period hasn’t arrived, but the pregnancy test is still negative
After a long TWW (two-week-wait) you are probably dying to know if you're pregnant or not. If your test is coming back negative but your period still isn't showing up, it can be really confusing! What does it mean?
Keep in mind that a pregnancy test at 17dpo is likely to be accurate, but there's no harm in taking another one if you're not sure, or if you can't bear the wait to see if your period arrives.
There are a few reasons your period may be late:
1. You could be pregnant but have low hormone levels
Even though there are many pregnancy tests that are sensitive enough to detect hCG early, if the levels are just too low in your body, a test still might not be able to pick it up, even at 17dpo. This may be the case if you conceived later on in your cycle or if you have got your dates mixed up.
According to Healthline, ''there can be as much as a 13-day difference in when ovulation occurs, meaning that you may think you are 4 weeks pregnant when you’re only two weeks along. Pregnancy bleeding, recent hormonal contraceptive use, or breastfeeding can all interfere with accurately knowing your dates, as well.'
2. You may be experiencing an ectopic pregnancy
According to the NHS, 'an ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes.'. Healthline adds that, in about 3% of cases, an ectopic pregnancy doesn't lead to a positive pregnancy test.
Seek immediate medical advice if you notice any of the following symptoms:
- severe pain in your lower abdomen or on one side
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- bleeding or spotting
- nausea and vomiting
3. Your lifestyle may have an effect on your cycle
Irregularities in your menstrual cycle can be attributed to stress or poor diet. What you eat and drink can also have an impact, for example, drinking too much caffeine or not eating enough food. Sudden changes like starting a new intensive exercise routine, or doing a lot of overtime at work can also cause changes to your periods, as can being very overweight or underweight.
4. Breastfeeding could cause irregularities in your cycle
When your period returns after having a baby, it'll take some time for it to settle back into its usual flow. Breastfeeding is also unpredictable because your growing baby's needs are constantly changing, so growth spurts and more frequent night feeds could have a knock-on effect on your periods.
5. Medical conditions can affect your period
Irregular cycles, heavy periods and missed periods are common if you suffer from certain medical conditions. You should speak to your doctor if you are concerned about any of these things.
Here are some of the medical conditions likely to impact your cycle:
- polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- thyroid problems
- menopause
6. Medications can interfere with your menstrual cycle
Birth control can cause irregularities in your cycle, but other medications can also have an impact and throw it off. If you're taking any medication, it may be worth having a chat with a pharmacist or GP, to check whether it could be affecting your cycle.
If you still think you might be pregnant, it's worth testing again in a few days. If tests continue to be negative, there are plenty of other reasons that you might miss your period this month, and many don't mean there's anything wrong. According to the NHS, you should see your GP if you've missed more than three periods in a row with no positive pregnancy test (but do speak to them sooner if you have any other symptoms that concern you).
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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
