If you’re pregnant, by 16 days past ovulation, the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your body have likely risen enough to be detected by a pregnancy test, and some early symptoms of pregnancy may also show up. 16 DPO is also when symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) arrive, though. If you’re familiar with the normal changes in your body each month, you might be able to tell more easily if you’re pregnant or experiencing PMS at 16 DPO.
Early pregnancy symptoms at 16 DPO
Some early pregnancy symptoms at 16 DPO are:
- A missed period — This is often one of the early symptoms of pregnancy. If your periods are irregular, this symptom might not be helpful in determining if you’re pregnant.
- An elevated basal body temperature (BBT) — The temperature of your body increases after ovulation and returns to normal after your period. But when you get pregnant, your BBT remains elevated throughout pregnancy.
- Swollen and tender breasts — As a result of the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, your breasts may become tender, swollen, heavy, and sore, with darker nipples. These symptoms usually get better after a couple of weeks as your body gets used to the hormonal changes.
- Vomiting or nausea — Although it’s commonly known as morning sickness, nausea when you’re pregnant can occur at any time of day or night. Morning sickness usually starts about a month after conception. It starts sooner for some people and never shows up at all for others. It’s not clear what causes nausea or vomiting during pregnancy, but it’s likely that pregnancy hormones play a role.
- Fatigue — Another common pregnancy symptom at 16 DPO is fatigue. Progesterone rises during the early weeks of pregnancy, which may make you feel tired, exhausted, and sleepy. Your body also begins to produce more blood to support the growth of the fetus. This can also lead to increased exhaustion.
- Moodiness — You may also become unusually weepy or emotional thanks to a surge of hormones during early pregnancy. You may also develop mood swings.
The chances of getting a false-negative pregnancy test result at 16 DPO are pretty low. There are many reasons for a false-negative result at 16 DPO. You may have miscalculated the date of your next period, or you may have taken the test too early (when there wasn’t enough hCG in your urine). In such cases, try waiting a few more days and take another test then.
Diluted urine can also be a reason for a false-negative hCG test result. If you take a urine test after drinking a lot of fluid, it could dilute the collection and result in a false negative.
The placenta forms and starts producing hCG early during pregnancy. Pregnancy tests can detect hCG in your urine about 12 to 15 days after conceiving. Your levels of hCG can double every 48 to 72 hours (you can use our online hCG calculator to track your levels at home). The level of hCG reaches its peak around week 10 then declines and stays steady for the remainder of your pregnancy.
HCG levels are reported in milli-international units of hCG hormone per milliliter of blood, or mIU/ml. Urine hCG tests are qualitative, meaning they show either a positive or a negative result. These tests detect hCG levels typically starting at 20 to 50 mIU/ml. Blood tests can measure hCG as low as 1 to 2 mIU/ml.
If you’re taking a blood test, an hCG level less than 5 mIU/ml would produce a negative result on a pregnancy test. A level greater than 25 mIU/ml is a positive result. Between 6 and 24 mIU/ml is considered an equivocal result, and you’ll need to take another pregnancy test again later.
There are two kinds of hCG tests. A quantitative test measures the quantity of hCG in your blood. A qualitative test detects the presence of hCG in your urine. Normal value ranges of hCG may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your health care provider about the meaning of your specific test result.
At 16 DPO, not getting your period might mean you’re pregnant. Ovulation generally occurs between the 13th and 20th day of your cycle (day one is the first day of your period). Depending on the length of their cycle, most people expect to get their period around 16 DPO. If you haven’t started your period by 16 DPO, you might be pregnant. If you are pregnant, you might experience early symptoms of pregnancy, such as fatigue, moodiness, breast tenderness, and an elevated BBT.
If you are experiencing symptoms of early pregnancy and getting a negative pregnancy test result at 16 DPO, try taking another test after a few days. You can also go to your health care provider to get a blood test, which will be more sensitive and accurate than urine pregnancy tests.
At 16 DPO, you might be wondering if you’re pregnant or if your period is just late. If you are pregnant, you might already be noticing some symptoms. Some of the symptoms of pregnancy at 16 DPO are a missed period, an elevated BBT, swollen and tender breasts, nausea, fatigue, frequent urination, and moodiness. A negative pregnancy test result at 16 DPO usually indicates that you aren’t pregnant. However, if you’re experiencing several early pregnancy symptoms, repeat the test after a few days to be sure.