Implantation bleeding is the earliest sign of pregnancy. Implantation bleeding

In order to distinguish the norm of embryonic attachment from the onset of menstruation or the onset of a disease, you should know how long does it last implantation bleeding and on what day of the cycle it occurs.

If menstrual cycle regular, then blood often appears on the 20-26th day of the cycle, which is equivalent to about a week or several days before menstruation or after the 6-11th day after ovulation and subsequent fertilization.

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Anna Poniaeva. Graduated from Nizhny Novgorod medical academy(2007-2014) and Residency in Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (2014-2016).

Maria Sokolova

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Implantation bleeding usually occurs a week before your expected period. Bloody, light discharge after ovulation most likely indicates possible conception. But such discharge immediately before the expected menstruation indicates the opposite.

What is implantation bleeding?

Implantation bleeding is minor bleeding, which occurs as the fertilized egg implants into the wall of the uterus. This phenomenon does not happen to all women. And in most cases it may go completely unnoticed.

In fact, implantation bleeding is just light discharge. pink or brown. Their duration ranges from several hours to several days (in rare cases). It is for this reason that it usually goes unnoticed or is mistaken for the beginning of menstruation.

However, it is worth paying attention to severe bleeding, as it can be caused by other reasons. These may include early miscarriage or dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

How does bleeding occur during implantation?

Implantation bleeding is considered one of the early signs of pregnancy. It happens even before the woman discovers it. It is worth noting that implantation bleeding does not affect the course of pregnancy as a whole. About 3% of women encounter this phenomenon and mistake it for menstruation, and soon find out that they are already pregnant.

Fertilization occurs in an already mature egg, that is, during or after ovulation. Ovulation occurs in the middle of the cycle.

For example, if the cycle is 30 days, then ovulation will occur on days 13-16, and about 10 more days will be required for the mature egg to migrate through the tubes to the uterus. Accordingly, implantation of the egg into the wall of the uterus occurs approximately on days 23-28 of the cycle.

It turns out that implantation bleeding occurs just before the expected menstruation.

Implantation bleeding itself is a completely normal phenomenon for female body, because global hormonal changes begin with the attachment of the egg to the wall of the uterus. The main thing is to distinguish it from other possible vaginal bleeding in time.

Signs of implantation bleeding

How to distinguish implantation bleeding from menstrual bleeding?

Nature of the discharge

Typically, menstruation begins with light discharge, which then becomes heavier. However, in very rare cases, implantation bleeding occurs shortly before or during your period. Then you need to pay attention to the abundance and color of menstruation.

If you have bloody discharge, you can go through to be completely sure. It can be done as early as 8-10 days after ovulation. It is likely that the result will be positive.

What else can implantation bleeding be confused with?

Light, bloody discharge in the middle of the menstrual cycle may also indicate the following diseases:

• Sexually transmitted infections(chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis).
• Bacterial vaginosis and endometriosis may be accompanied by bleeding.
• If the discharge is accompanied by cutting pain in the lower abdomen, vomiting, nausea and dizziness, then one should suspect ectopic pregnancy, as well as miscarriage.
• Also, discharge may indicate hormonal dysfunction, inflammation of the uterus or appendages, damage during sexual intercourse.

In all of the above cases, you should immediately contact medical care.

Video Doctor Elena Berezovskaya explains what implantation bleeding is and what it means

Feedback from women on this issue

Maria:

Girls, tell me, who knows about implantation bleeding? My period should start in 10 days, but today I found a drop of blood in clear mucus on my panties, and my stomach ached all day like before my period. This month I felt ovulation well. And my husband and I tried to make everything work out. Just don’t talk about tests and blood tests, this has never happened before. Sexual intercourse took place on days 11, 14, 15 of the cycle. Today is day 20.

Elena:

Similar discharge sometimes occurs during ovulation.

Irina:

I had the same thing last month, and now I have a huge delay and a bunch of negative tests...

Ella:

This happened to me 10 days after intercourse. This happens when the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus.

Veronica:

Happens quite often. The main thing is not to rush time - you won’t know before anyway! Ovulation bleeding can manifest itself in exactly the same way as implantation bleeding.

Marina:

You need to measure your basal temperature in the morning, preferably at the same time, without getting out of bed, if the temperature is above 36.8-37.0 and your period does not come. And all this will continue for at least a week, which means that the bleeding was implantation and you can be congratulated on your pregnancy.

Olga:

I, too, exactly 6 days later, had drops of pinkish-brown discharge, I hope I’m pregnant. I also feel some warmth in my lower abdomen, has this happened to anyone?

Svetlana:

Recently, two brownish spots also appeared, and then some pinkish blood. The breasts are swollen, sometimes you feel a nagging pain in the lower abdomen, your period is still 3-4 days away...

Mila:

It happened to me that on the 6th day after intercourse, pinkish discharge appeared in the evening. I was very scared of this, 3 months ago I had a miscarriage. The next day it was a little brownish, and then it was clear. My nipples started to hurt. I took a test 14 days later and the result was negative. Now I’m suffering, not knowing if I’m pregnant, or maybe it’s something else. And I can’t determine the delay precisely, since sexual intercourse took place a couple of days before the expected menstruation.

Faith:

On the fifth day of the delay, I took a test, which turned out to be positive... I was very happy and immediately ran to the doctor to confirm whether pregnancy had definitely occurred or not... There the doctor pushed me into a chair and during the examination she found blood inside... The blood confused her, I was sent to the hospital. As a result, there were 3 options for the appearance of blood: either it was the start of menstruation, or a miscarriage that had begun, or implantation of the fertilized egg. They did an ultrasound and tests. My pregnancy was confirmed. There was no more blood. It turned out that it really was implantation, but if I had not gone to the doctor for an examination and she had not found blood, then I would not have known about the manifestation of implantation bleeding at all. As I understand it, if this is implantation, then there should be very little blood.

Arina:

I had implantation bleeding. Only it looked more like small streaks of blood, maybe like spotting. This happened on the 7th day after ovulation. I then measured my basal temperature. So, during implantation, an implantation drop in basal temperature may still occur. This means that it drops by 0.2-0.4 degrees, and then rises again. That's what happened to me.

Margarita:

And for me, implantation happened seven days after ovulation and, accordingly, sexual intercourse. In the morning I discovered blood, but not brown, but light red discharge, it quickly went away and now my stomach and back are constantly tugging. My chest hurt, but it's almost gone. So I hope it was implantation bleeding.

Anastasia:

A week before my period, I had bleeding in the evening, as if my period had started. I was just terribly scared! This has never happened before! I didn't know what to think! But by morning there was nothing. I made an appointment with a gynecologist, but it was scheduled only a week later. My husband consulted with someone and they told him that perhaps I was pregnant, and we ruined everything with sexual intercourse and there was a miscarriage... I was seriously upset. My husband then calmed me down as best he could! He promised that we would try again. And a week later, menstruation still didn’t come, but the pregnancy test turned out to be positive! So I came to the gynecologist to register.

An infrequent phenomenon that resembles the onset of regular menstruation, but has nothing in common with it, is implantation bleeding, that is, the presence of vaginal bleeding that can occur when an egg is implanted in the uterus. Actually, this process of fixation is called implantation. This is the very first physiological sign pregnancy, which is observed only in a third of expectant mothers. In many cases, pregnancy can be determined with almost 100% accuracy by the occurrence of implantation bleeding. Many women do not even know what implantation bleeding is. How does it differ from menstruation and how long does such bleeding last?

Mechanism of occurrence

Implantation bleeding occurs when the future embryo implants into the endometrium of the uterus. This happens because when the blastocyst immerses ( early stage embryo) into the inner lining of the uterus, its surface layer (troboblast) secretes enzymes that melt the surrounding tissue so that the embryo can attach to the wall of the uterus. During this melting, enzymes also damage small vessels, which are precisely the source of blood.

With absence alarming symptoms, such as pain, prolonged flow of discharge and others, such small bleeding can be considered normal, but in for preventive purposes It is still worth getting specialist advice. It is worth noting that such discharge does not always occur. In many cases, implantation occurs without any trouble. But if such bleeding occurs, it helps a woman recognize signs of pregnancy even before her menstruation is delayed.

Considering that the entire process of attachment of the embryo to the wall of the uterus takes no more than 40 hours, the accompanying bleeding can last the same amount. If the bleeding continues for 3-4 days, the woman should be wary and consult a doctor to find out the causes of the bleeding. It is quite possible that it is caused by dysfunctional uterine bleeding, inflammation of the uterus or appendages, and perhaps damage during sexual intercourse.

When pregnancy-related bleeding may occur

Since fertilization of the egg occurs approximately on the 14th day of the menstrual cycle, after which the zygote ( primary state egg) moves along the fallopian tube for another 5 days to attach to the wall of the uterus on the 6th day; placental bleeding occurs approximately at this time, that is, on days 20-21 of the menstrual cycle. When does a woman experience late ovulation, fertilization, as well as the accompanying bleeding, shifts closer to the period of menstruation. In this case, a woman may confuse her period with the implantation process.

In fact, very often a woman may simply not notice implantation bleeding. This is due to the paucity of bloody discharge that does not attract attention. expectant mother. It is difficult to call such spotting and bleeding, because the damage to the blood vessels is insignificant, and in some cases they can only be seen through a microscope. Typically, implantation bleeding is one or two drops of scarlet blood on your underwear. Sometimes the discharge appears as bloody streaks in mucous secretion. In rare cases, this bleeding may be profuse and streaky.

If we talk about timing, then discharge a week before the expected start of menstruation is most likely implantation bleeding, while a slight discharge similar to blood that appears just before the expected start of menstruation may indicate a completely different phenomenon.

Symptoms and signs

Implantation bleeding is characterized by yellowish, pink, brownish or dark red discharge and occurs approximately 6-12 days after sexual intercourse during which conception could have occurred. It lasts from several hours to a day and, if this phenomenon drags on longer, you should immediately consult a doctor. The intensity of the discharge can be judged by the fact that sometimes a woman does not even know about it - the doctor discovers it during a routine examination.

There is almost never any pain during implantation bleeding. If a woman has an ectopic pregnancy, implantation in this case may also be accompanied by the appearance of bloody discharge, but then the bloody discharge will be brown in color, since the blood “ages” and darkens while it is looking for a way out of the fallopian tube. At ectopic pregnancy Implantation bleeding may be accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen.

Women who monitor changes in basal temperature during the menstrual cycle can pay attention to the so-called “implantation retraction” - a sharp decline thermometer readings for one day in the second half of the cycle. This is one of the obvious signs, which appears most often in charts with confirmed pregnancies.

Regarding spasms, how about possible symptoms with such bleeding, there are different opinions, since only some women say that during the implantation of the egg they experienced such sensations, and doctors generally tend to believe that this is practically impossible.

How to distinguish implantation bleeding from menstruation

It is worth remembering that the term “implantation bleeding” only sounds impressive, but in reality it cannot be profuse, unlike menstruation. Selection large quantity blood, provided that this is indeed a sign of pregnancy, is a reason to seek medical help, since this indicates violations and may indicate a risk of miscarriage. A cause for concern is the appearance of clots (which is allowed during menstruation) and the scarlet color of the blood.

If you are in doubt (menstruation or implantation bleeding), then you need to be guided by reliable information about the menstrual cycle. In this case, the gynecologist will help to accurately determine the cause of the discharge. As a rule, bleeding, indicating pregnancy, may appear in the middle of the cycle, with a difference of 1-3 days. Difficulties with forecasting may arise due to the fact that not everyone has a regular menstrual cycle.

To find out what exactly you are dealing with - implantation bleeding or menstruation has begun - it is worth monitoring your well-being. Pregnancy can be determined by a feeling of discomfort and heaviness in the abdomen, increasing weakness and apathy are also observed, and cold symptoms may appear - runny nose, sore throat, and in some cases, sensitivity of the mammary glands.

You can distinguish implantation bleeding from menstruation by considering:

• Implantation bleeding occurs on the 21st day and lasts no more than 2 days.
• bleeding before menstruation or after a delay has nothing to do with embryo implantation;
• bleeding during menstruation is profuse, but implantation bleeding is very scanty and without clots;
• basal temperature during implantation bleeding decreases sharply.

If a woman finds it difficult to deal with emerging bloody discharge independently, you should consult your doctor. But even if you determine implantation bleeding yourself, do not forget to tell your doctor about it during pregnancy registration. Take care of your health!

A woman planning her future pregnancy, sensitively captures any sensation or deviation in his condition. One of these subtle early signs of fertilization can be called implantation bleeding. Let's consider when such a moment occurs, on what day after conception does implantation bleeding occur, how it manifests itself and why it occurs. And how to distinguish it from normal menstruation.

Why does bleeding occur during implantation?

Implantation bleeding is a symptom that confirms that the egg has reached the uterus. Only a third of pregnant girls are able to observe it.

To understand the causes of implantation bleeding, you need to remember how the menstrual cycle proceeds:

1. From the first day of menstruation, the growth of the follicle begins, in which the egg develops.
2. Having reached the right size and maturity, it leaves the ovary and goes to fallopian tube, where sperm are already waiting for her.
3. From this moment, the vesicle that appears at the site of the rupture of the ovary corpus luteum, produces progesterone, which supports the fertilization process, the advancement of the fertilized egg into the uterus, its attachment to the endometrium and further growth and development.
4. Thanks to this hormone, male and female cells merge, and conception occurs during the first day after ovulation.
5. The fertilized egg continues its journey to the uterus. Once in it, it seems to be screwed into the mucous layer, causing disruption of its tissue and blood vessels, resulting in a few drops of blood coming out. This is implantation bleeding, and on what day after ovulation it will manifest itself is a purely individual process and directly depends on the length of the cycle.

Implantation bleeding

On what day of the cycle does implantation bleeding occur?

To set the time frame, let's do some simple calculations. It is known that the cell is released approximately in the middle of the cycle. Its second half is a constant value equal to 14 days.

If it lasts, for example, 30 days, the release of the egg should be expected on the 16th day (30-14=16). It will take another 24 hours to meet the sperm. The journey to the implementation site will take about 7-10 days. In our case, the fertilized egg should be fixed in the endometrium on days 23-26 of the cycle.

After conception

After such arithmetic calculations, it is clear on what day after conception implantation bleeding occurs. With such initial data, this event will occur 6-9 days after conception.

They confirm the implantation of the woman's sensations. She may feel a mild, short-term nagging pain in the lower abdomen, then spotting appears in the form of slight smears from pinkish to brownish or a couple of drops of blood. This goes away within two days.

After ovulation

You can determine on what day implantation bleeding occurs using the basal temperature chart. Many girls use this simple and cheap method to determine the optimal period for conception, using it to calculate the date of ovulation.

Measurements are taken every morning, without getting out of bed, immediately after sleep, without making unnecessary movements. The obtained result is entered into the graph. As soon as the curve, which is constant throughout the first phase, makes a leap of increase, and after a decrease, after 24 hours the expected moment of ovulation will occur, which means that sexual intercourse is necessary in this time period.

The second phase occurs at elevated temperatures from 37.2 to 37.5 °C. On days 7-10, sometimes a slight decrease of a few tenths of a degree is recorded. The sinking lasts no more than a day, then the temperature reaches its normal again initial values and the schedule moves on, no longer changing. It is this retraction that coincides with the appearance of blood from the vagina, and both of them confirm the fact of embryo implantation.

The difference between implantation bleeding and menstruation

No matter what day of the cycle, implantation bleeding occurs, it is not considered an early sign of pregnancy. Other methods are used for this purpose. Particularly impatient ladies, after waiting 10 days after ovulation and assuming successful fertilization, can take a blood test for hCG, the pregnancy hormone.

It’s even better to wait for the expected date of your period, and if it doesn’t come, do a test in 1-2 weeks. Its reagent also determines the level of choreonic gonadotropin, but based on the content in the urine.

Very often, women mistake implantation bleeding for menstruation. By virtue of various reasons, the fertilized egg may arrive at the site of attachment with some delay.

Normally, this period already occurs several days before the start of menstruation, and with a delay it will just fall on the desired date of the cycle. But the difference between them is significant. Critical days are increasing. On the first day the discharge is insignificant, on the second day its amount increases noticeably, then gradually disappears.

And during the attachment of the embryo, the opposite is true, bleeding is observed from several hours to a maximum of two days in the form of veins at the same level, which then disappear without a trace. If suddenly this condition persists longer than the specified period, you need to visit a gynecologist, because this is beyond the norm.

Signs of conception that has occurred

On what day of the cycle does implantation bleeding occur, we figured it out. And that it should not be considered a symptom of pregnancy is also understandable, since it is not typical for all women.

You should wait for other early signs interesting situation, which appear after some time:

• nausea, especially in the morning;
• constant fatigue;
• frequent mood swings, irritability, tearfulness;
• soreness and swelling of the mammary glands;
• dizziness;
• frequent urination;
• delay of menstruation.

Conclusion

Statistics say that only 20-30% of pregnant women experienced implantation bleeding, some of them also noted pain in the lower abdomen. For the vast majority of the fair sex, this event went unnoticed, and the fact of successful conception was confirmed by tests after a recorded delay critical days and the appearance of other confirming factors.

During unprotected sexual intercourse in female vagina several million sperm enter. They travel to the fallopian tubes, where they meet the egg. Pregnancy occurs if the sperm manages to break through the protective membrane and cell fusion occurs. One of the very first symptoms of conception is implantation bleeding.

What is implantation bleeding

The egg into which the sperm penetrates divides and grows, and when it reaches a certain size, it exits the fallopian tube. The zygote enters the uterus and attaches to the endometrium. The implementation is gradual and almost painless. The fertilized egg, attaching to the mucous membrane, produces enzymes that dissolve soft tissues and damage small vessels. Brownish or pinkish discharge appears, which is called implantation bleeding. You can say what it is.

How long does it last

As the egg travels down the fallopian tube, the corpus luteum produces hormones to prepare the endometrium for implantation of the zygote. The duration of implantation depends on the condition of the mucosa and the amount of enzymes produced by the blastocystole.

In some women, the embryo attaches to the mucosa in 3–5 hours, in others this process takes 1–2 days.

The introduction of the zygote into the endometrium is accompanied by scanty discharge, which disappear after complete implantation fertilized egg. Bleeding lasts several hours or 1–2 days.
If there is a strange discharge that does not disappear, but does not get worse, a woman should consult a doctor. They may have arisen due to inflammation or infectious disease. You need to consult a gynecologist if the bleeding is scanty, but a slight nagging pain in the lower back or lower abdomen has turned into cramping spasms.

Does implantation bleeding always happen?

In 70–75% of women, the zygote implants into the endometrium without damaging the blood vessels. Only 25–30% of patients experience implantation bleeding. Sometimes expectant mothers simply do not notice a few drops of a creamy or pinkish tint or attribute the discharge to stress or fatigue.
A woman should remember that there is no implantation bleeding unpleasant odor. Dark brown mucus smelling sour milk or rotten fish, indicates a gynecological disease.

Symptoms of implantation

How do you understand that fertilization has occurred and the egg has attached to the endometrium? Listen to own body. When a zygote implants, a woman experiences:

• pulling sensation in the pubic area or lower back;
• slight tingling in the chest;
• metallic taste in the mouth;
• the mammary glands swell;
• nipple sensitivity increases;
• areolas become darker;
• the sense of smell becomes more acute.

During egg implantation, the level of progesterone and chronic gonadotropin, as well as estrogen, increases. Hormones affect nervous system, so the woman becomes irritable, nervous and too emotional. She can laugh, and a minute later she will be upset over a trifle. During implantation, the uterus swells and puts pressure on the intestines, which tries to cleanse themselves of excess, so some pregnant women are forced to visit the restroom several times a day. Other women experience increased urination and mild morning sickness.

Expectant mothers claim that at the moment of implantation of the zygote into the endometrium they felt a sharp stabbing pain in the uterine area, which disappeared after 2-3 minutes, or weak pulsation. Physiological vaginal discharge may become more abundant and acquire a yellowish tint.

The zygote is a foreign organism, and so that the uterus does not reject it, female body depresses immune system. Weakness and drowsiness occur. A woman cannot concentrate and organize her thoughts. Complains of lack of energy and fatigue.

Symptoms are different for all patients. Some suffer from nausea and dizziness, others become energetic and happy, while others feel no change.

When bleeding occurs

On days 5–7 after successful fertilization, the egg leaves fallopian tube and enters the uterine cavity. She is searching comfortable spot for attachment, and then begins to penetrate the endometrium. Implantation bleeding occurs 8–10 days after ovulation, 4–6 days before the expected menstruation. Sometimes the fertilized egg leaves the fallopian tube on the 14th day or later, so brownish discharge mistaken for menstruation. The patient is advised to count how many days have passed since the last unprotected sexual intercourse. If from 6 to 12, the bleeding may be implantation. More than a month or less than 3 days? Probably, the scanty brownish secretion is the result of hormonal imbalance, inflammation or infection.

How to distinguish from menstruation

Implantation bleeding and menstruation have several similar symptoms. Discomfort and feeling of fullness in the abdomen, which occurs due to an enlarged uterus. Swollen mammary glands. Mood swings.

But menstrual bleeding occurs due to rejection of the inner layer of the uterus and damage to large vessels. U healthy woman it lasts from 3 to 5 days, sometimes 6–7. At first a little brownish mucus appears. On the second or third day it begins profuse bleeding with dark clots and veins, pieces of exfoliated epithelium.

Implantation discharge differs from menstruation in duration and color. They are scanty, pinkish or brown, less often transparent with red veins. Sometimes the blood is dark, almost black, because it passed through the cervix and vagina and had time to bake. There are no clots or pieces of epithelium or strange inclusions in implantation secretions. They are homogeneous and liquid. Sometimes it's a few pinkish drops or smears on your underwear.

Bleeding caused by the introduction of the zygote into the epithelium lasts no more than two days. More often these are single discharges that do not recur. The mammary glands do not shrink after implantation bleeding. They remain swollen and sensitivity increases. During menstruation nagging pain pass on the second day. The zygote implants into the uterine mucosa painlessly. Sometimes the process is accompanied by uncomfortable sensations, but they are weak and differ from the usual harbingers of critical days.

Before menstruation, the face becomes covered with acne or inflamed rashes, weight increases due to fluid retention in the soft tissues. With implantation discharge, no pimples or extra pounds No.

Implantation bleeding: photo on the pad

Implantation bleeding may vary in intensity among different women, in most cases it doesn't even happen.

what does implantation bleeding look like?

What happens after the egg attaches?

The epithelium into which the zygote has penetrated becomes loose and gradually turns into the placenta, which will provide the fertilized egg nutrients. The level of progesterone, which is responsible for the development of the embryo, and the hCG hormone increase.

A woman who regularly measures her basal temperature can easily distinguish implantation bleeding from menstruation. The body tries to create comfortable conditions for the fertilized egg so that it successfully attaches to the mucous membrane. On the first day of implantation, the basal temperature drops to 36.4–36.7. On the second day it rises to 37–37.3 degrees. If the patient draws a graph, she will notice how the curve goes down and then rises sharply.

How to determine pregnancy? Take a test. ? It is carried out on days 1–2 of missed menstruation. During this period, the placenta is formed, and the concentration of chronic gonadotropin in the blood and urine increases. The hormone reacts with the test, and the long-awaited two stripes appear.

3-4 days after the completion of implantation bleeding, you can take a blood test. The level of this hormone increases 6–10 days after fertilization of the egg and is constantly growing. On early stages pregnancy indicators should be more than 5, but this result is considered doubtful. Conception has occurred and the egg has attached to the wall of the uterus if the hCG is more than 25. If the indicators differ from generally accepted norms, you need to consult a gynecologist and undergo additional tests.

To find out for sure whether pregnancy has occurred or not, it is recommended to do transvaginal ultrasound. A sensor emitting ultrasonic waves detects the fertilized egg already at 3–4 weeks, when its size ranges from 2 to 3 cm.