You can potentially tell if you are pregnant as early as 6 days before your missed period using sensitive home pregnancy tests that detect the hormone hCG in urine. The earliest signs of pregnancy, like implantation bleeding, breast tenderness, fatigue, and nausea, may start to appear within 1 to 2 weeks after fertilization, but these symptoms vary widely among individuals. Blood tests by a doctor can detect pregnancy about 6 to 8 days after ovulation, which is earlier than most urine tests. For the most reliable results, it is generally best to wait until at least the day of your missed period to take a pregnancy test, when the hormone levels will be high enough to confirm pregnancy with over 99% accuracy.
