After ovulation when should i take a pregnancy test

Published on June 6th, 2022 and Updated on October 5th, 2022

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If you’ve been on pins and needles waiting to conceive, getting your hands on a pregnancy test may be top of mind right after you’ve ovulated (or gotten busy in the bedroom).

In most cases, however, your best bet is to wait until after you’ve missed your period to get the most accurate reading. For most women, a minimum of 2 weeks after your fertile window elapses is sufficient, depending on your menstrual cycle length.

To stay calm, cool, and collected before you know for certain there’s a little one in your future, it helps to understand what a pregnancy test is designed to do and how to ensure maximum accuracy.

How do pregnancy tests work? 

Home pregnancy tests are designed to detect one hormone associated with pregnancy: human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

After a sperm fertilizes an egg, the cells begin to multiply, becoming what’s known as a blastocyst (which will later become your embryo). The outer cells of the blastocyst, known as the trophoblast, generate hCG during this early stage of pregnancy. Eventually, the trophoblast will also form the placenta, the organ that develops during pregnancy to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby. 

The generation of hCG is crucial to the progression of your pregnancy because it signals your body to set off a cascade of changes:

• First, hCG communicates with the corpus luteum—the husk of your egg’s sac inside your ovary. When fertilization occurs, the corpus luteum receives signals from hCG emissions to transform into a temporary endocrinal gland.
• The corpus luteum, the temporary endocrinal gland, begins producing progesterone. Progesterone is responsible for:
  • Promoting blood flow and oxygen to the uterus.
  • Enabling the uterus to expand without causing tissue spasms.
  • Thickening and enriching your uterine lining to prepare for your embryo’s implantation.

When you first become pregnant, hCG levels skyrocket to prepare your body for its new tenant. Levels then double every 2 to 3 days and peak around 6 weeks after your missed period. 

How long after ovulation can you take a pregnancy test to ensure enough hCG is there for accurate detection?

In an average 28-day cycle, the best period (no pun intended!) to take a pregnancy test is at least 12 to 15 days after ovulation.

How is hCG detected? 

There are two methods for hCG detection:

• Blood tests – Blood pregnancy tests can detect hCG in as little as 6 to 8 days after ovulation. These tests are performed by medical professionals, and they may be more accurate at verifying a pregnancy than their over-the-counter competitors because they can detect smaller levels of hCG. In fact, blood tests not only detect hCG, but they also measure the exact amount of hCG in your blood to provide information like if you’re experiencing a molar pregnancy-not ectopic pregnancy or your probability of having twins.
• Urine tests – Urine pregnancy tests can be bought over-the-counter and taken 12 to 15 days after ovulation. In contrast to blood pregnancy tests, these store-bought tests work strictly as hCG detectors to screen for the earliest sign of a possible pregnancy (rather than measuring exact hCG levels). While they’re not as sensitive as blood tests, they’re comparatively more affordable and accessible.

If you’re itching to start a family and suspect you might be expecting, your first instinct may be to march over to your local drugstore, purchase an at-home test kit, and brace yourself for the results in your bathroom.

There are two considerations to keep in mind when you take an at-home pregnancy test: false negatives and false positives.

What causes false results on pregnancy tests? 

While it can be disheartening to get a negative pregnancy test, you should still be wary when you get a positive result. 

When you take an at-home pregnancy test in the recommended timeframe, most tests boast a 99% accuracy rate at detecting hCG.

That said, it’s not out of the question for urine tests to yield inaccuracies. While false negatives indicate you are not pregnant (even if you are), false positives indicate you are pregnant (even if you aren’t).

Though these inaccuracies can be frustrating, it can be helpful to familiarize yourself with the reasons they may occur. Common reasons for false negatives include:

• Irregular periods – Many women experience a degree of variability in their menstrual rhythms. If your period isn’t known to be particularly punctual, you may have miscalculated your ovulation dates and taken a pregnancy test prematurely.
• Watery urine – HCG is processed by your kidneys and exits your body through your urine stream. This means test accuracy is highly contingent on your hydration levels. If your urine contains large amounts of water, your at-home test may struggle to register hCG in trace amounts. For this reason, the best time of day to take a pregnancy test is in the morning, when hCG levels will be most concentrated.

On the other hand, common reasons for false positives include: 

• Fertility medications – If you’re receiving a course of fertility treatment, the medications you’re taking are likely to mess with the results of your at-home pregnancy test. This is because IVF and IUI drugs use synthetic forms of hCG to prime your body for pregnancy, ultimately registering in urine tests and resulting in a false positive reading.
• Lost pregnancy – It’s rare, but sometimes false positives can occur if an egg becomes fertilized but doesn’t successfully implant into the uterine wall or is genetically not compatible with life. This is also known as a chemical pregnancy. Since the body begins producing hCG before implantation (and implantation can occur anywhere from 6 to 12 days after ovulation), a urine test may detect hCG even if the egg fails to implant or is not genetically sustainable. 
• Ectopic pregnancy – Ectopic pregnancies occur when a fertilized egg is implanted outside of the uterus (usually in the fallopian tube). Although not technically a false positive, it does signal the occurrence of an unviable pregnancy which much be treated immediately to ensure your health and safety. If you suspect you might be pregnant but experience sharp cramping, bleeding, or dizziness, contact your healthcare provider immediately to rule out an ectopic pregnancy.

How To Pinpoint Your Fertile Window 

When it comes to all things pregnancy, timing is everything. Not only does your pregnancy test’s accuracy hinge on when you take it, but your chances of conception in the first place depend on an accurate calculation of your ovulation date.

Most women with regular 28 day cycles are at their most fertile 16 to 18 days before they get their period. However, if your cycles don’t always go by the book, you may have to pull out some extra stops to determine your fertile window—the period during and after ovulation when you’re most likely to get pregnant.

There are two tried-and-true ways to ascertain when ovulation occurs: ovulation tests and the fertility awareness method.

Aside from monitoring your fertility window, you can also check signs of high fertility in a woman, which include an increase in body temperature, breast sensitivity, etc.

What is an ovulation test? 

While pregnancy tests are designed to detect hCG, at-home ovulation tests look for luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine. 

LH is the hormone that encourages the growth of your egg throughout its life cycle. In the hours before it’s released from your ovaries, these hormones reach a fever pitch, signaling to your ovary that it’s time to release the egg into the fallopian tube for potential fertilization.

Most ovulation test kits contain 5 to 7 tests so that you can test for LH each day leading up to your suspected ovulation date. When used consistently, ovulation tests can be an excellent method for painting a picture of your monthly cycles.

What is the fertility awareness method? 

The fertility awareness method can help you gauge your ovulatory cycles by paying attention to signs that indicate your body is preparing for a possible pregnancy instead of testing for hormones in your urine.

There are 3 main signals your body gives to indicate you’re approaching your fertile window:

1. Basal body temperature (BBT) – Basal body temperature refers to the baseline temperature of your body at rest (i.e., while you’re catching some Zzs). Right before your egg is released from its hatch, your temperature dips temporarily. Then, when your egg is traveling toward the uterus, your temperature peaks and stays slightly elevated for the duration of ovulation. By tracking your BBT consistently, you can pinpoint exactly when you ovulate each month.
2. Cervical positioning – Right before ovulation occurs, the cervix softens, opens slightly, and retreats higher up into your body to clear the way for fertilization to occur. If you’re up for it, you can observe these changes firsthand with a self-examination.
3. Cervical discharge – Approaching ovulation, your cervical mucus becomes creamy in texture. But, when ovulation occurs, it becomes moist and viscous—one way your uterus creates a more hospitable environment for sperm to enter and glide swiftly to meet your egg.

Paying attention to one or all three of these signals undoubtedly requires some extra vigilance (and, in the case of cervical positioning, a hands-on approach). However, when used consistently, this method can offer up to 99% accuracy for predicting ovulation windows.

Feeling Impatient? Look Ahead in Your Pregnancy With SneakPeek 

Playing the waiting game isn’t easy when you dream of becoming a parent to a brand-new bundle of joy. But while waiting, you can also try other unconventional methods to boost fertility, like fertility yoga. Meanwhile, figuring out how to increase your chances of twins is another ball game.

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This post has been reviewed for accuracy by the following medical professional:

Dr. Heather Soper, Certified Nurse Midwife

Heather has 15 years of women’s health and obstetrics experience. She is the owner of The Genesis Resort for Birth and an Assistant Professor of Nursing at James Madison University.

Sources: 

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