What is implantation bleeding?

Check the clock: 10 to 14 days after ovulation, near your expected period, is the implantation window.
Weigh the flow: spotting only; soaking pads or clots means something else.
Wait to test: test on the day your period is due or later for a trustworthy result.
No spotting is normal too: many pregnancies never have it.
Pain changes everything: bleeding with one-sided pain, dizziness, or shoulder pain is an emergency.

Question

Accepted Answer

Implantation bleeding is light spotting that can happen when a fertilized egg embeds into the lining of the uterus, roughly 10 to 14 days after ovulation, which is often right around when your period is due, hence the confusion. The differences from a period are in weight and length: implantation bleeding is spotting, not flow (a thin panty liner handles it, never soaking pads), it is typically pink or brown rather than bright red, it contains no clots, and it lasts a few hours to about two days, not the 4 to 7 days of a period. It may come with very mild cramping, lighter than period cramps. It is considered a normal early sign of pregnancy and needs no treatment, though not every pregnancy has it, so its absence means nothing. If you see spotting at the right time and suspect pregnancy, wait until the day your period is due (or a few days after) and take a test; earlier than that, hCG may still be too low to read. When to call a clinician instead: bleeding that is heavy, bright red, contains clots, or comes with one-sided pelvic pain, dizziness, or shoulder pain, since early pregnancy bleeding with pain can signal an ectopic pregnancy, which is an emergency.

What is implantation bleeding?

Find answers about fertility

What to do

Related questions

Sources