Implantation Bleeding:An Important Type Of Bleeding During Early Pregnancy

Implantation bleeding or implantation spotting is an episode of bleeding during early pregnancy when the woman does not even know she is pregnant.

Spotting during early pregnancy is common and implantation is earliest possible cause.This kind of bleeding is often mistaken for menses by many women.

However, it could be an important clue and to a pregnancy for women who are really expecting one and waiting to take the pregnancy test!

In this webpage, we will see the basics of implantation spotting every woman should know and other causes of spotting during early pregnancy.

What Is Implantation Bleeding

This is mild uterine bleeding that occurs when the fertilized egg implants into the uterine lining following the conception of a pregnancy. Bleeding during implantation is usually occurs about 10 to 14 days after conception and is perfectly normal for those women who experience it.

About 20 - 30% of women who conceive have an implantation bleed. Therefore not all women who get pregnant will experience this kind of bleeding.

When Does Implantation Bleeding Occur?

The implantation bleed occurs during the time of implantation. This is usually about 6 to 12 days after ovulation depending on the length of your cycle and about 7 days before your expected menstrual flow.

When the egg is released, it normally gets fertilized within 24 hours for pregnancy to occur. Fertilization normally takes place in the fallopian tubes and this fertilized egg will then have to travel from the tubes to the uterus where it gets implanted into the uterine lining. This short distance usually takes about 6 days.

Symptoms

Essentially, implantation bleeding usually shows up by just one symptom! This is the mild vaginal bleeding or spotting that is usually pinkish or brownish in color. However,bleeding is only one possible symptom of the process of implantation, besides others like implantation cramps.

Implantation bleeding or Period

Is this an implantation spotting or a period? This is a common question especially amongst women who are anxiously waiting Not so see their period because they are expecting a pregnancy. Bleeding before the expected period may compound this worry. The difficulty also increases when the implantation spotting occurs close to the date of the expected period.

These 4 points can help solve this difficulty

1. Its color. Implantation spotting does not have the usual color of blood but appears as a pink or brown vaginal discharge. A period will have the color of your usual periods.
2. The volume.Spotting during implantation is usually so small that it appears as stains on the panties far less significant than a typical period. You can easily compare it to your typical period volume.
3. The duration.It is rare for implantation spotting to last more than two days.
4. The time of occurrence.Bleeding during implantation occurs way before the expected menses, about 7 days earlier. For some women, it could be as close as 2-3 days earlier. It will almost never occur at the expected date of your periods if your periods are regular.

Any Complications?

Implantation spotting is not a disease and is part of the implantation process for those women who experience it. That means this kind of bleeding should not affect the pregnancy in any way afterward.

One common problem that may be caused by this kind of bleeding is a miscalculation of the gestational age since these women often mistake this bleeding for a period and therefore report a wrong last menstrual period date.

There are three early pregnancy complications you should know, which could be mistaken for implantation spotting. However, most of these usually occur at least 2 weeks after ovulation, about the time of the expected period. Important clues include severe pelvic pain or red discharge or heavy bleeding.

These include

1. Ectopic pregnancy This is implantation of the fertilized egg out of the uterus usually in the tubes. It often presents with vaginal spotting or bleeding, delay of periods and one-sided pelvic pain. If you suspect you could be having this, seek medical attention immediately.
2. MiscarriageThis is spontaneous loss of pregnancy during the first trimester. In fact more than 50% of pregnancies are usually lost due to genetic abnormalities without the women even aware of it. It may look like a normal period. If you are pregnant and having vaginal bleeding, it may be a threatened abortion and you have consider visiting your care giver.
3. Molar pregnancy This is abnormal pregnancy development in which the developing embryo dies and the premature placenta or trophoblast grows and fills the uterus. In many cases, it develops into tiny balloon structures containing fluids( cysts).

Besides pregnancy-related causes, there are other causes of spotting before period you may also want to know.

What Should I Do?

Well, if you suspect you may be having a pregnancy symptom, the next best step is to do a pregnancy test. But most urinary pregnancy tests require at least 10 days after fertilization( approximately the ovulation date). You may therefore have to wait for 3 to 5 days to take the first pregnancy test. If the test is negative, you can repeat it in about 5 to 7 days after.

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