You can take a pregnancy test as early as about 6 to 8 days after ovulation, when the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) starts to be produced after implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus. Some highly sensitive home pregnancy tests claim to detect hCG and give positive results up to 4 to 6 days before your missed period, which is roughly 10 days after conception
. However, testing very early can result in false negatives because hCG levels may still be too low to detect reliably. For the most accurate results, it is generally recommended to wait until the first day of your missed period or even 1 to 2 days after your missed period, when hCG levels are higher and more detectable in urine
. If you do test early, using the first morning urine can improve accuracy since hCG concentration is highest then. If you get a negative result but still suspect pregnancy, retesting a few days later is advised
. In summary:
- Earliest detection: about 6-8 days post ovulation (some tests detect hCG this early)
- Best accuracy: from the day of your missed period or 1-2 days after
- Use first morning urine for early tests
- Retest if initial early test is negative but pregnancy is still suspected
This approach balances early detection with reliable accuracy.
