7 DPO Symptoms: Early Signs You Could Be Pregnant

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Are you 7 days past ovulation and think you might be expecting? Learn these 7 DPO symptoms that could indicate early pregnancy!

Whether you’re excited or nervous about the possibility of being pregnant, every woman is anxious to know for sure. But waiting to take a pregnancy test can feel like an eternity! Thankfully, there are some early pregnancy signs you can look out for to help you gain some hope or peace of mind.

If you’re a week past ovulation, you can begin to look for specific 7 DPO symptoms like nausea, bleeding, and mood swings.

But, keep in mind, early pregnancy symptoms can be very similar to what you might feel during your menstrual cycle. Don’t get your hopes too high or too low during this early period.

Below are 12 early pregnancy symptoms that you can begin to feel a week after ovulation. Keep an eye on these and consider taking a pregnancy test soon.

NOTE: Test results are most accurate after you’ve missed your period.

Table Of Contents

7 DPO Symptoms to Know
FAQ's
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Woman wearing a shirt and shorts sits on a chair and cradles her exposed stomach with her hands.

7 DPO Symptoms to Know

1. Implantation bleeding

If you’re pregnant, you may experience light bleeding 7-14 days after conception. This is known as implantation bleeding and occurs when the embryo attaches to the uterine lining.

Implantation blood will typically be a light pink or brown color and might be accompanied by mild cramps.

So, if you notice some light spotting and it’s not time for your period yet, that’s a pretty good sign you’re on your way to becoming a mother.

2. Morning Sickness (Nausea)

Early signs of pregnancy can also include nausea.

Pregnancy can make you feel lots of uncomfortable things, and morning sickness might be one of the worst. This nausea can actually be felt throughout the day, not just in the early morning hours. If you want quick relief, the best thing you can do for yourself is snack on some protein.

This will typically do the trick unless you have severe morning sickness which may plague you throughout your pregnancy and not just the first trimester.

3. Hormonal Changes

Rising levels of the “pregnancy hormone”, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), is a sure indicator of pregnancy. This hormone is only present in the body during pregnancy and is what’s measured on a pregnancy test.

Around 7 DPO, you can begin to pick up trace levels of hCG from blood or urine. So, technically, you could get a positive test result well before your missed period.

This is also the hormone responsible for making you feel nauseous.

Other pregnancy hormones like progesterone will also increase during this time. Rising progesterone levels signal the body to thicken the uterine lining to prepare for the implantation of a fertilized egg. Estrogen hormones, produced in the placenta, help ensure a healthy pregnancy and hPL provides nutrition to the growing fetus and stimulates milk production for breastfeeding.

4. Mood Swings

Many of the early signs of pregnancy are the result of changing hormones. Mood swings definitely fall under that category. You may have experienced moods swings in the past due to your menstrual cycle and you might encounter them again as an early symptom of pregnancy.

These changes in mood can be severe and seem to come out of nowhere. You may feel completely out of control of your emotions. They may manifest as unexplained sadness or depression or extreme frustration and anger. Thankfully, these fluctuations don’t typically last for long.

If you don’t usually experience mood swings during your cycle, this is a pretty good indicator of pregnancy.

5. Tender breasts

Pregnant woman in white bra sits on couch while massaging sore breasts.

In early pregnancy, your breasts may feel heavy and more full, causing tenderness. Hormones and increased blood volume are responsible for these changes. Your breasts will continue to undergo changes throughout your pregnancy as your body prepares for the possibility of breastfeeding. You’re likely to change breast size and shape as a result of pregnancy and throughout your nursing journey if you choose to breastfeed.

6. Nipple Sensitivity

You may also experience nipple sensitivity right along with tender breasts. This can feel like a mild pain or tingling as you receive more blood flow to the area and growing size. Your areolas may also enlarge and darken.

7. Food Aversions

Early pregnancy nausea and morning sickness might also create food aversions for some mothers. It’s possible to suddenly hate your favorite food or get sick at the thought of eating or even preparing certain food items.

Food aversions may also be the result of your body reacting against certain foods that could be harmful to a growing fetus and from a heightened sense of smell and taste.

Listen to your body and remember to steer clear of all the known foods to avoid during pregnancy like soft cheeses, deli meat, and excess caffeine.

8. Food Cravings

Alternatively, you may also experience food cravings. This may be in response to vitamins and nutrients your body needs or is in short supply of as well as changes to your hormones.

9. Vaginal Discharge

Vaginal discharge is also a common 7 DPO symptom for early pregnancy. Increased vaginal blood flow and hormones are to blame. It also serves an important function. This discharge can help prevent infection as the walls of the vagina and cervix soften.

This discharge is typically sticky and white or pale yellow in color.

10. Headaches

Headaches are a lesser-known sign of early pregnancy, but you may begin to experience them as one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. These may be experienced as a mild, tension headache or for some, a more intense migraine headache. Elevated hormone levels and increased blood volume are to blame.

You may also feel dizzy or light-headed in these early days. Thankfully, these headaches tend to subside after the first trimester.

Make sure to:

Drink plenty of water
Get enough rest
Take pregnancy-safe medications
Talk to your doctor if they get worse or don’t improve

11. Cramps

Woman wearing white tank and shorts holds heating pad on stomach and hunches over in pain.

You may experience cramping in early pregnancy. This can be due to multiple factors like changing levels of hormones, increased blood volume, and your body preparing to make room for a growing fetus. That’s a lot of change in a short period of time and each of these can lead to abdominal pain and cramps.

These cramps may feel like:

Pressure in your lower back and abdomen
A feeling of stretching or pulling
A dull ache
Mild pokes and stabs

You can differentiate these cramps from regular menstrual cramps based on the location of the cramps and the intensity of the pain.

12. Missed Period

You’ll definitely know something is up when you miss your first period. This is a great indicator for pregnancy (though missed periods can occur due to other health reasons, too). Once you miss your period, a pregnancy test will be much more accurate.

You don’t have to purchase an expensive test to get good results, a good old dollar store pregnancy test will do the trick just fine.

FAQ’s

Can I get a positive pregnancy test at 7 dpo?

It is possible to get a positive result at 7 days past ovulation, but hCG levels will be very low. It’s very likely you’ll receive a false negative result that early on. For the most accurate results, wait until you’ve missed your first period. Or, if you just can’t wait, be sure to test again in a few days if it’s negative.

What are the symptoms of the 1st week of pregnancy?

The most common symptoms in the first week of pregnancy are spotting, discharge, and mild cramping. The more harsh side effects are generally further into the first trimester.

Here’s a breakdown of what week certain pregnancy symptoms typically start.

What are the differences between the symptoms of both ovulation and pregnancy?

Some of the symptoms of ovulation and pregnancy can be very similar. You may experience cramping and abdominal pains in both cases, as well as elevated body temperature, fatigue, and food cravings or aversions. However, with pregnancy, each of these symptoms is typically more intense and likely to last much longer.

There are also several symptoms unique to pregnancy that you don’t experience during ovulation like a missed period, implantation bleeding, vaginal discharge, and breast changes in the areola size and shape.