Posts Tagged ‘Implantation’

Implantation Bleeding or Period

Some women, especially the young ones, find it difficult to make a difference between implantation bleeding and period; most of women have already found themselves in the situation of being confused and asking themselves: is this an implantation bleeding or period?

Well, this article might help you answer this question.

Implantation bleeding is pink or light brown discharge which has particular smell, shows up earlier than you expect your period and it is not as painful as period can be in some women. It is different than period because it occurs quite unexpectedly. That would be the first thing when it comes to difference between those two. On the other hand, some young women still do not have regular cycle, so it may be hard for them to notice the difference.

However, they should pay attention to other indicators. For example, implantation bleeding is not as painful as a period can be and there is not so much blood. It lasts considerably shorter than period.

So any discharge that resembles what we have just described may be an implantation bleeding. It happens right after a fertilized egg is implanted inside the uterus. This is not a ‘real’ bleeding – there is not much blood discharged actually. And it is certainly not a reason to be worried. What you should do is visit your gynecologist who will run some analysis and tests to determine what that is all about.

This kind of bleeding can also be caused by other factors. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be implantation bleeding at all – it may only look like implantation bleeding. In some women bleeding may occur after Pap smear. It can also occur after sex, but may be the result of certain conditions like vaginal infections. Chlamydia, gonorrhea or inflammation of cervix may be related to bleeding.

How Long Does Implantation Bleeding Last

The answer to question “how long does implantation bleeding last?”will help you determine whether you are at the beginning of your period or people should congratulate you and your partner for conceiving a baby.

Implantation bleeding occurs when fertilized egg starts to implant itself into the endometrium which is a medical term for uterus lining. The endometrium itself is very important because it will be responsible for proper feeding of your baby during the whole 9 months of pregnancy.

Also when the egg does not get fertilized, endometrium is expelled from uterus together with the unfertilized egg via menstrual blood every 27 to 29 days. When fertilization happens, the egg develops trophoblast cells. Trophoblast can be only developed by a fertilized egg and it is a tissue which dissolves endometrium and allows the egg to burrow itself in the uterus lining. When the egg enters endometrium, one part of endometrium gets dissolved by trophoblast and this dissolved lining is expelled from uterus in the form of something that resembles menstrual blood.

It is dark brown or light pink to pinkish in color. It can also be followed by minor blood cloths. This is the  implantation bleeding or spotting. It is different than menstruation because it lacks the volume and frequency of menstrual bleeding. The implantation bleeding usually occurs six to ten days after the ovulation and it lasts for one or two days.

If the spotting continues after this period it can point to pregnancy outside of uterus (also called ectopic pregnancy), so you should visit your doctor. Implantation bleeding occurs usually two or three days (or a week) before the next period.

Sometimes spotting is minimal, so some women can even go without noticing it. Some can have massive bleeding, while others can get pregnant without ever noticing the implantation bleeding.

Other Information:

How Long Does Implantation Bleeding Last