What is the reality of implantation?

[Coffeebrew]

My husband and I are trying to conceive. if i am pregnant this time, i need to get clexain injections from my gynecologist asap, to see if it helps prevent another MC.

We have been quite physical this month and on sunday which would be 12 days past suspected ovulation, i started spotting very light pink blood on and off and only really noticable on toilet paper & had a nose bleed sorry TMI, but nose bleeds are usually a sign of a hormone surge or change for me. The spotting has continued intermittently for, well, today will be the 4th day. I have what feel like enlarged breasts and very mild tummy cramps. My period would be due any day between Sunday just gone and today, but it hasn't presented as my normal heavy, clotty painful bleed.

I did a pregnancy test yesterday which was negative, but i winder if i just haven't built up enough hormome to show yet and in which case when should i test again?

The most confusing is, you can read all over the web that implantation should be like this or like that with some or no symptoms and last for a few hours to 2 days, whilst others say it lasted longer with early pregnancy symotoms presenting. Surely in reality everyone is different and implantation bleeding for longer than 2 days isn't beyond the relm is it?

[crazychemist]

Longer than 2 days is unusual, but not unheard of.

However the timing doesn’t sound quite right for implantation bleeding, it sounds more like a light period. Implantation would normally be a week after ovulation, up to a maximum of about 10 days I think. 12 sounds too long after ovulation. How sure are you of when you ovulated?

HCG is not produced until implantation is complete. But it shouldn’t take 4 days to implant, so if the bleeding was due to implantation you would most likely get a positive test by now.

Fingers crossed that I’m completely wrong and it’s just a very unusual implantation bleed! They do happen sometimes, but a light period is more likely.

[Coffeebrew]

@crazychemist thank you for your reply. I have a history of unexplained fertility issues, no cause found and after failed IVF, it seemed to kick start natural conception, all be it I still miscarry, but each time i have had implantation bleeding, it's been around the time my period is due, which for me the light spotting has been the sign to test and my hormone levels are known to rise quite slowly, so could be not ready to show on a test yet perhaps. Maybe I will test again in the morning and then if still negative see how i go over the weekend.

[crazychemist]

Any news @coffeebrew? I’ve got my fingers crossed for you

[Coffeebrew]

@crazychemist I tested again this morning with a cheap test strip and got a negative, but if my period was only due 24th, it could still be too early for a decent hormone rise. I am still spotting very light pink blood on and off. If still spotting by monday or even if it stops and still negative monday, i will go to my GP practice.
Time line wise i feel this fits with implantation as although not 100% sure, i think i ovulated around the 10th and apparently implantation can happen up to 12 days later, which would explain the spotting starting on the 21st a few days before period due. Normally i get one (sorry for the TMI) incident of blood when i wipe after using the loo and then my period starts very heavy within a day or 2 and i get very bad cramps, so this very light pink spotting that for a couple of days was accompanied by very light cramps, yet the spotting continues after cramps subside isn't characteristic of a period at all for me, usually i only bleed for 2-3 days heavy and it trails off. So it's a bit of a mystery.

[jcq17]

I had 3 days of what I would call a light period when really it was implantation. I feel like I can pinpoint when we conceived as it was killing my cervix lol.

[Kinsters]

Implantation at 12 days post ovulation would be quite unusual.

Perhaps you ovulated late? And what tests are you using? If your period is late then most tests would be able to pick it up if you were pregnant.

[tisonlymeagain]

From what I read implantation can be anywhere between 7 & 12dpo.

Everyone's body is different. I've been pregnant three times and never had any implantation bleeding in any of them. I don't think there is a normal.

[Coffeebrew]

@Kinsters i am using Clear Blue test strips, not a test thats in plastic casing, just a strip with a purple dye. I never know weather to trust them as another brand of strips kept giving evaporation lines when i tested a few months black so decided to change brand but still don't want to spend loads so buy a pack of 3 strips for £1.

@tisonlymeagain i also read implantation bleeding can be anywhere between 7-12 days after ovulation and i susspect i ovulated between 10th - 13th so wouldn't be beyond the realm for this to be implantation bleeding. If it was my period it would be so heavy with clots, Iast 2-3 days then tail off, which is why this light pink prolonged bleed but only when i wipe is so strage with the negative test. But as i have said, i guess slight chance my body hasn't caught up yet so not enough hormone to test.

I guess i have to wait it out over the weekend and then go to the Dr Monday. At least i can then say i have had what ever this is for a week then and not gone all guns blazing for nothing .

[MsJuniper]

I had implantation bleeding around when my period was due with three of my pregnancies (of which 2 mc). It was like the first day of a normal period but then only lasted a day. I do think it's different for everyone but I did then get a positive almost straight away after the bleeding.

I went on to have 4 more v early mc and then finally a second successful pregnancy. I tried various things including diet, supplements and was prescribed low dose aspirin and had an endometrial scratch the month before the successful pregnancy which is meant to improve chances of implantation (maybe you had this as part of IVF?), but strangely that time I did not have an implantation bleed.

I hope it works out for you.