The egg is fertile for about 12 to 24 hours after ovulation. If fertilisation is successful within this time window, the egg nests in the uterus and pregnancy begins.
Calculating fertile days
Ovulation occurs about two weeks before the onset of your period, although its exact timing depends primarily on the length of your menstrual cycle.
If you would like to get pregnant and therefore want to calculate your fertile days, using an ovulation calculator and keeping a cycle calendar can help.
When can you get pregnant?
The female egg is only fertile for about 12 to 24 hours after ovulation. However, since the male sperm can survive for a few days, you can definitely get pregnant even if you have unprotected sex before you ovulate.
When does pregnancy become noticeable?
The first signs of pregnancy can appear in women as early as two weeks after fertilisation. However, this is not always the case. It is therefore just as likely that you will not realise you are pregnant until much later.
Pregnancy signs or PMS symptoms?
Another reason why not all women recognise their pregnancy early is that some of the early signs of pregnancy are also typical PMS symptoms. Therefore, if you are affected by premenstrual syndrome, you may well initially attribute the first signs of your pregnancy to it.
First signs of pregnancy
Some of the possible signs that may indicate pregnancy about two weeks after you ovulate include:
- Fatigue
- Cramps
- Tightness in the breasts
- Cravings
- Implantation bleeding
Fatigue
Many women experience daytime tiredness two weeks after the fertilisation of the egg. This is mainly due to the increase in progesterone that occurs at the beginning of pregnancy. If you suddenly feel noticeably exhausted and tired, this could possibly be the first sign of pregnancy.
Tightness in the breasts
The hormonal changes associated with pregnancy can also cause your breasts to become a little swollen, tender and tight around two weeks after conception. Your nipples will probably also become a little darker. The feeling of breast tenderness usually goes away after a while.
Cravings
Cravings are probably considered to be the early pregnancy sign par excellence. So if you suddenly start craving certain foods 14 days after your last ovulation, it may well be because you are in different circumstances and are expecting a baby.
Implantation bleeding
When the fertilised egg implants in the womb, it often causes women to bleed a little. This bleeding is also called implantation bleeding. They are also one of the early signs of pregnancy.
Our tip for implantation bleeding
Implantation bleeding is completely normal. They are usually not too heavy and disappear after a short time. If you want comfortable and uncomplicated protection against implantation bleeding, we recommend you try our period underwear.
Weekiss period pants are available in a range of styles and absorbency levels. Made from certified organic cotton, they are comfortable to wear and provide reliable protection both during your period and when you're having a period.
Cramps
The implantation of the fertilised egg in the uterus can not only cause light implantation bleeding, but also cramps. As cramps and implantation bleeding usually occur around the time when a woman would normally start having her period, many women initially think that they have simply had their period.
When can I do a pregnancy test?
If you think you might be pregnant, the next thing you can and should do is take a pregnancy test. The test measures the level of the hormone hCG in your urine. Since the hCG level only rises when the egg has implanted in your womb, a pregnancy test usually makes sense around two weeks after fertilisation.
Alternatively, if you want to test earlier, you can get a blood test from your gynaecologist. Such a pregnancy test is more accurate than a urine test. In addition, it can be done a few days earlier, as it is already effective at lower levels of hCG in the blood.
Regardless, a negative pregnancy test does not always mean that you are not pregnant. A false negative result can be caused, for example, by mistakes in the way the test is done.
Recognising pregnancy - Conclusion
As you can see, it is quite possible to detect pregnancy as early as two weeks after successful fertilisation. However, since the typical early signs of pregnancy do not necessarily occur in all women, it is not uncommon to notice that you are pregnant a little later.
Regardless, the more you know about your body and your cycle, the more likely it is that you will notice the first symptoms of pregnancy. If your pregnancy test is positive, you should of course make an appointment with your gynaecologist as soon as possible.
