ELI5- Why aren’t pregnancies “discovered” earlier on?

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I’m not totally sure how to ask this. So most people find out they’re pregnant between 6-8 weeks. And it’s relatively common knowledge that one does not get their period while pregnant. So my question is, how do people not find out they’re pregnant until around 6 weeks if the average menstrual cycle is 4 weeks? Ovulation occurs on, I believe, day 14 in the cycle, so shouldn’t more pregnancies be discovered at 2-3 weeks when the initial next period would occur?

ETA: thank you for the responses! My confusion began with the the whole “you’re 6 weeks pregnant” when it’s more than likely 3-4 weeks of legitimate gestation due to how doctors begin the “clock” at the end of the last menstrual cycle.

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Anonymous 0 Comments

It’s a very individual process. Everyone’s bodies are different. So they react in different ways to being pregnant. As far as testing is concerned, that relies on the amount of hormones being released to differentiate standard levels. Estrogen, for example, levels will *rise* during pregnancy.

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