Implantation bleeding 5 days: How Long Does Spotting Last? Implantation, Pregnancy, and More

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How Long Does Spotting Last? Implantation, Pregnancy, and More

Overview

Spotting is the term used for very light vaginal bleeding that isn’t your regular menstrual period. It’s often described as just a few drops of blood that isn’t heavy enough for you to need a pad, tampon, or menstrual cup.

Bleeding outside your period can be really alarming, but most of the time it’s nothing to worry about. There are several reasons why a woman might experience spotting. Spotting can be an early symptom of pregnancy, a side effect of birth control, or a symptom of an underlying medical condition.

The amount of time the spotting lasts depends on the cause.

Between 10 and 14 days after you conceive, the fertilized egg — now called a blastocyst — implants itself into the lining of the uterus. The implantation can irritate and move the lining, which can cause spotting. This is usually referred to as implantation bleeding. Only about a third of pregnant women experience implantation bleeding after they get pregnant, but it’s considered a normal symptom of pregnancy.

In most cases, implantation spotting only lasts from a few hours to a couple days, but some women report having implantation spotting for up to seven days.

You may experience some light cramping and soreness during implantation. For this reason, women often mistake implantation spotting for their regular period. However, implantation spotting typically won’t last as long as a normal period. Bleeding from implantation also doesn’t get heavier like a regular period.

Implantation spotting will stop on its own and doesn’t require treatment. You’ll likely develop other early pregnancy symptoms, likely nausea, sore breasts, and fatigue, shortly after implantation.

About half of all pregnant women experience a small amount of bleeding during pregnancy. While spotting can occur at any stage of pregnancy, it occurs most often in the first trimester (weeks 1 through 12).

Early pregnancy spotting

Spotting during early pregnancy usually isn’t serious. Most women who experience light bleeding during pregnancy go on to deliver healthy babies.

However, spotting could also be a sign of a miscarriage. Miscarriages occur in roughly 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies. If this is the case, the spotting may get heavier and you may also pass fluid and tissue from the vagina. The bleeding may last just a few hours, or up to two weeks.

Sometimes during a miscarriage, the embryo is absorbed into your body. In this case, you may not have a lot of bleeding at all. Following a miscarriage, you should start having regular periods again in three to six weeks.

Spotting during the first trimester could also be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants itself in the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus. Bleeding can occur if the fallopian tube ruptures. Ectopic pregnancies are dangerous and must be removed with medication or surgery.

Late pregnancy spotting

In the second or third trimester, spotting could indicate a problem with the cervix or placenta, such as an incompetent cervix, infection, or a placental abruption.

You may also experience some light spotting if you have sex while you’re pregnant. Spotting after sex typically only lasts a few hours.

Right before giving birth, you might also have some light spotting, often mixed with mucous. This could be a sign that labor is starting.

A small percentage of women have light spotting every month at the same time they ovulate. Ovulation is when a woman’s ovary releases a mature egg. It occurs roughly 11 to 21 days after the first day of your last period. Ovulation spotting usually only lasts a day or two at the same time as ovulation.

As a reminder, any type of hormonal birth control (like the pill, implants, or injections) prevents normal ovulation symptoms. You shouldn’t be experiencing ovulation spotting if you’re on any of these methods of birth control.

Some forms of birth control (contraception) increase the likelihood of experiencing spotting. This is also known as breakthrough bleeding.

Some women experience spotting on and off for the first couple months after getting an IUD, implant, contraceptive shot, or after beginning birth control pills. The spotting will most likely stop after the first two or three months after starting on birth control. If it continues for longer than that, see your doctor.

Spotting after sex, also known as postcoital bleeding, is fairly uncommon and usually not serious.

Spotting after sex can be caused by vaginal dryness, infections, vaginal tearing, rough sex, uterine fibroids, or cervical polyps. While not as common, spotting after sex could also be a symptom of cervical cancer.

Minor spotting or bleeding often goes away within an hour or two after sex.

If there’s a chance you may be pregnant and you experience spotting before your next period, it may be a good idea to take a pregnancy test.

If you know you’re already pregnant and you experience any amount of spotting, you should see your doctor or OB-GYN right away. While not all bleeding is a sign of complications, your doctor will likely want to rule out potentially dangerous causes of spotting in pregnancy, including cervical polyps, ectopic pregnancy, or miscarriage.

For those taking birth control, spotting will usually go away over time, but if it becomes a nuisance or gets heavier, see your doctor. You may need to change your birth control prescription to a different type.

Contact a doctor if:

  • you experience bleeding after menopause
  • you observe vaginal bleeding in a child before the onset of menstruation
  • you have heavy vaginal bleeding that soaks a pad in less than an hour

You should also see a doctor if you have vaginal bleeding with additional symptoms, including:

  • fever or chills
  • vomiting
  • dizziness
  • vaginal discharge
  • vaginal itching
  • increased pelvic pain
  • fluid or tissue coming from the vagina
  • painful intercourse
  • painful or burning urination

If you have minor spotting or bleeding that goes away quickly, you probably don’t need to see a doctor, but if you’re concerned or worried or you experience spotting all the time, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your doctor to share your concerns.

What It Is and What to Look For (Photos!)

When does implantation occur? How is implantation bleeding different from menstrual bleeding? How long does implantation bleeding last? Find out now.

When couples start trying to conceive, they can be like hound dogs looking for an early sign of pregnant. The “two week wait” can seem longer than the wait for the next Star Wars sequel! But some lucky women get a sign before they even get that BFP on that home pregnancy test. It’s called implantation bleeding and the process can look different for each woman and each pregnancy.

Implantation Bleeding: What It Is and What to Look For Video

For this reason, it can be tricky to identify a true implantation bleed versus some other kind of spotting. In this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about implantation bleeding (with photos!) so that you’ll know if you may be pregnant, or may have something else going on.


What Came First? The Implantation or the Egg?

To explain the biology of implantation, we need to rewind the tape. When two people love each other…

Just kidding. We don’t need to rewind that far. At a conception, a male sperm swims to meet a female egg, or ovum, in the fallopian tube where one lucky swimmer enters the egg and fertilizes it. The parents’ genetic material fuses together to create an embryo with its own unique DNA.

The embryo divides into two cells to become a zygote. The zygote continues to grow and subdivide to become what we’ve been waiting for: a blastocyst. At the blastocyst stage, baby is ready to implant. Throughout this time of subdivision and cell growth, baby has been multitasking. Not only is baby growing, but he or she is journeying down the fallopian tube toward the uterus.

And the uterus can’t wait. After each and every monthly ovulation, the uterus has been hoping for this by preparing the uterine wall. To prepare, the uterine lining gets thick, spongy, and vascular to make it an ideal cushion for a potential, burrowing blastocyst.

Finally the long-awaited day arrives and the uterus receives chemical signals that its monthly project was not in vain again and it’s time to fluff the pillows.

The blastocyst reaches the cushy uterine destination, is accepted by it, and attaches to it. Boom. Implantation.

The baby implants in the uterus by way of blood vessels and a stalk that will become the umbilical cord.

The implantation process can be accompanied with vaginal bleeding or spotting, and maybe a little cramping.


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When Does Implantation Occur?

Implantation bleeding isn’t necessarily the exact day of implantation. Bleeding can occur anytime within a week after implantation. Think of it as the afterparty, or even the after-after party.

Implantation typically occurs 6-12 days after ovulation/fertilization, although some sources give it a wider range of 5-14 days.

The average is 8 or 9 days after ovulation/fertilization. This puts the implantation bleeding window just a day or so before a woman would otherwise expect her period.


The Difference Between Implantation Bleeding and Menstrual Bleeding

For some women, implantation bleeding and the expected onset of her menstrual period may overlap. For this reason, it is important to differentiate implantation bleeding from a typical first day menstrual cycle by color, consistency, and intensity. Here are some key differences to look for:

  • Implantation bleeding is pinkish/brownish in color. Period blood is redder. Wearing a white pantyliner or white underwear can help accurately determine the shade.
  • Implantation bleeding has a thinner, “waterier” consistency and does not contain clots.
  • Implantation bleeding is more like spotting or discharge. It does not turn into a heavy, bloody flow like periods do.
  • Implantation bleeding can be accompanied by light cramping, which many women find less painful and/or different from their typical period cramps.
  • Implantation bleeding typically lasts only 1-2 days, versus 5-7 days of bleeding with a normal menstrual cycle

Stress or a change in medication can cause changes in menstrual patterns, it’s true, but those changes are generally foreseeable and recognizable. A woman with a fairly regular cycle will be quick to notice a seemingly unexplained pinker/lighter/milder period when a pregnancy is possible.


I Am Confused Whether This Is Implantation Bleeding or the Beginning of My Period?

You wouldn’t be alone. In some cases, women have mistaken their implantation bleeding for a period, resulting in an inaccurate due date estimate.

In other cases, women have mistaken their spotting for implantation bleeding, only to get their period a day or so later. These mix-ups are common and since the evidence is not conclusive until you take an actual pregnancy test, there’s no practical way to guarantee it.

Over the counter pregnancy tests detect the pregnancy hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), which the placenta produces after the fertilized egg implants into the lining of the uterus. Implantation bleeding occurs before or at the time of the very first positive pregnancy hCG test reading, so if you aren’t sure yet, you will be soon. You’re just going to have a wait a couple extra days. (Darn it!)


Implantation Bleeding Photos

When it comes to pregnancy, waiting is hard! A couple Mama Natural readers shared implantation bleeding photos to help you spot the difference between implantation and the onset of your period.

What Does Implantation Bleeding Look Like? Implantation Bleeding Photo
What Does Implantation Bleeding Look Like? Example of Implantation Bleeding


How Long Does Implantation Bleeding Last?

It varies. Implantation bleeding can last anywhere from from a couple hours to a couple days. It could be something you see once while wiping with a square of toilet paper, a few times on a pantyliner, or it could be a light flow for one, two, or even three days. It is likely to be longer for first time mothers and shorter for mothers whose bodies have had children before and are “used to” implanting.


What If I Don’t Have Implantation Bleeding?

According to the ACOG, only about 25 percent of women experience the “phenomenon” of implantation bleeding. (I didn’t have it with any of my pregnancies.) If you don’t notice any spotting, you’re in the majority. Be sure to look out for other early signs of pregnancy, such as breast tenderness, nausea, bloating, and fatigue.


It’s Too Early for Implantation. Why Am I Bleeding?

When trying to piece together a pregnancy timeline, it is important to remember that a fertilized egg isn’t capable of implanting until at least five days after fertilization. It simply isn’t developed enough before then.

Early bleeding within 4-5 days after intercourse likely has a different origin. It could be caused by:

  • A hormonal withdrawal bleed after a failed ovulation attempt due to a confirmed ovarian cyst rupture.
  • Breastfeeding and irregular postpartum cycles resulting in pinkish discharge.
  • Mid-cycle spotting occurs due to high estrogen levels.
  • Leftover blood from your last period dislodged by sex.
  • Cervical irritation from sex or a pelvic exam.


When to Call a Healthcare Provider

Implantation bleeding poses no risk to the mother or baby. There is no need to call a healthcare provider for light spotting and mild cramping before or at the time of the woman’s normal period.

However, bleeding after a women’s missed period is concerning. You should call a healthcare provider if:

  • There is substantial bleeding after a positive pregnancy test or after a missed period. This could be a sign of miscarriage, molar pregnancy, or ectopic pregnancy.
  • There is noticeable clotting.
  • Bleeding is accompanied by pelvic, abdominal, and/or shoulder pain. This could be caused by an ectopic pregnancy, which is a medical emergency.
  • Bleeding is heavier than a period and is accompanied by fever, chills, and cramps that increase in severity.

Remember: Many women experience light spotting throughout the first trimester to no negative effect. Your healthcare provider should be able to run the appropriate blood, urine, and ultrasound tests to safely monitor mother and child’s development.


Does Your Spotting or Bleeding Concern You?

If you are ever concerned with any kind of vaginal bleeding before, during, or after pregnancy, never hesitate to reach out to your healthcare provider. They are very useful at sorting things out, dispelling fears, and reading the signs.

We Want to Hear About Your Experience!

Even from the first day of pregnancy, motherhood is full of surprises. If you have experienced implantation bleeding, we want to hear from you. When did you notice it? How long did it last? What tipped you off? Did any other symptoms accompany it?

If you recently discovered you are pregnant, congratulations from all of us! Please continue to visit MamaNatural.com for your motherhood questions and concerns.

How long does implantation bleeding last? Timeline

Implantation bleeding can be one of the early signs of pregnancy. How long it lasts can vary.

It may be helpful to think of it as implantation spotting or discharge instead of bleeding, because the flow is not as heavy as someone’s average period. It would not fill a tampon, which people should not use at this point, or a pad, and should not contain any clots.

The blood it produces differs from menstrual blood. It is usually a different color from a person’s typical menstrual blood.

Implantation bleeding occurs during the implantation process. The fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus, usually within two weeks after fertilization. This lining is full of veins and arteries, and when the embryo connects to it, it breaks capillary walls, which causes the bleeding.

Share on PinterestImplantation bleeding may begin as early as five days after implantation.

The duration of implantation bleeding varies. Some may notice spotting for a few hours, while others might experience a light flow that lasts a few days. Some people may have implantation bleeding with one pregnancy and not with others.

Researchers found it was common for people to experience a few days of bleeding during early pregnancy. Studies also determined that bleeding begins five days after implantation.

Implantation bleeding does not usually last as long as a woman’s typical menstrual period. If a person notices a significant change in their usual period, such as spotting instead of regular flow, or a color change in their blood, it may indicate implantation bleeding.

A person who suspects they may be experiencing implantation bleeding instead of a period can take a pregnancy test or speak to their doctor to confirm the pregnancy.

Learn more about implantation bleeding here.

Implantation bleeding may develop around the same time as when someone would usually have their period. Below is a general timeline of how implantation occurs:

  • Ovulation: After the ovaries release an egg, there is a 12–24-hour window for fertilization.
  • Day 0 (fertilization): A viable sperm reaches the egg.
  • Days 1–2: The fertilized egg transits through the fallopian tube for about 30 hours.
  • Days 2–6 (mitosis): The fertilized egg goes through cell divisions that transform it from a zygote, a single-celled embryo, to a blastocyst, an embryo with multiple cells.
  • Days 6–9 (implantation): Starting 67 days after fertilization, implantation is itself a process, which consists of:
    • Adplantation: The blastocyst first begins to stick to the uterus lining.
    • Implantation: The migration of the blastocyst is typically completed nine days after fertilization.
    • Coagulation plug: A blood clot seals the part of the uterine wall where the embryo first attached.
  • Days 6–10: Implantation bleeding usually takes place 10–14 days after conception.

People who experience implantation bleeding may also encounter other symptoms associated with early pregnancy, including:

  • headaches
  • cramping that is milder than those usually experienced during their periods
  • fatigue
  • rapid changes in mood
  • sore lower back
  • breasts start to feel larger and more tender
  • morning sickness, or nausea

Learn more about early pregnancy symptoms here.

Implantation bleeding does not typically require treatment, and it usually goes away on its own.

The following self-care practices can help those who notice spotting early in their pregnancies feel more comfortable:

  • getting enough rest
  • elevating the feet
  • refraining from sexual intercourse
  • avoiding use of tampons

In general, it is a good idea for pregnant people to speak to a doctor if they notice any spotting or bleeding.

This will help give people peace of mind during these stages of their pregnancy. And in cases where someone needs medical intervention, it will allow for prompt treatment.

It can be difficult for someone to distinguish implantation bleeding from other causes of bleeding. Although bleeding during pregnancy is common, in some cases, it can be a symptom of a serious complication, such as an ectopic pregnancy or early pregnancy loss.

People should a doctor if any of the following symptoms occur alongside bleeding:

  • stomach ache
  • cramping, especially in the lower abdomen
  • pain in the pelvis, abdomen, or shoulder
  • fluid or discharge from the vagina
  • feeling dizzy
  • fever

Implantation bleeding lasts anywhere from a few hours to several days. It usually presents as a lighter flow with a different color from typical menstrual blood.

Implantation bleeding is a relatively common occurrence in early pregnancy, and it typically resolves on its own without treatment.

What is implantation bleeding? — IVF center Generation NEXT

How our body functions and what changes occur in it every month is always interesting. Especially during the period when we are pregnant or hope to become pregnant. Almost certainly never do we monitor our condition so carefully and closely as during the period when we hope to become pregnant. From feeling tired to feeling slightly nauseous, the smallest signs are examined and tested for their significance. In this article, we will look at some of the most common implant bleeding problems. This problem is frightening and confusing if the desired pregnancy has already occurred.

Thus, we will try to figure out what are the symptoms and signs of implantation bleeding, how to recognize the earliest signs of implantation and pregnancy? Such self-control in people undergoing assisted fertility treatment can be much stronger, which is understandable. In this context, we will consider whether any other symptoms of implantation should be expected during pregnancy, and if so, how.

What is implantation bleeding?

About 30-40% of women experience a slight loss of blood after the embryo is implanted in the uterus. This phenomenon is known as implantation bleeding. Since this happens at the beginning of the cycle, it may even be the first sign of realizing that you are pregnant. Bleeding usually occurs in the first weeks of pregnancy, as the uterus is an organ rich in blood vessels that can easily «damage». When the embryo sticks to the inner wall of the uterus, the small veins and arteries that normally connect to the endometrium rupture, and this can cause bleeding. If this occurs, usually 6-10 days after fertilization, then it usually coincides with the theoretical date of menstruation, and therefore can be confused with its onset. There is no set pattern, and implantation bleeding may occur in one or all of a particular individual’s pregnancies.

How to recognize implantation bleeding?

The first question for many people is how to recognize that this is implantation bleeding and not just the start of a cycle, in other words, how do these types of bleeding differ? The most common reason for confusion here is that bleeding occurs 10-14 days after conception, around the time that menstruation would have occurred if conception had not occurred. However, vaginal bleeding can occur anytime during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. Blood loss may last 1-3 days, and the amount of discharge is usually less than during menstruation, although the color may be darker. It may look like a light spot or light continuous bleeding, and blood may or may not be mixed with mucus. The color may vary depending on how long it took to leave the body. Fresh bleeding looks red, it may look pink or orange if mixed with other vaginal discharge, and old blood may look brown due to oxidation.


How severe can implantation bleeding be? Can implantation bleeding have clots?

Usually, the bleeding that occurs as a result of the implantation of the embryo in the uterus is manifested by a spot or light bleeding. Usually it is not strong and does not have clots, as in a normal cycle. If you suspect you may be pregnant and are bleeding heavily with clots, you should see your doctor as this could signal problems or even the onset of a premature miscarriage. On the other hand, if you have no other reason to suspect that you are pregnant, this type of bleeding is more likely to just be the start of your cycle.


What are other symptoms of implantation in early pregnancy?

Since implantation bleeding only occurs in about a third of pregnancies, you are likely to be among the majority who do not experience it. However, your vigilance for the signs and symptoms of successful implantation is probably still massively high! So what are other early signs that you might be pregnant? They may include:

Morning sickness

This can start as early as 4 weeks after conception (10-14 days after embryo transfer), although more often it happens after about 6 weeks. Luckily for those who go through this, morning sickness is usually temporary and usually improves by 16-20 weeks of pregnancy.

Sensitivity to smells and tastes

Sudden sensitivity to smell and taste can be a sign of early pregnancy and no doubt contributes to the long tales of pregnancy “cravings” for certain foods. Both heightened sensitivity and morning sickness are the result of hormonal changes taking place in your body.

Frequent urination

It seems strange when your baby is still very young, but the need to urinate more often in early pregnancy is one of the most common symptoms. It is also the result of hormonal changes that cause faster blood flow through the liver and kidneys to remove waste as efficiently as possible. In addition, the uterus rapidly increases in size even at this early stage of pregnancy and therefore puts more pressure on the bladder, especially at night.

Soreness of the mammary glands

The well-known symptom of breast tenderness is another sign of early pregnancy. This is the result of an increase in blood flow and fluid retention in the mammary glands against the background of a sharp increase in the level of female sex hormones in the blood serum.

Stomach cramps

Spasms may occur on their own or be accompanied by slight bleeding, which may be a signal of implantation. You might think that all these possible early signs and symptoms of pregnancy will help to be easily confident in its onset. But the fact is that some symptoms are also present in some people as a harbinger of their normal monthly cycle in premenstrual syndrome. Thus, despite all the possible clues, the only way to be sure of pregnancy is to take a pregnancy test, and with it, confirm the pregnancy with your doctor.


Is implantation bleeding the same when you are undergoing IVF treatment?

People undergoing IVF or any other assisted fertility treatment often wonder if pregnancy symptoms will be the same if embryo transfer and implantation is successful. In a word, yes. While some stages of IVF are drug-driven, and even though the actual pairing of the egg and sperm takes place in the laboratory, the end result is identical.

Let’s look at a summary of the steps that led to the implantation of the embryos. The first step is ovarian stimulation, which causes the ovaries to produce a number of oocytes. Then, when the oocytes have reached a suitable stage of maturity, they are retrieved during ovarian puncture in order to be fertilized with prepared sperm in the embryology laboratory. This is the point at which fertilization occurs and embryos are formed. They are cultivated — «grow» in special incubators and pass the necessary tests (if a genetic study of the embryos is performed). The healthiest and most viable embryo is then transferred into the woman’s uterus. This is, in a nutshell, the final stage of the process. The implantation of the embryo into the uterine wall after it has been transferred is not part of the assisted reproduction process; it is something that happens naturally in the same way as in normal conception. This final stage is not guaranteed as a result of IVF treatment, just as unprotected sex during ovulation is not guaranteed to lead to pregnancy. This explains the absolute similarity of symptoms in the case of assisted reproduction and natural pregnancy, which you can expect, including any bleeding during implantation.

implantation bleeding and other natural causes of menstrual flow during pregnancy

The absence of menstruation is perhaps the surest sign of pregnancy. However, sometimes pregnant women notice spotting in themselves and take them for menstruation. Most often, this is the so-called “implantation bleeding”, caused by the attachment of the fetal egg to the wall of the uterus.

Menstruation during early pregnancy can go, but rather theoretically. A similar phenomenon occurs in no more than 1% of cases. Other 99% are due to various pathologies, in particular, hormonal disruptions and the threat of miscarriage.

Pregnancy and menstruation at the same time — is it possible

After the onset of pregnancy, menstruation can no longer go — it is so laid down by nature. Physiologically, this becomes impossible, but in practice it still happens, contrary to the laws of nature.

Many women come to the antenatal clinic with obvious symptoms of pregnancy, among which, however, there is no delay in menstruation. But the chest grows and hurts, sick in the morning, the stomach increases.

Monthly menstrual-like bleeding can come throughout the first trimester, that is, the first three months. A pregnant woman takes them for menstruation.

Among the people, menstruation during pregnancy was considered the norm and they said that in this way “the fetus is washed”.

What actually happens is the following. From the point of view of physiology, there is a small chance that not one, but 2 or even 3 eggs will mature in the follicular phase of the cycle.

That’s just the follicles do not always come out in this case at the same time. For example, the first egg was released, lived for one day and died unfertilized because it did not meet with the sperm.

The dead egg enters the uterus, and after 28 days menstruation begins.

Ovum #2 was fertilized and began to move into the uterine cavity through the tube, which usually takes about 8 days. During this time, the manifestation of menstruation is just possible, due to the death of egg No. 1.

You can distinguish such menstruation by several signs. Firstly, they last only 2-4 days instead of the usual 6-7. Secondly, they are less abundant.

But this is not the only reason that can explain menstruation during early pregnancy.

When can menstruation occur during pregnancy: 4 reasons

When one egg is fertilized out of several, menstruation occurs only once in the first month. In the next, it will no longer occur due to an actively developing pregnancy.

There are 3 more reasons that can be called physiological. These include:

  • implantation of a fertilized egg by IVF;
  • fertilization that occurred during menstruation or immediately before them;
  • violation of the process of producing progesterone while taking certain medications.

The listed reasons explain menstruation in the first month, later menstrual-like discharge most often has a different origin. One way or another, you need to tell your doctor about them.

In rare cases (0.5-1%), pregnant women still have spotting on the days when menstruation should begin. The reason is unknown to science, presumably, it lies in the «hormonal memory» of the body. For a more accurate understanding, please contact our doctors — they work around the clock and can answer all your questions by phone.

How to distinguish between periods during pregnancy

Normal periods during pregnancy have 2 main distinguishing features:

  1. duration. Menstruation can go from several hours to 2 days, no more.
  2. Color. Usually scarlet, brown clots should not be normal.

Typical symptoms such as pulling pain in the lower abdomen, mild nausea and irritability are not excluded.

What is implantation bleeding

Implantation of the embryo into the uterus is accompanied by bleeding in less than half of the women. It occurs due to damage to the small capillaries of the endometrium, the cells of which are partially dissolved by embryonic enzymes.

This is a natural process that does not cause any particular inconvenience to a woman, except for a small daub for 2-3 days. Many pregnant women take it for menstruation that has come ahead of time.

You can determine bleeding due to the attachment of the fetal egg by typical symptoms, namely:

  • discharge has a pinkish or creamy tint;
  • the smell is normal, mild;
  • detachable meager;
  • in the lower abdomen, a feeling of discomfort, slight soreness is possible;
  • periodically there may be attacks of nausea, drowsiness, fatigue.

If during ovulation, the basal temperature rises, then during implantation retraction, on the contrary, it falls.

Attention! It is from such fluctuations in the values ​​of basal temperature that a woman often understands that she has become pregnant.

How to understand that menstruation has come: 5 differences

sign

Implantation

Period

Volume of separated blood

Small

Moderate to large

How long does it take

The duration of implantation bleeding is a maximum of 3 days

From 4 days to a week

Character

constant, uniform

Scanty discharge in the first days, turning into a fairly heavy bleeding. It ends with the same meager discharge as in the first days

Start date, cycle day

4-7 days after ovulation, 3-8 days before menstruation

27-30

Color

Creamy milky, pinkish, sometimes with blood streaks

deep red

In addition, if menstruation is due soon, many women develop PMS — premenstrual syndrome. Its manifestations are known:

  • weakness;
  • weakness;
  • irritability;
  • vulnerability, tearfulness;
  • fatigue;
  • engorgement of the mammary glands;
  • soreness, cramps in the lower abdomen.

Will the pregnancy continue if menstruation has begun

If your period is really gone, then yes. However, in half of the cases, bleeding during pregnancy is not menstruation and leads to miscarriage. It is not possible to determine the cause on your own, and for any atypical discharge, you should contact a gynecologist.

Bleeding of a very different nature most often occurs in the first and third trimester. But even with serious anomalies, pregnancy can be maintained thanks to timely medical care.

The most common cause of bleeding is a threatened miscarriage. Bleeding also appears in conditions such as:

  • progesterone deficiency;
  • ectopic pregnancy;
  • frozen pregnancy;
  • placenta previa (in the 3rd trimester).

Progesterone deficiency

Lack of this hormone may well cause menstrual-like bleeding, and the days may coincide with the date of the missed period. It is progesterone that is responsible for the fact that menstruation stops going during the period of bearing a child.

The value of progesterone can hardly be overestimated, since this hormone suppresses the mother’s immunity, thereby preventing the rejection of the embryo, and prevents the development of uterine hypertonicity.

Progesterone deficiency can be caused by:

  • pathology of the corpus luteum of the ovaries, chorion;
  • chronic kidney and liver diseases;
  • dysfunction of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland;
  • gynecological diseases of an inflammatory nature;
  • history of abortion;
  • insufficient synthesis of the hCG hormone.

Bleeding against the background of hormonal deficiency is a danger to the life of the fetus, if no action is taken. The discharge itself can have different intensity and color, from dark brown to bright red. They often contain mucus.

In some cases, there may be typical symptoms of menstruation — weakness, pulling pain in the abdomen and lower back, feeling unwell.

Case study:

The pregnancy test is positive, hCG 300, after 2 days it rose to 450. Ultrasound showed no pathologies, as well as pregnancy, including ectopic. On the third day, menstruation began, hCG dropped to 100. The diagnosis was a biochemical pregnancy, that is, the fetal egg did not fix itself in the uterus and came out with blood.

To stabilize the hormonal status, progesterone preparations are prescribed, which pregnant women take up to 16-18 weeks. After this period, the risk of miscarriage decreases.

Attention! The more abundant the bleeding, the worse the prognosis. If there are clots in the discharge, then it is most likely a miscarriage that has begun.

Ectopic pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy can be suspected by the characteristic brown spotting. They are associated with a deficiency of hCG, which is synthesized in a smaller volume due to the fixation of the chorion outside the uterine cavity.

At the same time, tests can show the onset of conception, and symptoms of toxicosis are also often present. However, as the organ with the attached embryo (cervix, fallopian tube) stretches, the bleeding will increase, and there will be noticeable pain in the abdomen.

The most striking clinical picture occurs in case of rupture of the tube and cervical bleeding — profuse, with large clots, scarlet. It is accompanied by intense cutting pain syndrome, up to pain shock and fainting.

Attention! The risk of rupture of the fallopian tube is highest at 8-12 weeks if an ectopic pregnancy is not detected earlier on ultrasound.

Missed pregnancy

Rejection of the dead fetus begins 2-3 weeks after his death, which is manifested by the sudden disappearance of toxicosis, and a little later — bloody daub. Gradually, it transforms into a full-fledged bleeding and changes color from brown to bright scarlet.

The lower abdomen also begins to hurt, and the pain strongly resembles contractions. There are clots in the discharge.

A suspected miscarriage is a reason for emergency hospitalization because the dead fetus in the womb decomposes and poses a threat to her life.

FAQ

What should a pregnant woman do if her period has passed? How to check if the pregnancy has survived?

+

You can take an analysis for hCG or do a test.

How to determine biochemical pregnancy?

+

The surest marker is the level of hCG, which rarely rises above 100 during biochemical pregnancy. After the onset of menstruation, its concentration drops sharply. If you believe the reviews, menstruation in this case is more abundant than usual.

Can menstruation during pregnancy indicate vanishing twin syndrome?

+

Indeed, uterine bleeding is one of the symptoms of such a mysterious phenomenon. But with natural conception, it is rare, basically the vanishing twin syndrome is observed during artificial insemination with the replanting of several embryos.

Expert opinion

Menstruation during early pregnancy is rather an exception to the general rule; implantation bleeding is also rare. This is not a reason to panic, but it is necessary to visit a gynecologist to exclude pathological causes.

We publish only verified information

Article author

Menshikova Maria Viktorovna

obstetrician-gynecologist

Experience 38 years

Consultations 1816

Articles 46

Specialist with extensive practical experience. He has a certificate of a mammologist, a certificate of professional certification. Participates in foreign business trips and individual training programs (Los Angeles).

  • 1982 — 1986 NPO MONIIAG — obstetrician-gynecologist
  • 1987 — 1989 VNITs OZMIR — obstetrician-gynecologist
  • 1989 — 1992 departmental polyclinic st. Moscow — Kurskaya — obstetrician-gynecologist
  • 1992 — 2001 NPO MONIIAG — obstetrician-gynecologist
  • 2007 — 2008 NP KMIKM — doctor administrator
  • 2009 — 2013 Pereslavl Central District Hospital, women’s consultation — obstetrician-gynecologist
  • 2020 to present Teledoctor24 LLC — doctor — consultant (gynecologist)

implantation bleeding and other natural causes of menstrual flow during pregnancy

The absence of menstruation is perhaps the surest sign of pregnancy. However, sometimes pregnant women notice spotting in themselves and take them for menstruation. Most often, this is the so-called “implantation bleeding”, caused by the attachment of the fetal egg to the wall of the uterus.

Menstruation during early pregnancy can go, but rather theoretically. A similar phenomenon occurs in no more than 1% of cases. The remaining 99% are due to various pathologies, in particular, hormonal disruptions and the threat of miscarriage.

Pregnancy and menstruation at the same time — is it possible

After the onset of pregnancy, menstruation can no longer go — it is so laid down by nature. Physiologically, this becomes impossible, but in practice it still happens, contrary to the laws of nature.

Many women come to the antenatal clinic with obvious symptoms of pregnancy, among which, however, there is no delay in menstruation. But the chest grows and hurts, sick in the morning, the stomach increases.

Monthly menstrual-like bleeding can come throughout the first trimester, that is, the first three months. A pregnant woman takes them for menstruation.

Among the people, menstruation during pregnancy was considered the norm and they said that in this way “the fetus is washed”.

What actually happens is the following. From the point of view of physiology, there is a small chance that not one, but 2 or even 3 eggs will mature in the follicular phase of the cycle.

That’s just the follicles do not always come out in this case at the same time. For example, the first egg was released, lived for one day and died unfertilized because it did not meet with the sperm.

The dead egg enters the uterus, and after 28 days menstruation begins.

Ovum #2 was fertilized and began to move into the uterine cavity through the tube, which usually takes about 8 days. During this time, the manifestation of menstruation is just possible, due to the death of egg No. 1.

You can distinguish such menstruation by several signs. Firstly, they last only 2-4 days instead of the usual 6-7. Secondly, they are less abundant.

But this is not the only reason that can explain menstruation during early pregnancy.

When can menstruation occur during pregnancy: 4 reasons

When one egg is fertilized out of several, menstruation occurs only once in the first month. In the next, it will no longer occur due to an actively developing pregnancy.

There are 3 more reasons that can be called physiological. These include:

  • implantation of a fertilized egg by IVF;
  • fertilization that occurred during menstruation or immediately before them;
  • violation of the process of producing progesterone while taking certain medications.

The listed reasons explain menstruation in the first month, later menstrual-like discharge most often has a different origin. One way or another, you need to tell your doctor about them.

In rare cases (0.5-1%), pregnant women still have spotting on the days when menstruation should begin. The reason is unknown to science, presumably, it lies in the «hormonal memory» of the body. For a more accurate understanding, please contact our doctors — they work around the clock and can answer all your questions by phone.

How to distinguish between periods during pregnancy

Normal periods during pregnancy have 2 main distinguishing features:

  1. duration. Menstruation can go from several hours to 2 days, no more.
  2. Color. Usually scarlet, brown clots should not be normal.

Typical symptoms such as pulling pain in the lower abdomen, mild nausea and irritability are not excluded.

What is implantation bleeding

Implantation of the embryo into the uterus is accompanied by bleeding in less than half of the women. It occurs due to damage to the small capillaries of the endometrium, the cells of which are partially dissolved by embryonic enzymes.

This is a natural process that does not cause any particular inconvenience to a woman, except for a small daub for 2-3 days. Many pregnant women take it for menstruation that has come ahead of time.

You can determine bleeding due to the attachment of the fetal egg by typical symptoms, namely:

  • discharge has a pinkish or creamy tint;
  • the smell is normal, mild;
  • detachable meager;
  • in the lower abdomen, a feeling of discomfort, slight soreness is possible;
  • periodically there may be attacks of nausea, drowsiness, fatigue.

If during ovulation, the basal temperature rises, then during implantation retraction, on the contrary, it falls.

Attention! It is from such fluctuations in the values ​​of basal temperature that a woman often understands that she has become pregnant.

How to understand that menstruation has come: 5 differences

sign

Implantation

Period

Volume of separated blood

Small

Moderate to large

How long does it take

The duration of implantation bleeding is a maximum of 3 days

From 4 days to a week

Character

constant, uniform

Scanty discharge in the first days, turning into a fairly heavy bleeding. It ends with the same meager discharge as in the first days

Start date, cycle day

4-7 days after ovulation, 3-8 days before menstruation

27-30

Color

Creamy milky, pinkish, sometimes with blood streaks

deep red

In addition, if menstruation is due soon, many women develop PMS — premenstrual syndrome. Its manifestations are known:

  • weakness;
  • weakness;
  • irritability;
  • vulnerability, tearfulness;
  • fatigue;
  • engorgement of the mammary glands;
  • soreness, cramps in the lower abdomen.

Will the pregnancy continue if menstruation has begun

If your period is really gone, then yes. However, in half of the cases, bleeding during pregnancy is not menstruation and leads to miscarriage. It is not possible to determine the cause on your own, and for any atypical discharge, you should contact a gynecologist.

Bleeding of a very different nature most often occurs in the first and third trimester. But even with serious anomalies, pregnancy can be maintained thanks to timely medical care.

The most common cause of bleeding is a threatened miscarriage. Bleeding also appears in conditions such as:

  • progesterone deficiency;
  • ectopic pregnancy;
  • frozen pregnancy;
  • placenta previa (in the 3rd trimester).

Progesterone deficiency

Lack of this hormone may well cause menstrual-like bleeding, and the days may coincide with the date of the missed period. It is progesterone that is responsible for the fact that menstruation stops going during the period of bearing a child.

The value of progesterone can hardly be overestimated, since this hormone suppresses the mother’s immunity, thereby preventing the rejection of the embryo, and prevents the development of uterine hypertonicity.

Progesterone deficiency can be caused by:

  • pathology of the corpus luteum of the ovaries, chorion;
  • chronic kidney and liver diseases;
  • dysfunction of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland;
  • gynecological diseases of an inflammatory nature;
  • history of abortion;
  • insufficient synthesis of the hCG hormone.

Bleeding against the background of hormonal deficiency is a danger to the life of the fetus, if no action is taken. The discharge itself can have different intensity and color, from dark brown to bright red. They often contain mucus.

In some cases, there may be typical symptoms of menstruation — weakness, pulling pain in the abdomen and lower back, feeling unwell.

Case study:

The pregnancy test is positive, hCG 300, after 2 days it rose to 450. Ultrasound showed no pathologies, as well as pregnancy, including ectopic. On the third day, menstruation began, hCG dropped to 100. The diagnosis was a biochemical pregnancy, that is, the fetal egg did not fix itself in the uterus and came out with blood.

To stabilize the hormonal status, progesterone preparations are prescribed, which pregnant women take up to 16-18 weeks. After this period, the risk of miscarriage decreases.

Attention! The more abundant the bleeding, the worse the prognosis. If there are clots in the discharge, then it is most likely a miscarriage that has begun.

Ectopic pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy can be suspected by the characteristic brown spotting. They are associated with a deficiency of hCG, which is synthesized in a smaller volume due to the fixation of the chorion outside the uterine cavity.

At the same time, tests can show the onset of conception, and symptoms of toxicosis are also often present. However, as the organ with the attached embryo (cervix, fallopian tube) stretches, the bleeding will increase, and there will be noticeable pain in the abdomen.

The most striking clinical picture occurs in case of rupture of the tube and cervical bleeding — profuse, with large clots, scarlet. It is accompanied by intense cutting pain syndrome, up to pain shock and fainting.

Attention! The risk of rupture of the fallopian tube is highest at 8-12 weeks if an ectopic pregnancy is not detected earlier on ultrasound.

Missed pregnancy

Rejection of the dead fetus begins 2-3 weeks after his death, which is manifested by the sudden disappearance of toxicosis, and a little later — bloody daub. Gradually, it transforms into a full-fledged bleeding and changes color from brown to bright scarlet.

The lower abdomen also begins to hurt, and the pain strongly resembles contractions. There are clots in the discharge.

A suspected miscarriage is a reason for emergency hospitalization because the dead fetus in the womb decomposes and poses a threat to her life.

FAQ

What should a pregnant woman do if her period has passed? How to check if the pregnancy has survived?

+

You can take an analysis for hCG or do a test.

How to determine biochemical pregnancy?

+

The surest marker is the level of hCG, which rarely rises above 100 during biochemical pregnancy. After the onset of menstruation, its concentration drops sharply. If you believe the reviews, menstruation in this case is more abundant than usual.

Can menstruation during pregnancy indicate vanishing twin syndrome?

+

Indeed, uterine bleeding is one of the symptoms of such a mysterious phenomenon. But with natural conception, it is rare, basically the vanishing twin syndrome is observed during artificial insemination with the replanting of several embryos.

Expert opinion

Menstruation during early pregnancy is rather an exception to the general rule; implantation bleeding is also rare. This is not a reason to panic, but it is necessary to visit a gynecologist to exclude pathological causes.

We publish only verified information

Article author

Menshikova Maria Viktorovna

obstetrician-gynecologist

Experience 38 years

Consultations 1816

Articles 46

Specialist with extensive practical experience.

By alexxlab

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