How Soon Can You Feel Pregnancy Symptoms After Sex?

When you're trying to conceive, it can be easy to ascribe any sensations you're having to potential pregnancy symptoms. But while some people detect the early signs of pregnancy soon after conceiving, they don't usually appear until after a missed menstrual period.

Having symptoms one or two days after sex is usually not a sign that you're expecting. Indeed, any physical sensations that happen immediately after intercourse—like spotting, discharge, or feeling tired or nauseated—are usually unrelated to pregnancy Here's what you need to know.

When Do Early Pregnancy Symptoms Start?

Other than a missed period, early pregnancy symptoms tend to kick in around week five or six. These might include breast tenderness, fatigue, frequent urination, and nausea. One study found that 72% of people detected their pregnancy by the sixth week after their last menstrual period.

Why can't you feel pregnancy symptoms earlier? It's all about biology. To form a pregnancy, sperm fertilizes an egg in the reproductive tract, and the fertilized egg implants in the uterine lining. Implantation doesn't happen for six to 12 days after fertilization, so it takes some time for your body to form a pregnancy after intercourse.

Some people notice signs of implantation that include cramping and spotting. These symptoms might happen when the fertilized egg attaches to your uterine lining, but it can be hard to tell if you're actually experiencing them.

• Implantation bleeding will be pink to brown in color, won't contain clots, and has a lighter flow than your period
• Implantation cramps may feel like menstrual cramps; they're often described as a light pulling, tingling, or aching sensation

Why You Might Feel Pregnant After Sex

It can be fairly common to experience some physical symptoms as you enter into the "two-week wait"—the period of time between ovulation and your expected period. These symptoms can include:

• Breast soreness
• Bloating
• Frequent urination
• Headaches
  
• Mood swings
  
• Nausea and/or changes in appetite
  

While all of these could be pregnancy symptoms, they might also be explained by fluctuations in your hormones due to your menstrual cycle. Other events in your life could also cause them, including illness, stress, sleep deprivation, or getting too much exercise.

What's more, some people experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms that might resemble pregnancy symptoms.

When to Take a Pregnancy Test

A pregnancy test is the best way to tell if you're pregnant or not. For the most accurate results, you should wait until you miss your period. At this time, your body will produce enough human chorionic gonadotropin (the pregnancy hormone known as hCG) to trigger a positive result.

If you think you might be pregnant but the test is negative, wait a few days and try again. You can also visit your health care provider for a pregnancy blood test (quantitative beta HCG), which might show positive results as early as one week after ovulation.