To think that implantation bleeding is a cruel myth?

[Nessalina]

It seems designed to first bring hope to those TTC and then dash it!

The minute anyone TTC has an early/late/light period starting, first there's the disappointment of 'damn - I'm out this month', then someone (often said TTCers own brain!) pipes up with "it could be implantation?" and for another 24hrs you live in hope, but it's always AF!!

I searched for IB on MN search over the last year, and not one 'could this be implantation bleeding' thread ended in a BFP.

So WIBU to think it's just an urban myth made up by women who really wanna be pregnant?! (And I count myself in that category btw!)

[JugglingIntoANewYear]

Just for balance on the thread I never had one with either of my pregnancies, so I think you're kinda right OP. I well remember the feelings that went with ttc dc1 (for a year) - lots of symptom spotting every month.
Funnily enough the month I was pregnant was just about the one time I thought I wouldn't be.
Good luck to all x

[laregina]

I had bleeding around the time of my period with all three of my pgs - with my eldest it happened for three months, so I didn't realise I was even pg until I was nearly 15 weeks gone - disclaimer - I was young and naïve! Each time I was mortified thinking it was an early miscarriage - but each resulted in a healthy baby

[Absy]

I hear you OP. It happens apparently 20-30% of the time (found out from extensive googling), but with very little explanation of what it actually looks like vs a period. I did a whole survey once on one of the sites (I have PCOS so I have a very changeable period length) and it kept on telling me "you're pregnant! Test!". I wasn't.

[2beornot]

OP - I remember asking this when ttc. I did a lot of googling around IB, and everything I read suggested that ib is the tiniest of amounts. So I don't think it's a myth, but I think that it is often misidentified and people do pin lots of false hope to it.

[Mintyy]

Sorry you are going through the experience of ttc and being disappointed op, but yabu I'm afraid.

Here's to better luck next month .

[Nessalina]

Good work on finding a stat Absy! If it's only 20-30% and for a lot of those pregnancies it's only drops, then I guess whilst not a myth it's commonness is hugely overstated!

[Goldenhandshake]

I got it with my first pregnancy, so much so that I thought it was a light period.

[PicardyThird]

I had implantation bleeding - a fairly small amount over a few days - with my sixth and eighth pregnancies (both miscarried, but the bleeding was nothing to do with that).

Whether it's from implantation itself or essentially hormonal, though, I don't know.

[MsJupiterJones]

I had what I assumed was the start of my period but it only lasted 24 hrs or so. It wasn't heavy but a lot more than a few drops. It was a few more days before I thought 'that's odd' and did a test.

It was a friend's birthday so I drank several mojitos before the penny had dropped...

[softlysoftly]

I think it can happen but like with many pregnancy "signs" it would be best to never hope on any of them. Only a positive pregnancy test. I've seen my very best friend go every month thinking her sore boobs or stretching pains could be pg and it never ever is :(

Also bleeding can mean lots of things pg 1 I bled brown at 12 wks and it was a mmc. Pg2 I bled Brown at 6 wks and DD1 was fine. Pg 3 and so far pg 4 no bleeding at all.

[AngelaDaviesHair]

Yes, mine was more than a few drops but only on one day.

[msmoss]

It isn't a myth I know people who have had them, but I think saying to someone whose period has arrived when they are ttc that it could be an implantation bleed is probably unwise as in the majority of cases it is just a period and who needs the extra disappointment. Far better to have a nice surprise if it did turn out to be implantation.

[ShadowFall]

No idea how common implantation bleeding is, but it's probably best not to pin too much hope on any one symptom.

I didn't have any implantation bleeding in either of my pregnancies btw.

[Mumoftwoyoungkids]

I had some about 15 months ago. Several days before period was due.

Got a bit excited.

Then period was late.

Got more excited.

Then period started.

Was a bit disappointed.

2 days later realised period was strangely light.

Got a bit excited.

Did a test. Negative.

Two days later still no proper period.

Did another test.

Tried to decide if the palest line in the world actually was a line.

Getting quite excited now.

Two days later did another test. Very very positive.

Very happy.

A week later started bleeding heavily. Had scan. No heartbeat. Told almost certainly no baby but due to size being borderline told to come back two weeks later if didn't miscarry by then. (But thought I would.)

Very sad.

Two weeks later still no actual miscarriage. Had scan. Found a cute little blob with a heartbeat.

He's now 7 months old and fast asleep on me!

[Writerwannabe83]

I'm assuming you are referring to the myth of implantation bleeding when the fertilised egg first burrows into the womb following conception as opposed to the type of implantation bleeding that women get after having a BFP and then lose womb lining as the egg develops.

I didn't have any bleeding prior to my BFP - no signs of any kind of implantation. I'm sure I read that less than 30% have this type of bleed (very, light spotting on a singular occasion apparently?) and that although some do have this form of implantation bleed following conception, it is actually far less common than people think - although some people assume it happens in every pregnancy and without it occurring towards the end of the cycle it automatically means the woman isn't pregnant.

Following my BFP I had bleeds at 7 weeks and 10 weeks - both were episodes of finding dry/old blood in my underwear and lasted about 3 or 4 days. I was told this was Implantation Bleeding and a result of the foetus growing/developing and burrowing deeper into the womb. But like I said above, I'm assuming this isn't the form of implantation bleeding your post is about.

However, some initial implantation bleeding must be heavier than just the odd spotting, I doubt there is one general rule and different things must happen for different women. My friend didn't find out she was pregnant until she was just short of 12 weeks as the periods she presumed she were having were in fact diagnosed as actually having been implantation bleeds. She'd only gone to the GP because she'd had constant diarrhoea and then she left with a midwife appointment

[sleepyhead]

I had a tiny amount of bleeding with both pregnancies, but at about the 5 week mark so I knew I was pregnant. First time it was accompanied by horrendous cramping so I was scanned to rule out an ectopic, second time it was just pink tinged mucous, but I assumed the start of a mc until it didn't get heavier.

These were my only two pregnancies (thankfully both successful), but I had years of failed ttc cycles and unusually early/late periods happened maybe once every 4-6 months.

Symptom spotting really is futile most of the time ime, your cycle can and will do anything, and early pregnancy for me was exactly the same as the days before my period arriving. So much so that I was 5 days late before I tested with ds2 because I was so certain that I was about to come on and didn't see any point in wasting a test.

For every symptom under the sun you'll have a bunch of people who were pg, and a bunch who weren't. The only thing that counts is a positive test, preferably at least 14dpo since very early mc is unfortunately pretty common.

But yes, bleeding in pregnancy is fairly common but almost all the time will be af if pregnancy has not already been confirmed.

[Fleta]

YABU but I know how hard TTC is. It is just another of the symptoms of pregnancy that affect some women and not others.

Pregnancy 1 - bled on CD1 so presumed it was period. Bled as a period for 2 days then suddenly stopped. Tested on a whim and I was pregnant. No other symptoms for the next 9 months. Healthy DD

Pregnancy 2 - light bleed before period due. Tested and pregnant. Every symptom in the book. Miscarriage.

Hope it happens for you soon.

[nobutreally]

I had a very light spotting which in retrospect was implantation bleed with my first pg but not my second. No way I could have confused it with a period, though - very light.

Good luck ttc, Nessalina.

[Busyoldfool]

I had it with my second pregnancy. Assumed it was a period and that I was not pregnant. Assumed what was to be would be. Carried on as normal and started a new work contract. Made appointment to have a coil fitted as I was well into 40's and this was my last month TTC on grounds of age.Next period never came. DS born safe and well. I am lucky I know that. Not a myth.

[champagnegoldfinch]

DC1 & DC2 : no bleeding

Pregnancy3: assumed ovulation was AWOL due to stress, bled for 2 days, assumed period had recommenced (very happy), went out for boozy lunch. Bleeding tailed off but penny still didn't drop. BFP few days later. Sadly MMC at 12 weeks.

[wobblyweebles]

Had a full blown 'period' exactly when it was due so did not test and carried on ttc. Found out at 13 week scan that I had been pregnant 4 weeks longer than I thought.

But had no implantation bleeding at all in my other two pregnancies.

[edwinbear]

I had implantation bleeding with both my pregnancies. But literally a smear on the bed sheet when I got out of bed with ds and a wipe with dd.

[catsmother]

Well, I've had 6 pregnancies - 2 children, 4 miscarriages - and have had implantation bleeding with all of them. The first time it never registered though - just thought it was one of those odd things - and only bothered to test when my period never came when expected. The other times it was the first sign I'd conceived before I tested positive, and before I'd have expected my period, i.e, extremely early on indeed - a very light bleed, more a pinky or brownish tinge, with just a few spots, than a full on flow. My body kindly decided to let me hang on to those non-viable pregnancies for a further 5 to 7 weeks after that though .... so it was never a question for me (personally) of implantation bleeding "turning into" an actual period a few days later.

[Meh84]

I had them with both children, it lasted a day or so.