What Is Implantation Bleeding?

by Guest Author

Implantation bleeding is known as one of the primary signs of a confirmed pregnancy. It is often confused with periods by some women with bleeding that occurs while you are pregnant is not normal and also it also happens some days prior to your periods.

Although the statistics are a bit worrying since doctor’s state that 25% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, implantation bleeding does not always mean that you are having a miscarriage or even an ectopic pregnancy but you should still take an appointment with your gynecologist to rule out an anomaly.

Is it common?

Normally, a sperm fertilizes an ovum around 12 hours after ovulation and implantation of the embryo occur in the fallopian tube. The egg then goes down the fallopian tube at the same time getting bigger. Implantation of the uterus can be confirmed with a pregnancy test that will be confirmed by the presence of HCG or human chorionic gonadotropin hormone which is secreted by the placenta after implantation.

Implantation bleeding occurs basically when an egg gets attached to the uterus so that it can grow. This is what causes the uterus to bleed a little bit but does not harm the baby. According to a survey conducted on pregnant women, 1 in 3 pregnant women experience implantation bleeding which is around 30% of all pregnant women. As women confuse this bleeding with menses, unless they do not take a pregnancy test they will not be aware of the fact that they are pregnant.

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Does it stay longer than menses?

The main signs of implantation bleeding are spotting or a pink or brown discharge along with cramping, mood swings, and headaches. The bleeding also stays for 24 to 48 hours instead of 3 to 4 days just like in menses, many women think that they are only having short-lived menses. Another big difference is the color; period blood will have a bright red color whereas implantation bleeding would be light spotting.

Furthermore, period bleeding happens 14 days after ovulation whereas implantation bleeding occurs 10 days after ovulation has happened. This can only be confirmed if you check your cycle dates. However, since it is light bleeding, it goes away on its own without any treatment.

Should you be worried?

Doctors say that a little spotting early in your pregnancy is not a serious condition and you should not be worried by it. However, if along with spotting you also get nausea, cramps, and headache and vomiting then it may be a cause for concern. Even though doctors are not worried by spotting, some still prefer to confirm with tests such as ultrasound or vaginal examination to rule out any other problem.

Pain for example with bleeding while being pregnant is not a good sign and should be evaluated further as it could be serious. Therefore, the main thing to protect yourself from any further complication is to keep a check on your cycles, go to your gynecologist even if you find a slight abnormality and last but not least be patient!

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The article What Is Implantation Bleeding? by Guest Author appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.