The timing of pregnancy, implantation and a positive test isn’t exactly rocket science. Everyone’s body is different and implantation can happen very soon or up to a week after conception. It is really hard to pinpoint. If you call and ask the doctor’s office, “How soon after implantation do I get positive pregnancy test,” or in simpler words, “how soon after implantation bfp occur?” They will mostly likely give you a window of time when you can start checking. Having a negative pregnancy test may not always mean you are not pregnant, it may just be too early to tell. For the record, most of this article will refer to a positive pregnancy test as “bfp” which stands for “big fat positive.”
This article will explore conception in detail, the hormone levels, implantation, and pregnancy testing timing.
How Soon After Implantation Do I Get Positive Pregnancy Test?
A female menstrual cycle has roughly 28 days give or take a few. Some women have 31 day cycles and others may have a 26 day cycle. Ovulation happens sometime around mid-cycle, textbook would be around the 14th day. However, this can be different for everyone and ovulation could occur on day 10 or as late as day 20. Knowing these numbers, let’s take a look at fertilization and implantation. These are the important things that give you a positive pregnancy test.
When Does Implantation Occur?
Implantation in the uterine lining usually occurs around 6 to 12 days after you ovulate and the egg is fertilized. Your egg was most likely fertilized at ovulation (mid-cycle) and takes a trip down the tube and into the uterus where it nestles into its home for the next 9 months. On average it is about a week after the egg is fertilized, but can be a few days more or a few days less.
When Do Implantation Symptoms Occur?
Symptoms of implantation usually occur a few days after implantation at around 10 to 14 days after ovulation. Some women may confuse these symptoms with symptoms of an oncoming period and think nothing of it. The symptoms of implantation include:
- Bloated feeling
- Mild cramping
- Spotting or even light bleeding (clots are not normal)
- Fatigue
- Mood swings
How Soon After Implantation Do You Get a BFP?
Your “big fat positive” or bfp will show up around 4 to 5 days after implantation on a urine test. If you are concerned about any heavy bleeding and think you might be pregnant and having an issue, contact your doctor. They have highly sensitive blood tests that can detect the pregnancy hormone (hCG) a few days earlier around day 3 to 4 after implantation. Again, some women have had positive urine tests as early as 2 to 3 days after implantation and others have had to wait up to a few weeks. It all depends on pregnancy hormone levels and how fast your body produces them.
How Do I Know If My Pregnancy Test Is Really Positive?
Some women buy the “two-test” packs and take one the first day and wait a day or two and take another. This is also helpful if you have a negative the first try and your period is late you can try again in a few days to wait for hormone levels to build up.
Pregnancy tests these days have become easier and easier to read. The only issue seems to be when there isn’t enough hormone and one line may be very very faint or even still invisible. Also, a test read too late may develop a faint line and look positive.
The answer to this question is, a positive pregnancy test will almost always develop a second line if read within the proper time frame and there has been implantation. The higher the hCG level, the darker the line will be. This is why it is a good idea to buy a two-test pack and wait a few days if you are unsure.
What Influences How Soon After Implantation BFP Happens?
If you want accurate results from a pregnancy test, follow these guidelines to the letter:
- Check expiration date. If your test is expired, you can get false positives or false negatives. Make sure your test isn’t expired.
- Take the test with first morning urine. You will always have the highest hormone levels in your first morning urine. If you wait until later in the day, things that you drink can dilute your urine and lower the levels of hCG.
- Use the right test cup. If your pregnancy test kit came with a test cup, use that one exclusively. These cups are sterile and ready for testing. Soap and other residue can hamper your test results.
- Testing too early. If you test too soon after conception and before implantation, you may get a negative test result. Also, if you test after the fourth month of pregnancy there is very little hCG in the urine.
- After menopause, go to the doctor for a blood test. Women who are going through or already gone through menopause have higher levels of luteinizing hormone (LH). This can cause the results to be false positive. If you think you are pregnant and in menopause, you need to see your doctor for blood testing which is more accurate.
- Ovarian cysts or tumors. If you have ovarian cysts or tumors in the reproductive system, they can produce some hCG and cause a false-positive pregnancy test.
Here are some experiences of other moms asking about how soon after implantation bfp occurs and how a pregnancy test is positive:
“I had intercourse 5 days ago and I am already feeling pregnancy symptoms. My body must work fast because I already got a faint positive. I had some faint spotting yesterday and took a test first thing this morning. It was positive, but I’m going to check again in a few days.” Rebecca
“I ovulated about 2 1/2 weeks ago and had intercourse around day 13. I don’t feel any symptoms yet, but my period is a few days late. I took a test and it is negative. I will wait a few days and re-test myself.” Sydney