What Is Implantation Bleeding?

Implantation bleeding is a mild or minor amount of bleeding that may happen 10-14 days after conception, Indicating that one of your eggs was fertilized during your most recent ovulation.

After fertilization and ovulation, the embryo begins to divide and expand. And at the same time, the endometrium – the blood-rich lining of the uterus – starts to change, grow and mature so it can protect and nourish the embryo.

After 5-6 days of fertilization, the embryo moves from the fallopian tube into the uterus where it gets enough nutrients to support it and then attaches (implants) itself to the endometrium where it disrupts small blood vessels and causes light pinkish, red or brownish bleeding in some women.

Because it might resemble your usual period and likely happens around your normal menstrual cycle, most ladies are likely to mistake it for their menstrual period. However, with proper observation, you will realize it usually occurs between 7 and 14 days after conception, before your regularly scheduled menstruation and is lighter than your period blood. This bleeding (Implantation bleeding or early pregnancy bleeding) is in most cases the first sign of pregnancy and it is not common since only about 15-25 per cent of women in the world experience it.

Timeline of implantation bleeding

Implantation bleeding usually occurs 6 or 7 days after fertilization and may last up to 14 days. Which In most cases is usually close to or before your menstrual cycle.

For a 28days menstrual cycle

Day 1 is the first day of your cycle
Ovulation occurs on the 14-16 days of your menstrual cycle and it’s viable for only 24 hours.
After fertilization, the fertilized egg then implants in the endometrium around day 22-26 of your menstrual cycle.

Then in most cases, slight bleeding is observed, Indicating implantation bleeding and not period bleeding.

Signs & symptoms of implantation bleeding

Implantation bleeding has been often associated with early signs of pregnancy and most times, women misread it for menstrual bleeding.

To know the difference between Implantation bleeding and menstrual bleeding, here are some signs and symptoms to look out for:

Temporary cramp caused by Implantation bleeding
Light bleeding. You might experience a few hours of spotting
Color discharge ranges from pink to dark brown.
Early bleeding
It does not exceed 3days
It’s an on-and-off kind of spot. Unlike menstrual bleeding which starts heavy and becomes lighter.

Other pregnancy-related symptoms you might experience are:

Nausea
Back pain
Headache
Light bleeding
Tender breast
Mood swings
Fatigue
Increase body temperature

Regardless of all of these symptoms, it’s likely for some women to experience one or two of them, especially light spotting that will last for a day or two. You might not experience it all.

Difference between Implantation bleeding and Menstrual Bleeding

Some women always confuse implantation bleeding for the Menstrual cycle due to their similarities and timing. To distinguish between implantation bleeding and the menstrual cycle, follow these simple steps.

Discrepancy in blood

The thickness, color and other qualities of the blood hold 99% of the answer because implantation bleeding always looks different from normal menstrual bleeding. And in most cases, it comes out darker due to the longer period it spends transiting via the vagina. The bleeding varies too. Some women only experience spotting which might only last for a few hours with no other sign. While Implantation bleeding is more of a brownish or pinkish tint, menstrual blood is more reddish, accompanied by severe uterine cramping and can last for days. And since menstrual bleeding is most common, it’s easier to differentiate it from menstrual bleeding since it’s not a regular occurrence. So, the next time you experience spotting or bleeding, check the blood thickness and tint to know what you’re dealing with.

Timing

The second important factor to consider is timing. implantation bleeding happens for 7-14 days, that’s one to two weeks after fertilization has occurred which places it before menstruation proper. And if your last sex experience has been over a month, what you’re experiencing might be implantation bleeding. If you’re confused, just simply take a home pregnancy test a few days after the bleeding has stopped because implantation bleeding in most cases Is a sign of pregnancy.

Symptoms

The most common symptom associated with implantation bleeding is light bleeding or spotting which only lasts for 2-3 days or a few hours. Apart from the aforementioned, other symptoms you might experience that are similar to menstrual bleeding are Symptoms like mood swings, nausea ( morning sickness), swollen breasts, headaches, back pain etc.

Experiencing nausea first thing in the morning is usually associated with pregnancy and is not a sign of menstrual bleeding.
Light Cramping is another symptom caused by implantation when the eggs attach to the wall of the uterus.

Note: this is different from the heavy cramps during menstrual pain.

A sign of implantation bleeding might also include soreness or tenderness in the breast.

Treatment

There is no particular treatment for implantation bleeding since it’s a natural occurrence in most women. But if you start to experience constant and heavy flow associated with a weird color, you need to see a doctor.

When to panic and call your doctor

Implantation bleeding can be pretty normal, but once you start to experience abnormalities or discrepancies in blood flow or the bleeding doesn’t stop, you must seek a medical opinion. If you’re not expecting your period and you’re experiencing vaginal bleeding or abnormal cramping, something is wrong.

Here are some symptoms to watch out for:

Dizziness
Weakness
Fever
Vaginal bleeding
Heavy bleeding with clotting
Pelvic pain

All of these symptoms might be pointing to an ectopic pregnancy which requires immediate medical attention.

Other reasons for bleeding during pregnancy

Not all bleeding is dangerous. Some are normal while others are not normal. Once you start to experience any form of bleeding during pregnancy and you’re not sure if it’s safe, visit your doctor. The following is a list of potential causes of bleeding in pregnant women.