After a sex, how long will it take till you know you are pregnant? You are most likely to get pregnant if you had sex around the time of your ovulation. This is when you are fertile because an egg has just been released. This happens about two weeks from the first day of your last menstruation. When an egg and a sperm unite, the egg is fertilized and this is when all the changes and stages of pregnancy start to take place.
Pregnancy Timeline
Fertilization occurs when the egg and sperm unite and this takes place anywhere from the opening of the fallopian tube near the ovary to the uterus. This union results in the development of a zygote, which is the start of prenatal development. At this stage it is not yet possible to know if you are pregnant.
After fertilization, the zygote continuously divides, forming many cells as it travels towards the uterus, which takes a few days. In the uterus it is now called a blastocyst, and it implants itself on the wall of the uterus where it will continue to grow and develop into an embryo. The process takes about 6-12 days after ovulation, or an average of 8-9 days.
Upon implantation, a placenta is formed and the body produces human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the hormone of pregnancy. hCG levels begin to increase every day, and this hormone can be detected in the urine and the blood. On the average, hCG measures at 25 mIU about 10 days after ovulation, doubles to about 50 mIU after 2 days, and then increases to around 100 mIU on the second week past ovulation.
Depending on the sensitivity of the tests, hCG may be detected as early as 24 hours after implantation, although it is more commonly detected in blood tests 3-4 days after implantation.
Blood Test for Pregnancy. You can find out if you are pregnant by taking a blood test for pregnancy, which will detect if you have hCG, as early as three to four days after blastocyst implantation. This occurs about 9-10 days after ovulation and fertilization of the egg.
Urine Test for Pregnancy. A clinician can help you test for hCG in the urine two to three days after a positive blood test for pregnancy. If you have not taken a blood test, you may have an early positive result in a urine test a week after implantation takes place, or about 9-10 days after fertilization. However, this test can be expensive and time consuming, so many women opt for a home pregnancy test instead.
Home Pregnancy Test. Aside from clinical tests, you can also determine if you are pregnant by using test kit which can be bought from a pharmacy. Depending on the sensitivity of the home pregnancy urine test, you can detect pregnancy around 12-19 days after your date of ovulation. This means that women may test positive a couple of days before their missed period.
In summary, it is possible to determine if you are pregnant around 9-10 days after having unprotected sex by doing a blood test for pregnancy, or after around 2 weeks (or more) using the urine test. Taking the tests too early may lead to a negative result, so you may repeat the test after a few more days. It will also help to note if you have early signs of pregnancy, although these may not be the same for every woman.
Early Signs of Pregnancy
Besides a positive pregnancy test which occurs around two weeks after fertilization, you will have clues if you are conceiving a baby if you observe the classic symptoms associated with pregnancy.
Although for most women a missed period is an early sign of pregnancy, others experience vaginal spotting or bleeding around the time they are expecting their period. This is called implantation bleeding, and it is usually lighter in color and lasts only for about a couple of days. It may or may not be accompanied by abdominal cramps that are similar to those you feel when you have your period.
Other early signs of pregnancy include morning sickness (nausea and vomiting), tenderness and swelling of the breasts, frequent urination, daytime sleepiness and fatigue, food cravings and food aversions, dizziness and mood swings.
If you experience these symptoms and test positive for pregnancy, you must make an appointment with your doctor in order to receive prenatal care.
