Conception

6 DPO Symptoms: What Should You Expect?

Zoe Kaplan

6 DPO is the first day when implantation can occur. So, will you be able to feel or detect pregnancy? Here’s what you need to know.

Published:

Jan 27, 2024

Est. Read Time:

Six days past ovulation, or 6 DPO, marks a turning point during the long, mysterious, and sometimes agonizing and two-week wait. 6 DPO is the first day that implantation can happen, but it’s not incredibly common to happen so soon. Will you know if an egg has been implanted by 6 DPO? Here’s what’s going on in your body and what symptoms to look out for.

What’s happening in my body at 6 DPO?

If your egg has been fertilized and becomes a zygote (the term for a fertilized egg), it’s been traveling down the fallopian tube during the first few days post-ovulation. Around 4 or 5 DPO, it becomes a blastocyst, or a ball of cells, which eventually will implant into the uterine lining.

6 DPO is the first day the implantation window is open, but it’s not particularly common for the blastocyst to implant at this stage. One study found that implantation occurs at 6 DPO for less than 5% of people; most often, implantation occurs closer to 8 to 10 DPO.

So while it’s less likely that implantation has happened just yet, it’s still possible.

6 DPO Symptoms

Whether the egg has been fertilized and implanted or not, you’re not likely to feel many early pregnancy symptoms just yet. Instead, most 6 DPO symptoms are similar to what many people might feel in the second half of their cycle due to typical hormonal fluctuations. 6 DPO symptoms include:

Mild cramping: You may have felt light cramping since 1 DPO because of your body’s response to the release of an egg. At 6 DPO, it’s slightly possible that this cramping might be a result of your body’s response to implantation. Don’t panic if you’re not feeling anything—some people never feel implantation cramping at all.
Spotting: It’s rare, but possible, to experience some light spotting or discharge following ovulation due to the rupture of the follicle. However, some people also experience spotting following implantation. At 6 DPO, the former is more likely the cause than the latter; typically, implantation bleeding occurs 10-14 days following conception.
Breast tenderness: Regardless of whether the blastocyst has implanted at 6 DPO, your hormone levels are still fluctuating, which can cause some breast sensitivity.

At 6 DPO, it’s possible that some symptoms may be linked to implantation, but it’s still the earliest time in the implantation window. Don’t worry if you’re not feeling symptoms just yet. No symptoms at 6 DPO can confirm pregnancy.

Will I know if I’m pregnant at 6 DPO?

6 DPO is the first day the window of implantation is open, and your fertilized egg may implant at this stage. However, it’s more common for implantation to occur a little later in your cycle, closer to 8 to 10 DPO.

If your blastocyst did implant, there’s a chance you may experience implantation cramps or bleeding; however, these symptoms cannot confirm pregnancy just yet. At 6 DPO, your hormone levels are still fluctuating as part of the luteal phase, which can cause a range of premenstrual symptoms that are similar to early pregnancy symptoms.

It can be difficult to stop yourself from becoming hyper aware of or overanalyzing analyzing anything you may be feeling, but at 6 DPO, it’s too early to detect pregnancy. Whether you have symptoms—even if they’re potentially related to implantation—are not a surefire sign that you will become pregnant.

Instead, you’ll need to continue on the two-week wait journey. What’s next? Find out with Oova’s DPO guides:

About the author

Zoe Kaplan is a writer and content strategist passionate about creating content that helps people navigate the world a little more easily. Zoe has worked across verticals, from women's career development to reproductive health. You can check out more of her work at zoeakaplan.com.

Sources

Kim SM & Kim JS. (2017). A Review of Mechanisms of Implantation.
Miles, K. (2023). What do implantation cramps feel like?
Wilcox A, et al. (1999). Time of Implantation of the Conceptus and Loss of Pregnancy.

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