How many days after ovulation implantation bleeding

When you're trying to conceive, it's hard to wait the two weeks or so between your fertile days and taking an at-home pregnancy test. During this period of anticipation, it's natural to interpret the slightest change in your body as a possible sign of pregnancy. The only thing worse than getting your hopes up because you feel a little more tired or out of breath than usual, is to mistake implantation bleeding for your period and assume you're not pregnant. So what color is implantation bleeding? It's time you learn to tell the difference between this early sign of pregnancy and your regular menstrual cycle.

Over email, Romper interviewed three OB-GYNs about implantation bleeding. Their descriptions each differ slightly, but all agree that implantation bleeding is lighter in flow and a different color than your regular period. It's "usually brown," says Miao Crystal Yu, OB-GYN at Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California. Yu elaborates that implantation bleeding is "a little bit of brownish spotting that occurs when the embryo implants." This matches the characterization Gerardo Bustillo of MemorialCare Medical Group in Fountain Valley, California, gives implantation bleeding, too. According to Bustillo, implantation bleeding doesn't necessarily have a specific color, but "generally the spotting or bleeding is light." OB-GYN Yen Tran of Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, adds that implantation bleeding may look like "pinkish/rusty old brown bloody discharge."

To distinguish implantation bleeding from a normal period, it's helpful to understand the process behind it. According to Tran, "After fertilization occurs in the fallopian tubes around the time of ovulation, the embryo travels down the fallopian tube to attach to the wall of the uterine cavity. During the attachment progress, some blood vessels break down." The broken blood vessels lead to the old blood (i.e. brownish) spotting you may find in your underwear. However, Bustillo notes that implantation bleeding "remains an unproven hypothesis" and "does not occur in the majority of pregnancies."

Timing is also important when you're trying to pinpoint the cause of bleeding. Bustillo and Tran say implantation bleeding occurs approximately 10 to 14 days after conception, while Yu gives an earlier estimate of three to seven days post-conception. Since your period isn't due until about two weeks after ovulation, you can probably guess implantation bleeding if you experience light spotting much earlier than that. It can be harder to guess if the bleeding overlaps with when you expect your period. Luckily, there are other differences to help you compare a normal period with implantation bleeding.

When asked how a woman can tell whether she is experiencing implantation bleeding or a regular period, Yu says, "Implantation bleeding is much lighter, usually lasting one to two days, not requiring the patient to change pads. If in doubt, talk to your OB-GYN and confirm the diagnosis with blood work or ultrasound." Bustillo also notes that a pregnancy test may be the best way to confirm the cause of your bleeding. "Implantation bleeding, when it does occur, coincides with the time of an anticipated menses. Therefore it can be confusing to know exactly what is going on. Generally, implantation bleeding is spotting only, while a menstrual period is heavier. If the bleeding is accompanied by potential early pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue, nausea/vomiting, and frequent urination, a pregnancy test would be indicated to solve the dilemma."

Finally, Tran agrees that implantation bleeding is usually shorter than menstruation and may be accompanied by early pregnancy symptoms. "Most periods last about four to seven days [and are] heavier with a bright red color blood, whereas implantation bleeding comes a few days sooner than the next expected period and only lasts for a few hours to two days only, along with signs like breast tenderness, mild cramping, headache and mild nausea."

14 DPO: symptoms of pregnancy

Ovulation generally occurs between days 11 and 21 of your cycle, depending on its length (the first day of your period is day one of your cycle). During ovulation, one of the ovaries releases a mature egg, which travels to the fallopian tube. For a person to become pregnant, a sperm needs to travel to the fallopian tube and fertilize the egg. If this happens, an embryo is formed and then implants itself into the uterus.

How many days after ovulation implantation bleeding

While some people experience lots of pregnancy symptoms at 14 DPO, others experience very few or none at all. Furthermore, at 14 DPO, symptoms of pregnancy can be very similar to the ones you experience during PMS, ovulation, and while taking fertility drugs. If you are extra attentive to your body’s changes every month, you may be able to determine if your symptoms are related to pregnancy or something else.

At 14 days past ovulation, levels of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone may be high enough to cause pregnancy symptoms. Some of the symptoms of pregnancy at 14 DPO include the following:

Cramping

Mild abdominal or uterine cramping can be a sign of early pregnancy. This usually accompanies light spotting or bleeding, known as implantation bleeding. Implantation bleeding occurs after the fertilized egg implants into the uterine lining, around 10 to 14 days after conception. Implantation bleeding and cramping usually occur around the time you are about to get your period, usually a couple of days before. It generally lasts anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days, and the flow is very light.

Fatigue

How many days after ovulation implantation bleeding

Fatigue is also a common pregnancy symptom at 14 DPO. The hormonal changes of early pregnancy may leave you feeling fatigued throughout the day. Sleepiness and extreme exhaustion are some of the early signs of pregnancy. During the early days of pregnancy, your levels of progesterone rise, making you tired and sleepy. Your body also starts producing more blood to support your growing fetus. This also leads to increased exhaustion and fatigue.

Tender breasts

Another symptom of pregnancy at 14 DPO is swollen and tender breasts. During early pregnancy, hormonal changes might make your breasts sore, sensitive, tender, and heavy with darker nipples. Breast discomfort will likely reduce after a couple of weeks as your pregnant body adjusts to the hormonal changes.

Food cravings

Due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, you may develop cravings for certain foods around 14 DPO. You may also develop an aversion or sensitivity to certain smells or odors and a different sense of taste during the early weeks of pregnancy. These symptoms may or may not stick around throughout your pregnancy.

14 DPO BFN: how accurate pregnancy test results are on this day

If you’ve been trying to conceive, you’ve probably wondered when the right time to take a urine or blood pregnancy test is. You can take the test any time during early pregnancy, but your chances of getting a false-negative result are higher on the early days. This is because your body starts producing the hormone hCG only after the fertilized egg completely implants into the uterine lining. Pregnancy tests detect this hormone, so they might not be accurate if implantation isn’t complete. Implantation usually occurs between 6 and 10 days after ovulation. After implantation, your hCG starts doubling about every 48–72 hours (you can use our online hCG calculator to track yours if you have the right information to hand.)

According to estimates, more than 90 percent of pregnant people get positive results on a pregnancy test at 14 DPO. You can also get a blood test to confirm your pregnancy as early as 11 days past ovulation. During a blood test, your health care provider will draw blood from a vein in your arm and send it to a lab for testing. A blood test at 14 DPO has an accuracy of around 99 percent because blood tests can detect lower levels of hCG. 

If you get a negative result at 14 DPO, there’s a chance it could be a false negative. About eight percent of pregnant people get a false-negative pregnancy test result at 14 DPO. A false-negative pregnancy test result is when the test says you’re not pregnant, but you really are (i.e., the negative result is false). One of the most common reasons for a false-negative result is that the levels of hCG in your urine are not yet high enough to be detected. This can occur for the following reasons:

  • You may have taken the test too early.
  • Your urine may be too diluted from a lot of fluid intake.
  • You haven’t followed the instructions exactly.
  • The test isn’t sensitive enough.

Does 14 DPO spotting mean implantation bleeding or your period?

Implantation bleeding is light bleeding or spotting that occurs around 10 to 14 days after conception. It occurs after a fertilized egg implants itself in the lining of the uterus. Implantation bleeding typically occurs around the time you’re expecting your period (usually a couple of days before), making it hard to know if you’re pregnant or getting your period.

One way to tell if 14 DPO spotting is related to implantation bleeding is that implantation bleeding is usually lighter than your normal flow. You may also experience other symptoms of early pregnancy, such as light cramping, headaches, mood swings, nausea, lower backaches, and tender breasts.

The color of implantation bleeding can range from light pink to rust brown. There should be no clots in implantation bleeding, and it can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. It isn’t a full flow, and you might only notice it when you wipe or use a panty liner. If you suspect that you’re pregnant and experience heavier bleeding, contact your health care provider.

14 DPO is a significant milestone when you’re trying to conceive. At 14 days past ovulation, your hCG is likely high enough to cause pregnancy symptoms. Some of these symptoms include mild abdominal cramping along with implantation bleeding, fatigue, tender and sore breasts, and food cravings and aversions. About 90 percent of pregnant people get positive results on pregnancy tests at 14 DPO.

Furthermore, blood tests to confirm pregnancy are around 99 percent accurate at this stage. You can get a false-negative result at 14 DPO for many reasons. If you get a negative pregnancy test but also have early symptoms of pregnancy, take another test after a few days.

How many days after ovulation implantation bleeding

How many days after ovulation day does implantation occur?

Implantation takes place anywhere between 6 and 12 days after you ovulate. It most commonly occurs 8 to 9 days after conception. So the exact date of implantation can depend on when you ovulated, and whether conception occurred early or late in the ovulation window.

Can implantation bleeding start 3 days after ovulation?

Timing is also important when you're trying to pinpoint the cause of bleeding. Bustillo and Tran say implantation bleeding occurs approximately 10 to 14 days after conception, while Yu gives an earlier estimate of three to seven days post-conception.

How do I know if this is implantation bleeding?

Implantation Bleeding Symptoms Implantation bleeding tends to happen before you notice morning sickness. You might have: Blood that's brown or pinkish. Blood that's lighter in flow and doesn't last as long as your period.

What are the signs of implantation after ovulation?

Potential implantation symptoms include spotting, light cramps, breast tenderness, mood swings, and fatigue. However, it's normal not to notice implantation is happening. In fact, most people experiencing implantation don't feel any physical or emotional changes until a few weeks into their pregnancy.