We aren’t sure if we should criticize Hollywood or the inaccurate fact of social media. However, the phrase “getting pregnant” gets tossed around as if it’s a straightforward process. There is a lot of little, amazing things that need to happen to your body before getting pregnant.
As soon as conception occurs, the combined cells (sperm and egg) multiply rapidly and move into the uterus through one of the fallopian tubes. This cluster of rapidly developing cells is referred to as a blastocyst.
The instant the cells enters your uterus, this tiny bundle of cells will attach or implant itself into your uterine wall. This process is called implantation. This increases the level of all the fun pregnancy hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin.
If implantation does not happen, your uterine lining is removed during your regular monthly period. This could be a significant disadvantage if you are attempting to conceive. However, remember that your body is probably getting ready for you to try again.
If implantation occurs, your hormones prompt the placenta as well as the embryo to develop and your uterine lining to remain in place, which support your pregnancy.
Implantation occurs anywhere between 6 – 12 days after you ovulate and it is likely to happen between 8 – 9 days after conception, so the precise date of implantation is based on your ovulation period, and whether conception happened early or late in the ovulation window.
When you are seeking to conceive, it is normal to be aware of your body and take note of every change, regardless of how small it is. Bear in mind that the majority of women experience no indications of conception or implantation and are still pregnant.
Nevertheless, some women show signs of implantation. Let us examine some symptoms you might see if implantation has occurred:
Likely signs of implantation
They include the following:
Bleeding
It is a bit uncertain how common implantation bleeding is. Few sources allege that one-third of all women who got pregnant experience implantation bleeding. However, this isn’t supported by a peer-reviewed study.
About 25 per cent of women experience bleeding or spotting during the first trimester and implantation is among the causes of first trimester bleeding.
This bleeding can be confusing as it may emerge around the time that your usual period would begin. Generally, it occurs a few days to a week before you see your menstrual period.
There are additional discrepancies that might help you deduce whether you are experiencing implantation bleeding or your period:
- Implantation bleeding is likely to appear light pink or brown. This contradicts the bright or dark red of your period
- Implantation bleeding is more like spotting rather than an actual blood flow
This spotting might emerge once or persist for some hours, or even days. You may observe some pink or brown discharge when you clean your vagina or on your underwear. Nonetheless, you won’t need to use pad or tampon
Cramps
It isn’t a secret that early pregnancy prompts a sudden shift of hormones. More precisely, implantation is a catalyst for the hormone surge, and this is why you won’t get the second pink line on a home pregnancy test until after implantation.
The shifting hormonal wave can also result in cramping, and a lot goes on in your uterus as the fertilized egg implants start to grow. While there isn’t any study implying that implantation causes cramps, a few women experience abdominal tenderness, lower back pain, or cramping during the period of implantation.
This might look like a delicate version of how you feel before your period begins.
Discharge
Suppose you have been observing your cervical mucus, good job! Being conscious of what goes on in your body can be empowering when attempting to conceive. You could observe some cervical mucus transformations around the time of implantation.
Throughout ovulation, your cervical mucus will be clear, flexible, and slippery. Perhaps you already know that this is your green light to get your baby dance on. The instant implantation happens, your mucus may have a thicker composition and a clear or white colour.
In the early days of pregnancy, surging progesterone and estrogen might prompt your mucus to get even thicker, more profuse, and yellow or white. Cervical mucus can be influenced by many things such as hormones, intercourse, stress, pregnancy, implantation bleeding, your period and many more.
This might not be a credible pointer of whether or not implantation has transpired.
Bloating
Increasing progesterone, which occurs in early pregnancy, slows your digestive system. This can cause you to feel bloated. But as many women know, this feeling can be a common indication of your period, as well. This is because progesterone also surges when your period is close.
Tender breasts
When implantation, estrogen, the levels of hCG, and progesterone increases, it causes your boobs to feel sore. While a lot of women experience breast bulging or tenderness before their periods, this is likely to be more evident than usual in the early pregnancy stage.
Nausea
Increased levels of progesterone following implantation can cause you to feel nauseous. However, this generally occurs between 4 – 5 weeks of pregnancy (about the time you miss your period). Progesterone hinders digestion, which can contribute to nausea.
Surging hCG levels and a more prudent sense of smell can make the situation worse. So it would be helpful if you avoid cooking onions and liver.
Headaches
While they are good and essential for a successful pregnancy, those extremely rising hormone levels (especially progesterone) can cause you to have headaches following implantation.
Mood swings
Have you noticed yourself happy one minute, and crying at a commercial on the television the next? Or glad to see your spouse in the evening and then being angry at them over nothing? You may be experiencing mood swings. Estrogen, progesterone, and hCG rise quickly after implantation. This can cause you to be “off” or moodier than usual.
Implantation dip
While this may sound like some strange appetizer, “implantation dip” refers to a one-day reduction in your basal body temperature that can happen due to implantation. If you have been monitoring your basal body temperature (BBT) to enable you identify your most fertile days. You may already have a record of your daily BBT over some months.
Generally, a woman’s temperature is lesser before ovulation, and then it rises and drops again before her period begins. If you become pregnant, your temperature level stays elevated. Several women appear to experience a one-day decline in temperature during the time of implantation.
This is unusual than the temperature drop, which indicates that your period is coming. In the case of a coming period, your temperature would remain low. Implantation dip causes your temperature to drop for a day and then go back up. It is assumed that this may be because of the rise in estrogen, but it isn’t completely understood.
Following an investigation of over 100,000 BBT charts from the popular app “Fertility Friend”, 75 per cent of pregnant women utilizing the app did not experience an implantation dip. Also, a dip was pointed out on nearly 11 per cent of the charts of women who weren’t pregnant. However, it’s fascinating that 23 per cent of app users who became pregnant had implantation dip.
This isn’t a medically performed study, but it might be helpful when it gets to interpreting your BBT chart. An implantation dip is likely to occur if you are pregnant, but you can still be pregnant without a dip.
Attempting to get pregnant can be both an exciting and nerve-racking. The process can feel like forever when you are waiting for a baby, and it is easy to detect every little change in your body. Women should take note the signs of implantation, which may include light bleeding, nausea, cramping, bloating, sore breasts, mood swings, headaches, and perhaps a shift in basal body temperature.
However, many of these signs are identical to premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Besides, most women experience no indications of implantation, and they are pregnant.
The right way to be confident that you’re pregnant is to take an at-home pregnancy test or contact your doctor. But remember that even if you have implantation signs, it takes some days for sufficient hCG to accumulate to give you a positive test result.
The period between ovulation and when you can get a positive pregnancy test can take a while, so keep paying attention to your body and find some recreations you enjoy to take your mind off the wait.
Reference
- What Are the Signs That Implantation Has Occurred? – Healthline
