2ww symptoms.. what is the science behind it?

Please help i am finding different opinions online
At 6/7dpo what would cause a Wet feeling down there? I find different things online id love something clean cut on why its happening! :)
Also at 1dpo + all the time :( what causes a increase of hunger? Thank You! :)

Hoping you can help me in this Atomic. Thanks

Increased progesterone can cause lots of symptoms, esp those that mimic pregnancy. I convince myself I'm pregnant each month! :(

Im very much a science and reason girl haha
But i get what you mean 100000%!
Then progesterone thing is probably why they say af n early pg symptoms are similar!

about 7ish days past ovulation, the corpus luteum that makes progesterone starts to break down unless you're pregnant, so your body releases a burst of estrogen that maintains the lining a little longer to allow a new pregnancy to finish implantation. So since estrogen is also what makes EWCM, rise in libido, and softening of the cervix around ovulation, many people notice ovulation-ish symptoms at that point in the cycle but it's from the secondary estrogen surge, not ovulation. sometimes you can even get a positive OPK at that point in the cycle from the hormones.

After ovulation, you have a sharp rise in progesterone. Progesterone has been proven to lower inhibitions/willpower and increase hunger so you end up both hungrier and without your normal amount of willpower too! (I also often spend money I shoudn't too!)

And since progesterone is behind pregnancy symptoms, many people will have "pregnancy" symptoms that are really simply from the surges of progesterone and to a lesser extent estrogen (later in the LP) that can really mess with people's heads. And since you can have symptoms some cycles and not others it can really set people up for disappointment if they aren't aware how the normal fluctuations in hormones can mimic pregnancy.

It's best to wait till you're looking at a BFP to assume pregnancy even with lots of symptoms.

Thanks Atomic
So the wet feeling at 6/7dpo is due to a estrogen surge so means no chance of a pregnancy?
or could the wetness be due to progesterone?
tbh this cycle i dont feel as wet as i have previously it just just a little and is it isnt it whereas before it was obvious!
*please note i dont get that wet feeling when ovulating :/ does that make me weird?

Also, do cramps only happen in non/pg 2ww vs pg ones?
what about temp dips at 6/7/8 dpo as well whether just one day or 2 gradual dips?
thanks in advanced!

Yes, it is due to the estrogen surge and NOT pregnancy but this doesn't mean you won't get pregnant that month, just that pregnancy is not the cause of the EWCM at that point in the cycle.

No it doesn't make you weird, just a different pattern of hormones during that part of the cycle and has a different effect on your body.

You can have cramps in the 2WW whether you're pregnant or not. Some of my worst cramps ever were when I was in the 2WW in a cycle I got pregnant. a lot of people assume cramps mean AF is coming but it doesn't, can also mean from early pregnancy hormones OR from hormonal fluctuations. It's normal for the fallopian tubes to cramp after ovulation and the uterus can also get very irritable in the 2ww even when not pregnnat.

The temp dip at 6-8 days past ovulation is due to the secondary estrogen surge that I already mentioned. Some people erroneously call this "implantation dip" but it has nothing to do with implantation and it's been proven that it happens even when people aren't pregnant.

2 gradual dips may be from SES or it may be that you were just a little cooler for a coupl of the days of your cycle. Temps are not oracles and aren't as predictive as people think they are...many times you're just running a little cooler than normal.

Thanks Atomic. I guess long & short is non pregnant and pregnant symptoms are similar!
To ask again tho, increased cm to point where you feel it / feel wet etc.. that is or isnt a potential pg symptom? (at 6-9dpo or more etc) thanks again :)

At 6-9 DPO the wetness is still likely from the secondary estrogen surge. Too early for pregnancy.

Later than that, 10+ DPO, ~maybe~ BUT there are other things that can cause wetness. Lots of people get yeast overgrowth right before AF arrives that can make discharge, and many people will lose something called "serous fluid" (which is the liquid component in blood) for a couple days before their period starts, and others have a surge of EWCM right before the period starts too and so it's never very cut and dry with the vaginal disharge, as to what is really causing it. Only in retrospect when you look back and think "oh yeah wow I did have a lot of discharge right before my BFP" but lots of other people have seen discharge, assumed they were pregnant, and then werent.

Long story short, only way to tell if you're pregnant is a preganncy test. Not symptoms.

And to confirm you get a secondary estrogen surge pregnant or not?

Yes. Pregnant or not you have a SES every month.