Five weeks pregnant or late for your period?
If you’ve got to 22 DPO (that’s 22 days post-ovulation) without your BFP, any frustration you’re feeling is justified.
But you’re not alone, and if it helps you to know more about what might be going on today, we’ve got all the info, with the help of embryologist and fertility expert, Navya Muralidhar.
In this article: 📝
- What’s happening at 22 DPO?
- Can you have implantation bleeding at 22 DPO?
- Is 22 DPO too early to test?
- What are 22 DPO symptoms?
What’s happening at 22 DPO?
If you’re pregnant, 22 DPO is an important time for fetal development.
Your baby has the beginnings of their brain and spinal cord.
In the next few days, the first electrical signals that will become their heartbeat might also start to flicker.
As for you, your pregnancy hormone levels (especially hCG, aka human chorionic gonadotropin) are rising every day, your blood volume is increasing to support your little peanut, and everything else is adjusting around these big changes.
How many weeks pregnant is 22 DPO?
At 22 DPO, how many weeks pregnant are you?
Well, you could be five weeks into the first trimester.
We say “could”, because, for longer or shorter cycles, you could be four or even six weeks pregnant.
Not sure how to count your pregnancy weeks?
You might think it’s from the moment of conception, but it’s actually from the first day of your last period.
So that means you’re pregnant before egg and sperm even get together!
Can you have implantation bleeding at 22 DPO?
Not often, no.
Usually, implantation bleeding happens at about 6 to 12 DPO, but for longer cycles, you could have implantation happen later. [1]
There’s also the chance that what you’re seeing isn’t implantation bleeding, but some pregnancy spotting, or even, for some people, the start of your period.
Annoyingly, many implantation symptoms can be very similar (sometimes pretty much the same) as early pregnancy symptoms, PMS, or even ovulation symptoms.
Is 22 DPO too early to test?
No ‒ in fact, 22 DPO is a great time to take a test!
If your period hasn’t arrived yet, there’s still a chance you could get your BFP soon.
For most people, the best time to take a pregnancy test for the most accurate result is any time after your next expected period.
This is because your 22 DPO hCG levels will have risen enough to show up on a test. [2]
So for a 28-day cycle, 14 or 15 DPO is when most people take an accurate pregnancy test.
So if you haven’t tested yet, what are you waiting for?
Can you get a positive pregnancy test at 22 DPO?
Yes, you can get your BFP at 22 DPO.
Even a 22 DPO very faint positive is still a positive.
Your body is unique and women get their BFP at different times.
If you spend long enough on TTC forums, you’ll notice that some women see the second line as early as 9 DPO, but others have to hang in there until 30 DPO.
It’s fairly common to get a BFP about a week after implantation, which is between 10 and 14 days DPO. But if you ovulated later than you thought this month, it might take longer than you’d hoped for your BFP to appear.
Can you get a 22 DPO negative pregnancy test?
If the result is a disappointing BFN, keep testing every few days.
It probably seems like you’ve been waiting forever, but everyone’s cycle is different and varied and there are lots of reasons why your hCG levels at 22 DPO might not be high enough to show up on a home test.
As the TTC saying goes, “If there’s no period, there’s a chance!”, but sometimes, our bodies can also skip a period, especially if you have irregular cycles to begin with.
Sometimes a UTI can mimic early pregnancy symptoms.
Stress, changes in diet, and your exercise routine can also shift your cycle.
If you still don’t have your BFP but Aunt Flo is MIA, it’s worth booking an appointment with your doctor for a blood test or maybe a 22 DPO ultrasound.
An ultrasound at this stage can often detect pregnancy.
It’s probably still too early to find the heartbeat, but your ultrasound tech might be able to pick out a small collection of fluid within the lining of the uterus that indicates a young gestational sac.
It’s nothing more than a three to five-millimeter shadow on the ultrasound, but your little one is hiding inside that little bubble.
What should hCG be at 22 DPO?
There’s a pretty wide range of 22 DPO hCG levels, but the average is around 1200mIU/ml.
But some of our Peanut moms-to-be have had significantly lower or higher hCG levels at 22 DPO and gone on to have a healthy pregnancy.
It just goes to show that “average” doesn’t mean “everyone”.
What are 22 DPO symptoms?
Are there symptoms that you can spot at 22 DPO?
You can find the lowdown on lots of common early pregnancy symptoms here, but since lots of them overlap with the PMS symptoms we know and love, they’re not always a conclusive sign.
You can also look out for these more unfamiliar symptoms which might be appearing this week:
| Pregnancy symptom | Why it happens | Hormone(s) involved |
|---|---|---|
| Breast tenderness and changes | If your boobs feel achy, heavier, or just not quite right, it might be a sign. You could also spot your areolas looking a bit darker or larger than normal. [3] | Estrogen, progesterone |
| Fatigue | When making it past dinnertime without dozing off feels like an Olympic sport, you know fatigue is real. | Progesterone, estrogen, hCG |
| Nausea and digestive issues | Finding it harder than usual to go? Progesterone can slow down your whole digestive system. | hCG, progesterone, estrogen |
| Headaches | If that nagging headache won’t quit, it could be your hormones turning up the heat. | Estrogen, progesterone, hCG |
| Frequent urination | Need to pee every few minutes? Hormones are boosting blood flow to your kidneys, making your bladder extra busy. [4] | hCG |
| Mood swings | One moment you’re giggling, the next you’re tearing up at a random commercial — your hormones are definitely keeping life interesting. [5] | Estrogen, progesterone |
| Heightened sense of smell | If every scent feels cranked up to max — whether it’s dinner or your partner’s shampoo — your sense of smell might be in overdrive. | Estrogen, progesterone, hCG |
| Insomnia or restlessness | Even when your body is begging for rest, your brain might be wide awake, leaving you tossing and turning all night. | Progesterone, cortisol (stress hormone) |
| Unusual food cravings or aversions | You might be craving pickles and chocolate, or suddenly, your favorite food is a hard pass — pregnancy cravings and aversions can be wild. [6] | Progesterone |
| Metallic taste | This dysgeusia (an excellent word for an unpleasant thing) can taste metallic or sour, and no amount of toothbrushing can shake it. | Estrogen |
| Extra vaginal discharge | You might notice more vaginal discharge than usual, often with a thicker or creamier texture. | Estrogen, progesterone |
| Increased BBT | If your basal body temperature is staying elevated, it could be a sign your body is busy growing a tiny human. | Progesterone |
| Dizziness | A growing baby can throw your normal blood pressure and circulation off balance, and pregnancy nausea can lead to low blood sugar. All of this can mean the room starts spinning. | hCG, progesterone, estrogen |
| Heartburn and indigestion | AKA acid reflux, heartburn is a common complaint in later pregnancy when your growing uterus presses on your stomach, but it can also strike in the first trimester. | hCG, progesterone, estrogen |
How did you feel at 22 DPO?
There’s no one way to do this TTC thing, and every experience is unique.
But it can help to know you’re not alone, so we asked our Peanut TTC community for their experiences at 22 DPO:
- “I’m 22 DPO, 8 days late, still getting negative results. I’ve never been this late, no period symptoms, a little faint cramping but not the intense cramps I usually get, I’ve also been extremely nauseous the last three days (even had to get up during yoga to throw up).” ‒ Hannah
- “I’m about 22 DPO, and every day is different for me. But for the most part, I will feel dizzy at some points in the day. I feel extremely moody like every little thing is bothering me. I feel very little nausea when I haven’t eaten in the morning or at night time. Cramping here and there, especially if I’m moving around too much. And headaches randomly but mostly if I’m not drinking enough water. I’ll feel tired out of nowhere normally during the afternoon time.” ‒ Cara
- “I am 22 DPO and yet negative, I also had spotting which was brown and watery before 3 days of my periods my breasts were sore. Even felt nauseous a couple of times in the morning.” ‒ Shinnie
- “22DPO and finally got the faintest line!” ‒ Amy
- “22DPO and 8 days late, after trying a different brand of pregnancy test it still came back negative. I feel upset. I feel like I have other symptoms too but maybe it’s all in my head.” ‒ Léonie
- “I’m 22 DPO, my period is very late, I’ve been cramping for about 3 weeks and having back pain but still no positives!” ‒ Natassja
- “22 DPO, finally got my BFP!” ‒ Chacha
If you’re at 22 DPO, no matter how you’re feeling, you’re not alone.
Why not share your progress with other mamas-to-be in the Peanut TTC community?