Bleedings are scary for us. We get scared when we see the flow of flood. Red blood gushing out of our body can send chills down anyone’s spine easily. But some bleedings can be normal and a part of the process. Like menstruation of girls and women are quite natural. It is a part of the natural body cycle and is quite unpredictable to some extent. Just like menstrual bleeding, implantation bleeding is quite natural and is one of the first stages of life development inside the womb. Implantation bleeding is one of the early signs of pregnancy. Among the doctor’s community, some believe that the bleeding occurs when the embryo first attaches itself to the uterus of the mother.
Implantation bleeding means the bleeding occurs because of the attaching of the embryo to the uterus which discharges to a specific amount of blood to accept the hold the embryo. However, everyone not experiences this bleeding and spotting when the embryo attaches itself to the lining of the uterus. The fertilized egg or the embryo moves around and when it attaches itself, it results in light bleeding and it should not require any medical attention. Around every third pregnant experience this according to the studies and it should not be confused with the menstrual period as both are very different. There might be a question how long does implantation last? The implantation bleeding is generally short and occurs after 8-14 days of conception or around the time the woman missed her period.
Recognizing implantation bleeding
Implantation bleeding is quite mistaken as menstrual bleeding. Most of the women make a mistake with implantation bleeding and menstrual bleeding. It is very important to recognize implantation bleeding as it one of the first signs of pregnancy. It occurs days before the menstrual period. Implantation bleeding appears as the blood with stays after wiped or light pad. The blood may or may not mix with cervical mucus. There are no practical ways to recognize the blood with the naked eye and determine the reason for the bleeding. However, the signs of bleeding can be seen and determined. Some signs of implantation bleeding are:
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Light or faint cramping
- Lower backaches
- Mood swings
- Breast Tenderness
The color of the spotting may also be different like pinkish or orangish because of the vaginal discharges and if old, the blood maybe brownish due to oxidation. It is always better to share these sets of information with the consult the doctor as he would be able to provide the best solution. Implantation bleeding looks more like than any woman’s menstrual bleeding. As it is an uncontrollable and unpredictable act, some women will have more blood flow than others. Implantation bleeding is treated through a process. It is best to share it with doctors as they will eliminate most unwanted things like polyps and treat the bleeding.
Essential differences between the two types of bleeding:
- Clotting- Many experiences clotting during their menstrual periods while some do not experience that much clotting. Implantation bleeding should not have any clots.
- Time- The length of the time of bleeding plays an important role in understanding the reasons for bleeding. The menstrual period can range from 3 to 7 days. Women not on birth control usually bleed for a longer time than the women with birth control bleed for a shorter period and then not bleed at all. Implantation bleeding lasts for 2 to 3 days and not more than that. Implantation bleedings are short than the menstrual bleedings.
- Color- In practical everyone knows the color of their menstrual blood. It is mostly darkish color. Implantation bleeding is light in color like pinkish or dark brown.
- Amount- the amount of blood loss during the menstrual cycle is heavy. Pads and tampons are filled during the menstruation but with implantation bleeding, it is not so heavy. It is usually light or pinkish in color.
So if you experience over 3 days of bleeding, it is most likely that it is happening due to menstruation and not implantation bleeding. But if the bleeding stops within 3 days and the color of blood are light with less quantity and a lot of cramps, there will be a possibility for implantation bleeding. The implantation bleeding is quite natural and the flow of blood is different from different persons as mentioned but if there is heavy bleeding or clotting, it is best to rush to the doctor immediately as it may be the signs of early miscarriage.
When Does Implantation Bleeding Occur?
Implantation bleeding means discharge of a quantity of blood through the vagina but it is not because of menstruation. After the 8-14 days of conception (the embedding of the sperm with the fertilized egg), the embryo finds its place on the walls of the uterus and attaches itself to it. This movement of the embryo and attaching implanting itself on the wall of the uterus may break some blood vessels within the walls of the uterus and thus bleeding occurs.
Implantation bleeding is quite different from menstrual bleeding. Menstrual bleeding occurs after 11-14 from ovulation (when the fertile egg is released and conception is possible). This can get easily confusing as and many women misjudge the reason for bleeding thinking that their menstrual period is early a few days. Implantation bleeding usually happens one week before the menstrual bleeding. Women are acquainted with their normal flow of blood during menstruation and without any change in medicines like birth controls or change in stress level, the kind of menstrual flow should not change. So, when they experience the blood flow to be less and the color of the blood different. It can ring a bell for them.
Depending on the fertility rate and the active sexual life, the implantation and the implantation bleeding may differ. It is not common that implantation bleeding would occur after or before missed. However if one experiences ovulation late and the implantation process is slow, it might be possible that the embryo is implanted. Therefore implantation time also depends upon the fertility rate of the individual.
Time period of implantation bleeding
Implantation bleeding in some cases may stop after a few hours and in some cases it may continue till 2 days. Implantation bleeding, as explained earlier, happens because of the implantation process of the embryo on the walls of the uterus. Women who are into pregnancy for the first time tend to bleed a little more than the women who had egg attached to the uterus before. The first time walls of the uterus are aggravated and it bleeds more and with subsequent times the bleeding reduces.
Things to look out during implantation bleeding
Implantation bleeding is very normal and there is no need for unnecessary concern for the developing baby and its health. The bleeding is from the uterus wall and there can be no harm to the embryo because of it. Implantation bleeding occurs after a few days of missed period. Pregnancy-related concerns are rarely from implantation and occur after the missed period. Though the post-implantation light bleeding during the pregnancy cannot be considered normal. Some of the key reasons that may occur are:
- Heavy or excessive lifting
- Irritation of small tears during intercourse
- Vaginal infection
- Irritation of the cervix
It has been seen that about half of the pregnant woman experience implantation bleeding and spotting during their pregnancy.
But if the woman experiences extended bleeding and in large amounts, it can be a sign of Molar pregnancy or miscarriage and for this reason, the matter should always be presented before the examining doctor to look into and examine the patient thoroughly. Every minute detail must be brought into the knowledge of the doctor be it any symptoms the doctor would be able to understand the situation more carefully. Women might experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness and abdominal pains during their pain and there can be chances that the person is experiencing an ectopic pregnancy. Cramps are a part of the pregnancy but if anyone feels that the pain of the cramp is increasing day by day, the person should bring it to the doctor’s notice as it can mean May things.
Symptoms of early pregnancy
Pregnancy is the conceiving of the embryo within the uterus and helping it develop till it forms a full-fledged body. There is a specific time for the conceiving of the embryo and the development of the body within the uterus but it has been seen that consistency and the color of implantation bleeding differs from person to person and from pregnancy to pregnancy. There might be some confusion regarding the pregnancy. But this is the scenario where not a single confusion is appreciated one has to be 100% sure. So there are other symptoms to make you certain about the present situation. These symptoms can be together analyzed and then the conclusion can be drawn on whether the fact is correct or not. Other symptoms can include:
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Cramping
- Food aversions
- Moodiness
These symptoms are not the ultimate signs to be trusted upon as early pregnancy as no proper symptoms. Most women will have these symptoms even when they are not pregnant and the rest might have none of these symptoms even when they are pregnant. So it is not always 100% correct but experiencing these symptoms can give you a jump to at least test for pregnancy. One of the most trusted signs can be missed menstrual period but if again the woman has irregular circles than it would be hard to tell if the menstrual period has at all been missed or not.
It is always better to act in a composed manner. Doing works in a hurry can cause stress problems. Wait for three-four days after the bleeding or the spotting has stopped. If a woman is going to do pregnancy tests just after the missed period and implantation bleeding, it might be too soon to offer the conclusive results. It is ideal to wait for a week before testing pregnancy as it can yield more desirable results.
The correct time for a pregnancy test
A pregnancy test can be done anytime you want but the accuracy of the result would be unknown. Nowadays home pregnancy tests are also available and they are claimed to be 99% correct. Tests of this kind usually check the human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) right after the first day of the missed period. The hormone tends to double its concentration after two-three days in the case of early pregnancy. The sooner the positivity or the negativity of the result depends upon the time since the embryo has implanted itself inside the uterus. The accuracy of the result also depends upon the closeness of the date of your menstrual period. If the woman is close to her menstrual period date than the accuracy of the test result increases. Women also try to test if the period is late or if they have several early pregnancy signs but for either of the cases, reliable results are obtained after waiting one week from the date missed for a menstrual period.
If the results are not satisfying or the woman wants to be more than sure than she should go for a blood pregnancy test after consulting the doctor. The readings of the concentrations of hCG reach the blood before the urine so a blood test will yield more positive results than the urine test ever will. The blood test results are always more accurate and satisfying than urine tests. Home pregnancy tests can sometimes yield wrong results.
Proper consultancy with the doctor
The major step that one should be taking while pregnant is being under strict and correct medication. They should consult an experienced individual. Complications and other requirements can easily be figured out if the individual go through the correct tests and consume the correct medicines from time to time. It is an important step to open up to the doctor, for any kind of bleeding or when the mother is sensing any kind of abnormality that is something to worry about. The doctor should be well aware of the mother’s present situation and also have a detailed account of the mother’s past record. Minor bleeding, while you are pregnant, does not always mean that the result is negative; still, it is always a safe option to take advice from an experienced professional.
Hence while testing the pregnancy at home, it comes positive, it is always said that the next step should be consulting a doctor. If the test happens to be positive, the doctor gives you a proper medication chart and also some valuable advice in family planning. They confirm the accuracy of the test undertaken by you at home. The advice on the family planning also includes the navigation of the methods of care that should be taken as a parent and also discussing the various choices that are available these days to a modern-day parent.
Conclusion
The process of implantation bleeding can be considered to indicate potential pregnancy. When you are waiting for your period but, you did not have your period on time and have undergone a pregnancy test at home. If the result delivered by the test is found to be negative, then the chances for you for not being pregnant is much more. Keeping a record for the process of implantation bleeding is good when one is trying to get pregnant. It is seen that a lot of women do not actually notice or they also have not experienced the realization of the happening even if it occurs. It is seen that the color and the process of implantation bleeding varies from one person to another. The process and the symptoms are not always the same. The symptoms are not always capable of determining whether a woman is pregnant or not. Some individuals may have all the symptoms and yet not get pregnant on the other hand; some individuals may not have any of the symptoms and yet be pregnant. Hence, it becomes extremely difficult to just rely on the symptoms for the assurance of being pregnant. Missing the regular menstrual periodic cycle is an important way to determine one is actually pregnant or not. Yet, in case one has an irregular period, it again becomes difficult to determine pregnancy.
There are various researches done and various schools have provided piles of information for the occurrence and the working of the process of implantation bleeding, which is also accompanied by the keynotes of pregnancy. Pregnancy is a very delicate point and it is extremely important for the mother to take adequate care for herself and the baby. Proper consultation and performance of a series of proper tests need to be undertaken to ensure the good health of the mother and the child. Tests performed at home through pregnancy test kits, which are now a day’s easily available in the medical stores aren’t something you can always rely upon. Circumstances may lead to deliverance of the wrong result, with uncanny and unexpectable consequences. Hence, it is very important to get yourself sure and satisfied by consulting a proper gynecologist.
