0 DPO: the egg is released today
Updated July 2, 2026
At 0 days past ovulation, a one sided lower ache around ovulation. It signals an egg being released, not a pregnancy. Can a test detect pregnancy today? No: implantation has not finished, so there is no hCG for a test to find.
0 DPO at a glance
- Test today? No. implantation has not finished, so there is no hCG for a test to find.
- Ovulation twinge (mittelschmerz): A one sided lower ache around ovulation. It signals an egg being released, not a pregnancy.
- Egg white cervical mucus: Clear, stretchy discharge peaks near ovulation. It is a fertility sign, and it tapers off after today.
- A slippery or wet feeling: Common right around ovulation. It reflects your fertile window, not a pregnancy that has not begun.
What is happening at 0 DPO?
0 DPO is ovulation day itself. A mature follicle releases an egg, which moves into the fallopian tube and stays viable for about 12 to 24 hours. This is the single most fertile day of your cycle, and it is also the day the two week wait begins.
If you had sex in the fertile window, which is the five days before ovulation through ovulation day (Wilcox, 1995), sperm may already be waiting in the tube. Whether or not an egg meets sperm, your body has just started making more progesterone from the spot the egg left behind, called the corpus luteum. That rise happens in every cycle.
So there is nothing pregnancy specific to feel today. Any twinge, ache, or slippery discharge you notice is a sign of ovulation, not of a pregnancy that has not even begun. It is far too early for hCG, and no test can see anything at 0 DPO.
Symptoms people notice at 0 DPO
| Symptom | The honest context |
|---|---|
| Ovulation twinge (mittelschmerz) | A one sided lower ache around ovulation. It signals an egg being released, not a pregnancy. |
| Egg white cervical mucus | Clear, stretchy discharge peaks near ovulation. It is a fertility sign, and it tapers off after today. |
| A slippery or wet feeling | Common right around ovulation. It reflects your fertile window, not a pregnancy that has not begun. |
| Higher libido | Many people notice more desire near ovulation. It is hormone driven and says nothing about whether conception happened. |
| Mild bloating | Can come with ovulation. Also a normal mid cycle and premenstrual symptom, so on its own it points to nothing. |
Should you take a pregnancy test at 0 DPO?
A pregnancy test at 0 DPO will always be negative, and that tells you nothing. Ovulation has only just happened, so even if an egg is fertilized today, implantation is at least six days away and hCG has not begun. Testing now guarantees a false negative. The reliable time to test is around your missed period, roughly 14 DPO. Only a pregnancy test or a clinician can confirm pregnancy, and today is far too early for either.
Not sure when you ovulated? The pregnancy test calculator works from your last period date instead.
What your BBT may show at 0 DPO
On a basal body temperature chart, 0 DPO often sits at or just before the thermal shift. Many charts show their lowest point around ovulation, then a rise of about 0.4 to 1.0 F over the next day or two as progesterone climbs. You usually cannot confirm ovulation from a single reading; the sustained higher temperatures that follow are what mark it. At 0 DPO the shift may not be visible yet, so a flat chart today is normal.
Counting days on your fingers? Let Safr count for you
Safr tracks your cycle, estimates your fertile window and expected period, and shows your temperature pattern on an interactive chart.
Common questions at 0 DPO
Can you feel symptoms at 0 DPO?
You can feel ovulation itself: a one sided twinge, a slippery sensation, or a small mid cycle ache. Those are signs an egg is being released, not signs of pregnancy. A pregnancy has not begun at 0 DPO, so nothing you feel today can point to one either way.
Can you get pregnant on 0 DPO?
Yes. Ovulation day is the most fertile day of your cycle. The egg survives about 12 to 24 hours, and sperm from sex in the five days before ovulation can still be waiting in the tube. Conception is possible today, but it would be days before any test or symptom could reflect it.
How many DPO before I can take a test?
Aim for around your missed period, roughly 14 DPO. hCG only becomes reliably detectable near then, because implantation happens 6 to 12 DPO and the hormone rises afterward. Testing before about 10 DPO very often gives a false negative even in a real pregnancy, so earlier results are not trustworthy.
Keep reading
Sources
- Wilcox AJ, Baird DD, Weinberg CR. Time of implantation of the conceptus and loss of pregnancy. N Engl J Med. 1999;340(23):1796-1799.
- Wilcox AJ, Weinberg CR, Baird DD. Timing of sexual intercourse in relation to ovulation. N Engl J Med. 1995;333(23):1517-1521.
- NHS. Doing a pregnancy test. nhs.uk. Accessed July 2026.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Menstruation in girls and adolescents: using the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Committee Opinion No. 651. 2015.
- Steward K, Raja A. Physiology, ovulation and basal body temperature. StatPearls. 2023.