8DPO: pregnancy symptoms and testing at eight days post ovulation

What symptoms can you expect at 8dpo? Will a pregnancy test give you an accurate result yet? Find out everything you need to know about what to expect at eight days post ovulation.

Chances are you’re here because you’re trying to conceive, and that you already know about dpo, or ‘days post ovulation’. For the uninitiated, that’s just what it sounds like: how many days have passed since you ovulated.

The NHS advises that ovulation generally takes place around 10 to 16 days before your period starts. There are a few ways to track your ovulation, from checking your temperature, or your cervical mucus, to using handy tracking tools like our ovulation calculator. For more info, you can find out about how ovulation works. 

If you’re already keeping track, and know that you’ve hit eight days past ovulation, or 8dpo, then you’ve come to the right place, as we’ve drawn together info from the NHS, Healthline and other fertility experts to bring you what you should know, and what to expect.

What’s happening in my body at 8dpo?

Everyone’s body works a little differently, so the exact details of what’s going on can vary. It can depend on a lot of things, from the regularity and length of your menstrual cycle, to when you last had sex.

It’s likely that one of the following has happened at 8dpo:

• an egg has been released and travelled down your fallopian tube, but wasn’t fertilised (you’re not pregnant)
• an egg has been released and was fertilised as it travelled down your fallopian tube, but hasn’t implanted yet (you may or may not be pregnant)
• an egg has been released, fertilised, and has implanted (yay, you’re pregnant!)

Here’s how the process works:

On the day of ovulation, an egg is released, leaves the ovary and starts to make its way down the fallopian tube, heading for your womb. During this 24-hour journey, if the egg comes into contact with sperm, it might be fertilised. Otherwise, it will leave your body when you next have a period, along with the uterine lining that was prepared for it. 

Play video

Pregnant?

Our week-by-week PREGNANCY emails are a must for parents-to-be

Email address

Your due date

Are you the mum, dad, partner, grandparent, surrogate?

Mum Dad Partner Grandparent Surrogate

How many children do you have?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+

I agree to Netmums processing my Sensitive Personal Data for the purpose of sending me Pregnancy Newsletters.

Please tick if you would like to receive news, offers and information from our trusted and carefully selected partners that we think you might like.

I have read and understood Netmums' Privacy Notice and Terms & Conditions

Sign up

After they’ve been… deposited, sperm can live in your body for up to five days. If you’ve had sex a few days before you ovulated, or up to 24 hours afterwards, then there’s a chance that the egg could be fertilised, and conception has occurred. 

If one lucky sperm has hit its mark, the quickly multiplying bundle of cells called a blastocyst keeps on travelling womb-wards, ready to implant into your uterus.

According to Healthline, implantation most often happens between eight or night days after fertilisation. By 8dpo. you’re right at the start of this window, but it can vary depending on when during the trip though the fallopian tube the fertilisation happened.

The NHS says that implantation usually happens between 6-12 days past ovulation, so if it hasn’t happened yet there’s still plenty of time left for it to take place.

When implantation takes place, your body starts producing the pregnancy hormone hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin. This is what pregnancy tests look for, and contributes to the early signs of pregnancy, such as sore breasts, nausea, and fatigue.

Because it takes time for it to build up to detectable levels, it can take around 7-12 days after implantation for hCG to show up on a pregnancy test according to Healthline. So it will show up from around 13dpo, roughly around when your next period would happen.

What symptoms might I experience at 8dpo?

First, a quick note: 8dpo is still pretty early in the pregnancy process. If you’re not experiencing any symptoms yet, that doesn’t mean you aren’t pregnant. On the other hand, experiencing some of these symptoms also isn’t a sure-fire way of knowing that you are pregnant either. While some women start to have early pregnancy symptoms around 8dpo, others don’t have them until weeks later, if at all.

Either way, while it’s unlikely that your hCG levels will be high enough yet to cause early pregnancy symptoms, it’s certainly not impossible! According to the NHS, these are the most common early symptoms of pregnancy:

• nausea or vomiting
• tender or sore breasts
• fatigue
• peeing more than usual
• unusual cravings
• smells and tastes being more intense or unpleasant

Learn more about the early signs of pregnancy.

What do other Netmums experience?

Here’s what members of the Netmums community have said about their symptoms at 8dpo:

‘Hi I'm just wondering if anyone has had any symptoms 8dpo? I feel like I'm going mad! I've had sore nipples (TMI sorry) nausea, dizziness, frequent peeing, headaches, cramp and really really tired lol. I've had these for about 5 days on an off and yesterday I had a stitch kind of feeling on my right side. AF is due on Tuesday so I know it's too early to test. But am I going mad or has anyone else has anything like this? Hoping for a BFP x’

- Anon (later updated to say she was not pregnant)

‘Loads of symptoms today! Still getting the stretching and tugging feeling, but now it’s all around my uterus. This is the day I woke up feeling pregnant. My boobs were sore and my nipples very tingly. Got metallic taste in my mouth and also felt a bit queasy. Also felt quite hungry and when I ate something my queasiness subsided so maybe that’s why my body kept telling me to eat! I was also really windy. I’d had a pretty good night’s sleep but felt really tired. In the afternoon I got what can only be described as a wave of feeling pregnant, I just felt it all through my body!! That’s when I decided to bite the bullet and buy some cheap tests! Did a test around 4.30pm and there it was a very faint line!!’

 - Sarah (later updated to say she had more positive pregnancy tests)

‘Ok so 8dpo today. From the past 2-3 days I’ve had:
5-7dpo symptoms:
- lower backache
- fatigue/exhaustion
- food aversions (can't stand chicken)
- just want to drink home-made veggie soup!
- cramping. Almost like AF but I am 10 days away
- moody

8dpo symptoms:
- backache
- fatigue
- chicken aversion
- cramping’

- Yusra

‘I am feeling so bummed today, I had a disappearing line on a first response yesterday at 7dpo - a second line appeared, I could see it from the toilet when the test was on the floor and I couldn't believe it! I sat staring at it for about 15/20minutes, deciding what to think. Then I put it on the side to go and make a cup of tea for the shock!

Came back after about 20 more minutes and it had completely disappeared. I couldn't believe it, I was so heartbroken I just burst into tears. I was convinced I had imagined it but I took a picture before it disappeared so I know I definitely had one!

Anyhow, I thought FMU this morning might show another BFP this morning, but a big fat BFN

I'm still feeling the same symptoms I was having, lots of wet/egg whitish/creamy cm, so so much, I've never known anything like it, sore boobs, tired, bloated and off my food. I normally have AF cramps by now, but not a single one.’

- Anon (later updated to say she had a positive pregnancy test)

‘8 dpo today. I had what I thought was implantation pains on day 5. But negative test this morning. Am I testing too early? This is so stressful. I can't imagine putting myself through this month after month. My period is due next Friday and ovia is telling me to test in 5 days. I think I might get hubby to hide the rest of my tests until then.’

 - Caz (later updated to say she had positive pregnancy test)

'Currently have very swollen, veiny heavy and warm bbs, huge headache, dry mouth, “damp” feeling down there (TMI) feeling full down there with on and off pin pricks and light cramps (right sided) sore underarm pits and tired, irritable and hungry but then feel sick. AF is due 5th and I Just want to know if I am!!! I took a test, looks negative, but I know it’s early....anyone else in the same boat??’

 - Sarah (later updated to say she was not pregnant)

Can I take a pregnancy test at 8dpo?

For now, you should probably save your money, as it’s still a little early for a pregnancy test. According to the NHS, your best bet is to take a pregnancy test on the day you expect your period to start, which is generally around 14dpo if your menstrual cycle falls into the average 28-day pattern.

There are some extra-sensitive tests that can get you an early result, but they’re generally best used from 9dpo onwards (just one more day!), though they’re likely to be more accurate if wait a bit longer.

Pregnancy tests work by detecting hCG, which is produced until a fertilised egg has implanted in your womb. Once this happens, it still takes a fair few days for it to build up to detectable levels to give you that BFP you’re looking for.

Learn more about when to take a pregnancy test.

Take a look at

How to get pregnant fast: 14 golden rules

Trying for a baby is an exciting time. But where do you start? And how can you help improve your chances of conceiving, fast? Latest research says reducing obesity and improving your diet is key, but what else can you be doing to get pregnant more quickly? Whether you're thinking about starting a family or are trying to conceive right now, we've got the golden rules (backed by the latest research) that are well worth putting into practice!

View gallery

How can I get through the TWW?

They say that patience is a virtue, but try telling that to someone who’s waiting to find out if they’re pregnant! It can be an agonising time, and the best thing you can do is to be kind to and understanding with yourself.

Don’t worry if you’re obsessively logging all your symptoms, you’re not alone! If you can though, try to take your mind off of it with some enjoyable distractions. Dive into a Netflix binge, catch up on your reading, or find something creative to occupy your mind. You might be surprised how cathartic adult colouring-in books can be!

We know it’s hard, but try to hold off on taking a test too early. You’re unlikely to get a positive at 8dpo, but that doesn’t actually mean all that much yet. If you can push through a bit longer, you’ll get a much more accurate result.

One great way to get through the wait is to share your symptoms with other Netmums on our Forum, as chances are you’ll find other mums-to-be in the same boat as you in one of our Trying To Conceive Clubs.

For more ideas, check out our tips on how to survive the TWW, and get some more details on when to start taking pregnancy tests.

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