Implantation Spotting: 6 Major Answers to the Most Stirring Questions

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Implantation spotting is the 1st significant milestone of your pregnancy. It’s important to understand the mechanism of its occurrence and characteristic features of this discharge in order to monitor the development of your pregnancy from its earliest stage. The article will provide you with interesting information on physiological prerequisites of the phenomenon and give comprehensive answers to the most frequent questions on the subject.

The 1st questions that visits women’s minds, when it comes to this kind of spotting, is “Why does it occur?” and “Is it normal?” Let’s see what happens inside your organism after your and your man’s sex cells merge to give rise to a new life.

Implantation Spotting: А View from the Inside

After conception the ovum is meant to go a long and difficult way towards implantation into the uterine endometrium. When the ovum gets impregnated, an egg with male and female chromosome blend, (not an embryo yet!) is formed.

Developing and dividing, the egg doesn’t stay in the same place, it’s moving along the Fallopian tube towards the uterus. Approximately on the 4th day of its travel the foetal egg (which is now referred to as a blastocyst), reaches the uterine cavity.

During implantation the outer layer of the blastocyst excretes ferments which help the embryo to invade the uterine epithelium and its underlying tissues. Uterine glands play an active role in the process, secreting substances, which facilitate the embedment. The implantation itself occurs during 4-5 days: during the 1st 24 hours the embryo submerges by 50% into the uterine lining, and after the next 24 hours it’s immersed entirely. By the end of the 4-5th day the endometrial damage due to the invasion heals completely. The place of the embedment is rich in dilated capillaries and venules. Microscopic traumas of the vessel walls in the place of implantation cause light bloody discharge.

Implantation Spotting: Everything You Must Know in Smart Questions & Simple Answers

  • Does it occur in all women?

No, it doesn’t. For many women it passes completely unnoticed.

  • When can it occur?

Typically a week before the expected period, on average – a week after conception, however, sometimes it takes a bit longer and happens on the 10-12th day after impregnation.

  • How long can it last?

The duration is usually a few hours, in rare cases – 1-2 days.

  • How does it look?

The color of the spotting may vary: light pink, brownish or red discharge is possible. Be careful: if you have ectopic pregnancy, implantation can also be accompanied by bloody discharge, but its color is likely to be brown, as blood is getting old until it finds its way out of the Fallopian tube.

  • Can it be accompanied by pain?

No, if there’s any pain, you may have ectopic pregnancy.

  • How intensive can it be?

The spotting mustn’t be intensive. As a rule, it’s just 1-2 drops of blood on your underwear. In case of more abundant discharge, a gynecological pathology (a cyst, dysfunctional uterine bleeding) or early miscarriage must be excluded.

Implantation spotting often occurs when a woman is not aware of her pregnancy yet. Being attentive towards your organism’s signals is a reliable pledge of your own and your baby’s safety. If something about your vaginal discharge concerns you, don’t hesitate to contact a gynecologist and clear up the situation.

My name is Margaret Scott, I am a certified specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology. I graduated from the Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Oregon. I did my internship at the University of Southern California. I worked at the Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena and Keck Hospital of the University of Southern California. Now I am a member of several medical associations, the author of scientific articles and a well-known lecturer in CHRs.