How to recognize implantation bleeding

An embryo is the outcome of fertilization. In other words, when a sperm and an egg meet, fertilisation happens, resulting in the formation of an embryo. This embryo then travels from the fallopian tube all the way to the uterus and get itself lodged into the thick inner lining of uterus i.e gets implanted. During this process of lodging, slight bleeding occurs, which is known as implantation bleeding. This may even last for a few days.

There are various signs and symptoms associated with implantation bleeding. These sign and symptoms will help you to recognise the bleeding so you can manage it accordingly.

Apart from the above-mentioned symptoms, there can be other symptoms associated with implantation bleeding. If you experience any of the following along with vaginal bleeding there is a high chance that you are pregnant. 

Nausea or vomiting

According to the American Pregnancy Association, nausea and vomiting are the second most common signs for pregnancy. These usually appear after 2 weeks of intercourse/fertilisation and could last through the first trimester. Some women experience nausea and vomiting throughout the whole pregnancy.

Nausea is basically a feeling or urge to vomit. It can occur with or without vomiting. Nausea during pregnancy is frequently called as morning sickness but you can have this feeling all through the day and even at night time.

Tender and swollen breasts

Women who have conceived may feel tenderness and swelling in the breasts. They could also notice the slightly increased size of breasts. This is the third most commonly documented sign of pregnancy.

Changes in breasts occur due to related hormonal changes (increased secretion of progesterone) after conception. It starts to appear within 1 to 2 weeks post conception. This could easily coincide with your implantation bleeding.

(Read more: Breast changes in early and late pregnancy)

Fatigue

To prepare an apt environment for foetal growth inside the uterus, a woman’s body goes through a series of quick changes in the early phases of pregnancy. This hussle makes them feel tired and fatigued all the time. Fatigue and sleepiness also occur due to hormonal changes and increased levels of progesterone. Add to it the emotional changes and you might as well be feeling drained and an all-time low on energy.

Frequent urination

Pregnant women tend to feel the urge to use the washroom frequently. This is because a uterus with a foetus puts pressure on your urine storage organ or urinary bladder. This leads to the frequent urge of urination. It usually starts within 6 to 8 weeks of pregnancy in most cases.

Food cravings

You must have heard this one from pregnant women or seen in movies the weird food choices, unscheduled timings and uncontrollable urges to eat when they are pregnant. This happens to almost every pregnant woman but the degree varies from person to person. There is no known or obvious reason for this.

Mood swings

Another associated symptom of pregnancy is mood swings. Pregnant females experience fluctuations in mood due to the hormonal changes. They can feel high or low, calm or anxious and happy or sad in a single day. Mood swings are completely normal but if you feel extreme sadness, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor for help. It could be a sign of depression.

Women who are trying to conceive can't decide whether they are pregnant or when they notice the appearance of a blood streak on their party line. You have all the reasons to be in doubt as their appearance and timing are similar and indistinguishable if you are not fully aware of the two conditions. Moreover, to make things more difficult, some signs of pregnancy also overlap with signs of menstruation like mood swings, food cravings. The following information will give you a clear idea about the difference between the two, step by step. Let's get started:

Blood flow

Blood flow in implantation bleed is much lesser when compared to menstrual bleeding. Implantation bleeding usually occurs in the form of spotting whereas menstrual bleeding is comparatively heavy and requires sanitary napkins, tampons or menstrual cup to manage and control. The amount of bleeding is so less during implantation, that you can simply manage it by washing the genital area or wiping it with toilet paper.

Colour

Every grown woman has experienced mensuration. So, you must be quite familiar with the colour of period blood. Whether someone bleeds heavily or lightly, menstrual blood is bright to dark red only. However, when it comes to implantation bleeding, it varies from light pink to dark brown in colour, sometimes even giving it a rustic appearance.

Clotting

Many of you have seen clumps of blood or clots during periods. This is true for almost every menstruating women with few exceptions. However, implantation bleeding never occurs with clots. They are usually free-flowing blood.

Duration of bleeding

Menstrual bleeding usually occurs for a period of 3 to 7 days. Although women taking birth control pills tend to bleed less or sometimes not at all when compared to women not on contraceptive pills.

On the flipside, implantation bleeding does not last for a longer period of time. This pregnancy-related bleeding tends to be as short-lived as a couple of hours. Maximally, it can last for as long as three complete days.

Hopefully, now you should be able to differentiate between menstrual blood and implantation blood.

By now, you must have gathered that implantation bleeding strongly supports and signals a possible pregnancy. However, if you do pregnancy test at this point of time, it will probably come negative. Therefore, American Pregnancy Association recommends to take a pregnancy test at least 3 days after the bleeding or spotting stops.

Furthermore, according to the Office of Women's Health, pregnancy tests taken after one week of missed periods give a more accurate result. You can take the test sooner but facts show that most of the test come negative if taken a day after missed periods. It's always a good idea to wait for at least one week and then repeat the test for confirmation.

After learning about the causes and symptoms of implantation bleeding, you must be wondering about one question for sure; how much should you be concerned about it? The truth is there is nothing huge to worry about as it is a natural physiological process of the body. Apparently, every expecting woman undergoes this process and it causes no verifiable risk to the growing baby. However, if you are witnessing spots or blood after you have missed the period, probably it is not due to implantation bleeding.

There could be various reasons behind this late appearance or post-implantation bleeding. Bleeding from such causes is not considered to be normal or physiological and requires immediate attention. Here are some of them:

• Having sex
• Vaginal infection
• Hormonal changes
• Irritation to the cervix
• Heavy weight lifting or vigorous exercise

You should immediately consider medical advice and consultation if you are experiencing some internal changes along with severe bleeding and cramps in lower abdominal area.There can be some more serious causes behind heavy and extended bleeding like:

Miscarriage: This is a condition in which pregnancy terminates even before the fetus is capable of living on its own outside the uterus, usually within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, in clinical terms, any pregnancy that ends before 24 weeks of gestation is termed as miscarriage. In modern setting, prevalence and frequency of miscarriage is increasing day by day. As per National Health Service, 1 out of 5 expecting mothers suffers a miscarriage. Heavy bleeding along with cramping in the lower abdomen is seen as telltale signs of a miscarriage.

Ectopic pregnancy: This is an unusual type of pregnancy, which happens when implantation occurs somewhere other than uterine wall, like fallopian tubes. Ectopic pregnancy is also associated with heavy bleeding and cramping. This could be a life-threatening condition and requires urgent intervention.

Molar pregnancy: This is a type of pregnancy that results from abnormal fertilization of the egg. It results in abnormal foetal growth. It occurs more commonly in older females.