Implantation During Pregnancy
If you have conceived, then implantation, a process where the fertilized egg gets attached to the uterine wall, generally happens 7-10 days after you ovulate. However, it can happen a few days later or earlier too. Some of the other signs of implantation include light spotting for a short period of time after the seventh to tenth day after ovulation. A thermal shift is another sign of implantation. You may experience a dip in your body temperature around the same time. Do remember that these are just clues that you may have experienced implantation, but these are not sure shot ways to ascertain if you are pregnant.
Occurrence of implantation: Implantation as well as implantation bleeding happens about nine days after ovulation - a week or more before you get your next period. If you experience spotting a week after ovulation, then it might be implantation bleeding. But if you get spotting just a day or two before you were to start your period, then it may not be implantation bleeding. A normal period begins light and then gets heavier. So, spotting a couple of days prior to your period might just be your period. If this happens, then just wait for a couple of days to make sure whether it’s your period or a sign of pregnancy. It is easy to confuse implantation bleeding and periods. Also, if you do a pregnancy test at the time of implantation bleeding, it’s not necessary that the test will show a positive result since you would be in the very first stages of pregnancy. Also early pregnancy symptoms are very similar to menstrual symptoms. Do remember that implantation bleeding is very common and can be associated with pregnancy. A certain percentage of women experience spotting during implantation as well as the early phase of pregnancy.
Note: If you are trying to conceive, you will spend a lot of time looking for signs that will signal the beginning of a pregnancy. You can start looking for signs a few days after ovulation and a week before your next period. The fertilized egg implants itself on the uterine wall between ovulation and period. While the symptoms of implantation are not always clear, there are times when they are quite evident.
You can watch out for the signs of pregnancy six to 12 days after you have ovulated. You should keep an accurate record of your menstrual cycle to find out when you have ovulated, so that you can find out about your implantation range.
Conception occurs the moment when an egg from an ovary travelling down the fallopian tube is penetrated and fertilized by a sperm cell. Once the egg is fertilized, changes on the surface of the egg ensure that other sperms do not penetrate it. Over the next three or four days, cell division takes place within the egg as it grows into an embryo and moves toward the uterus. Once it enters the uterus, it burrows into the endometrium or the lining of the uterus. This process of embedding of the embryo in the uterine lining is called implantation. Often the woman who has conceived is not aware of the moment of conception or implantation as there are no specific implantation symptoms and signs; however, some women do report implantation symptoms such as cramping, back pain, nausea, discharge, and feeling tired. The implantation cramps may be for some duration of time, either on one side or on both sides. Also, there is a little bleeding at least a week before their periods are due.
Implantation bleeding is experienced by about 20% to 40% women. This takes place about nine to ten days after ovulation. This is around one week before the next period is due. You may experience implantation bleeding in all your pregnancies or it could be a one-time occurrence. Some women do not experience this bleeding at all. The symptoms and signs of implantation bleeding are usually indicative of pregnancy. This bleeding, as mentioned earlier, is different from menstrual bleeding. However, as said before, if you experience implantation bleeding more or less when your periods are due, it is best that you wait for a few days before going in for a pregnancy test. The best time to go in for this test is in the mornings; also, make sure you always use the urine that you pass first thing in the morning for your test. Irrespective of what your results are, make sure you repeat the pregnancy test in about seven days or so after the first test. This second test will help confirm if you are pregnant. If your pregnancy is confirmed consult with your doctor with regard to prenatal care.
Implantation bleeding usually does not harm the baby or the mother as a very small amount of blood is lost. The duration of the implantation bleeding varies from woman to woman. That said; it is important to know that spotting during the early stages of your pregnancy and implantation bleeding are not the same. While both happen sometime around the time your period is due and the symptoms of both are also very similar, they indicate different things. Since the symptoms of implantation bleeding and vaginal spotting during pregnancy are so similar, it is best to consult a doctor for further diagnosis. In most cases, the doctor will prescribe a pregnancy test, and based on the symptoms and the results of the test, he/she may prescribe other tests.
For those women who are hoping to get pregnant, it is nice to be able to recognize the symptoms of bleeding due to implantation as these symptoms are helpful in identifying whether you are pregnant or simply experiencing entering into your period. However, some women mistake these pregnancy signs before a missed period to be a result of stress, and very often consider it to be a mini-period. Remember that bleeding when accompanied by constipation, food cravings, nausea, fatigue, and tenderness of the breast, are mostly signs of pregnancy.
Submitted by N on June 26, 2010 at 04:12