What is implantation bleeding?
If you notice spotting or light bleeding several days before your period is due, it could be implantation bleeding. Spotting has many causes, so you might wonder how to recognize implantation bleeding. Before you reach for a pregnancy test, see if your symptoms and the timing of your spotting line up.
Implantation bleeding is light vaginal bleeding that sometimes occurs very early in pregnancy. Implantation bleeding can happen when a fertilized egg attaches, or implants, into the uterine wall. The egg attaches to the uterus anytime between 6 to 12 days after ovulation. This means if you ovulate on day 14 of your cycle, implantation could happen sometime between 17 to 26 days after the start of your last period.
As the fertilized egg settles into the uterine wall, this can cause the lining to slough off and result in spotting or light bleeding. Bleeding can also occur due to changing hormones related to early pregnancy.
Even though it's rare, if you have spotting a week before your period is due, you might wonder if it's implantation bleeding. Implantation bleeding can be a very early sign that you're pregnant.
How common is spotting in early pregnancy?
One small study showed less than one in ten women reported vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy. In most cases, the spotting occurred near the date their period was due. Spotting is even more common later in pregnancy. Up to 25% of women experience bleeding or spotting at some point during their pregnancy.
Spotting during early pregnancy could mean many things, including:
- changes in your cervix
- spotting caused by sex
- hormone imbalance
- infection
- early miscarriage
Spotting in early pregnancy can also be due to implantation.
How do I know if it's implantation bleeding?
Timing can be vital in knowing if your spotting might be implantation bleeding. Implantation typically occurs 6 to 12 days after ovulation, so spotting that happens as a result of implantation should happen in that timeframe or soon after that. For most women, this means the spotting would take place a week or just a few days before their period is due to begin.
Implantation bleeding can vary in appearance, but it's typically:
- light pink to brown
- free of clots
- a very light flow that you might only see when wiping
- short, often only a few hours and no more than a few days
You might have other early pregnancy symptoms, like fatigue and breast tenderness, at the time of implantation bleeding. Early pregnancy symptoms might raise your suspicions that your vaginal bleeding is due to implantation, but unfortunately, many early pregnancy symptoms are similar to premenstrual symptoms. The best way to know if you're pregnant is to take a pregnancy test.
When can I take a pregnancy test?
Home pregnancy tests measure the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine to detect pregnancy. Your body begins to produce hCG as soon as implantation occurs. The earliest you might have enough hCG in your system to get a positive pregnancy test is about eight days after ovulation. However, many pregnant women will not get a positive pregnancy test result this early.
The amount of hCG can vary due to many factors, including the timing of implantation. A week after ovulation, soon after implantation bleeding, hCG levels can be as low as 5 mUI/ML of hCG. At four weeks pregnant, at the time your period is due, your hCG levels can range from 10 to over 700 mUI/ML of hCG. Home pregnancy tests typically detect pregnancy at hCG levels greater than 20 mUI/ML.
Wanting to take a pregnancy test as soon as you experience possible implantation bleeding is understandable. If you choose to test as soon as you discover spotting, be aware that the earlier you test, the more likely you are to get a false negative. A false negative can happen when pregnant, but your hCG levels are not yet high enough to trigger a positive result on a home pregnancy test.
The best thing to do is wait a couple of days after seeing implantation spotting before taking a pregnancy test. This gives your body time to produce detectable levels of hCG. For the most accurate results, wait until your period is due before taking a home pregnancy test.
Medically Reviewed on 1/12/2022
References
SOURCES American Academy of Family Physicians: "Bleeding During Pregnancy – What's Normal?" Flo: "Period-Like Bleeding During Early Pregnancy: Is It Normal? Causes and Signs of Implantation Bleeding." Human Reproduction: "Vaginal bleeding in very early pregnancy." March of Dimes: "Bleeding and Spotting During Pregnancy." StatPearls: "Human Chorionic Gonadotropin." UCSF Health: "HCG blood test – quantitative."
UT Southwestern Medical Center: "How early can home pregnancy tests show positive results?"
So there’s a chance you could be pregnant, but you want to take a test to be sure. But how soon after implantation can you test?
Implantation is a key moment in your pregnancy journey.
The fertilized egg (now technically called a “blastocyst”) has traveled down your fallopian tube and attached itself to the wall of your uterus, preparing to grow into a baby.
But how can I know that implantation has happened? you ask. And how soon after implantation can I test for pregnancy?
Let’s find out.
In this article 📝
- When does implantation happen?
- How can you know that implantation has happened?
- How soon after implantation can I test?
- Other FAQs about how soon after implantation can I test?
When does implantation happen?
So, we know what happens at implantation—but when does it happen?
Well, every woman is different, but it typically takes a fertilized egg about 6 to 12 days to make it to your uterus and implant.
If we imagine, then, that you ovulate on day 14 of your menstrual cycle (which is about average for a 28-day cycle), and the egg is fertilized within 24 hours, implantation could take place between days 20 and 26. Quite a wide time frame!
How can you know that implantation has happened?
There are a few possible implantation symptoms that could give you a clue that the fertilized egg has set up home successfully.
For example, you might have some implantation bleeding.
This looks like the kind of light spotting you may get at the beginning or end of your period and can be pinkish or brown in color.
It might also be quite watery if it’s mixed with vaginal discharge.
Other potential symptoms of implantation include:
Side note: If any of these symptoms sound familiar, that might be because they’re also common signs that your period is about to start.
That can make identifying true implantation symptoms a little tricky (especially considering that implantation can happen right around the time you’re expecting your period).
Implantation can also happen without giving you any odd symptoms—a missed period might be the first sign that anything has changed.
How soon after implantation can I test?
It’s totally understandable if you’re impatient to take a pregnancy test after implantation bleeding (or any other symptom that’s making you suspicious).
But when’s the best time to take a test?
To answer that, we first need to talk about how pregnancy tests work.
Both a home pregnancy test (of the pee-on-a-stick variety) and a blood test at your doctor’s office work by detecting a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Your body starts to produce hCG soon after implantation, and a pregnancy test will pick up on this once levels of the hormone are high enough.
How quickly after implantation does hCG rise?
Your hCG levels start to rise right after implantation, and they should double about every 48 to 72 hours in the first four weeks of pregnancy.
How many days after implantation can you test?
When to test after implantation bleeding or another symptom depends on the type of pregnancy test.
A blood pregnancy test is more sensitive, so it may be able to detect hCG about six to eight days after conception—in other words, very soon after implantation.
A home pregnancy test, though, might only detect hCG about 10 days after conception—maybe four days or so after implantation.
But for the highest chance of an accurate result (rather than a false negative), it’s best to leave taking a home pregnancy test until at least the day after your missed period.
Yep, even if you’ve noticed implantation symptoms. (We know—waiting is hard!)
➡️ You might also be interested in: 5 Tips for Surviving the Two-Week Wait
Other FAQs about how soon after implantation can I test?
How early after implantation can you test positive?
As we discovered above, it depends on the kind of pregnancy test you take.
A blood test might be able to detect hCG for a positive result very soon after implantation.
On the other hand, you might need to let your hCG levels build up for a few more days after you’ve spotted implantation bleeding to give a home pregnancy test a better chance of an accurate result.
What if I have implantation bleeding but a negative test?
It’s possible that either:
- You’ve taken the test too soon, and your hCG levels aren’t high enough to detect yet, or;
- What looks like implantation bleeding could actually be the start of your period.
That said, if you ever notice any abnormal vaginal bleeding or any bleeding in early pregnancy, it’s a good idea to check in with your healthcare provider.
And if you ever need a compassionate ear on your TTC journey, the Peanut Community is here for you.
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What Do Faint Lines on a Pregnancy Test Mean?
How Soon After Unprotected Sex Can I Test for Pregnancy?
Can Toddlers Tell When Someone is Pregnant?
Can Cats Sense Pregnancy?
Can Dogs Sense Pregnancy?
What an Implantation Dip Means
Watery Period Blood: A Sign of Pregnancy?