How long does implantation bleeding and cramping last

Implantation bleeding is light bleeding that may happen about six to 12 days after conception. It may be caused by a fertilized egg implanting in the blood-rich lining of your uterus. Implantation bleeding can be an early sign of pregnancy, but some women mistake it for menstrual blood because it may happen around the time they expect their period.

Implantation bleeding

Implantation bleeding is light bleeding that a small percentage of pregnant women have at about six to 12 days after fertilization. Here's the theory behind why it happens:

After the sperm fertilizes the egg, it starts the three- or four-day trip from the fallopian tube to your uterus. During this time, it divides into hundreds of identical cells. Meanwhile, your ovaries release estrogen that causes the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) to thicken and develop more blood vessels. The uterine lining is preparing to host the quickly growing egg that will soon become an embryo.

Once the egg enters the uterus, it's called a blastocyst, a tiny ball of several hundred cells. A day or two later, it begins burrowing into the blood-rich lining of your uterus, where it continues to grow and divide. As it burrows into the endometrium, the blastocyst may cause little blood vessels to burst, resulting in a small amount of vaginal bleeding.

Implantation bleeding symptoms

In addition to light bleeding, some women also have these other implantation symptoms:

  • Light cramping (less than with a normal period)
  • Nausea
  • Breast tenderness
  • Lower back pain
  • Mood swings
  • Headaches

Note that these symptoms are no guarantee that you're pregnant – they can also be signs of ovulation or PMS. Taking a home pregnancy test is the best way to find out if you're pregnant. (Though you may have to wait a few more days to get an accurate result.)

If you do get your period instead of a positive pregnancy test, and haven't yet scheduled a preconception visit with a midwife or doctor, now is a good time to do so.

When does implantation bleeding occur?

Implantation bleeding tends to occur during the week before you would expect your period, or about six to 12 days after conception. This is around the same time a fertilized egg would be attaching itself to the uterine lining.

How long does implantation bleeding last?

Unlike a regular menstrual period, implantation bleeding usually lasts no more than a day or two. This is the amount of time it takes for the fertilized egg to become implanted into the lining of the uterus.

How common is implantation bleeding?

By some estimates, about 15 to 25 percent of women experience implantation bleeding. Some women may think they’re having a light period when they see the spotting. They may not realize they're pregnant.

How can I tell if it's implantation bleeding or my period?

Here's how to tell whether your bleeding is more likely to be implantation bleeding or your period:

  • Amount of blood. Implantation bleeding is a lot lighter than a typical period. It's usually just a little spotting.
  • Length of time. Most women bleed for three to seven days during their period. Implantation bleeding often lasts only one to three days.
  • Color. Menstrual blood is usually bright red or dark red, but implantation bleeding tends to be a light pink, brown, or rust discharge.
  • Clotting. Many women bleed enough during their period that some of the blood clots or becomes like a gel. Implantation bleeding is too light to clot.

When to see a doctor for bleeding in early pregnancy

If you continue spotting even after a positive pregnancy test, or if you develop other symptoms (such as pelvic or abdominal pain, dizziness, or lightheadedness), call your provider immediately.

You may need an exam to make sure you don't have an ectopic pregnancy. This happens when the fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. (It's possible to have an ectopic pregnancy even if you don't get a positive result on a pregnancy test.)

Bleeding or cramping in early pregnancy may also be a sign of an impending miscarriage. But many women spot in the first trimester for no apparent reason and go on to have a completely normal pregnancy.

Learn more:

Quiz: Am I pregnant?

Video: What is implantation bleeding?

Implantation cramps happen when a fertilized egg nestles into the lining of your uterus. This implantation pain is usually milder than menstrual cramps and happens about four to eight days before your period is due (about six to 10 days after ovulation). You might also have implantation bleeding, which is lighter than a typical period. If you have severe pain or heavy bleeding, call your healthcare provider.

What do implantation cramps feel like?

Implantation cramps feel similar to menstrual cramps, though they're usually milder. In fact, some women mistake them for premenstrual cramps. Not everyone feels implantation cramps, but if you do it may feel like a light twinge or prickling, or it may feel dull and achy.

An early sign of pregnancy, implantation cramps happen when the fertilized egg (at this point called a blastocyst) nestles into the lining of your uterus. This may be accompanied by spotting or light bleeding – much less than you would have with a normal period.

Feeling or not feeling implantation cramps has nothing to do with the health of your pregnancy.

Where do you feel implantation cramps?

You feel implantation cramps in your lower abdomen, in the middle rather than on one side. (It's your uterus that's cramping, even if the implantation is happening in one area.) You may also feel the cramping in your lower back.

Again, you may not feel implantation cramps and that doesn't mean anything about the health of your pregnancy. Some women feel this cramping and some don't.

When does implantation cramping occur?

Implantation cramping typically occurs between six and 10 days after ovulation (if you have an average, 28-day menstrual cycle). This would put it:

  • Between day 20 and 24 from the first day of your last period
  • About four to eight days before your period is due.

Implantation cramps usually last for a day or two, or three at the most.

Other implantation signs and symptoms

Besides cramping, you might also have some light bleeding. It would be light pink or brown rather than red like your period, and it would be very light. The spotting would last only a few days at the most.

If you miss your period, you'll have another strong indication that what you were feeling was implantation. For best results, take a pregnancy test a few days to a week after you expect your period.

What else might be causing my cramping?

If you're having cramping and it's not implantation, you might have a digestive problem, such as gas or a stomach flu. Or you may be feeling an egg release from your ovary. The name for this ovulation pain is Mittelschmerz. You would feel it on one side of your lower abdomen about halfway through your menstrual cycle – so earlier in your cycle than implantation cramps.

Contact your healthcare provider if you have:

  • Severe pain
  • Heavy bleeding
  • A fever
  • Nausea

These signs may indicate something that needs medical attention, such as an ectopic pregnancy, an ovarian cyst, appendicitis, or a miscarriage.

What can I do to relieve the cramping?

Implantation cramps are rarely severe enough to warrant treatment, but if they are making you uncomfortable, you might try:

  • A warm compress on your pelvis. You can also use a heating pad, but to be safe, keep the temperature below about 100 degrees F and only use it for 10 minutes at a time.
  • A warm bath or shower
  • Relaxation exercises
  • An over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen

As your pregnancy progresses, there may be other reasons for cramping. Read about cramping in your first trimester as well as later in pregnancy in our article on cramps during pregnancy.

Learn more:

  • Pregnancy symptoms: 11 early signs of pregnancy
  • Due date calculator
  • Pregnancy symptoms you should never ignore
  • Pregnancy week by week

How long does cramping due to implantation last?

The duration of implantation cramping varies from person to person but doesn't last longer than a few days. Some people experience a few minor twinges over a few hours or the course of a day. On the other end of the spectrum, some experience intermittent cramping that comes and goes over one to three days.

How can I tell if it's implantation bleeding?

implantation bleeding is most likely to be light pink or brown (as opposed to the bright or dark red of your period) implantation bleeding is more like spotting than an actual flow of blood.

How do you tell if it's implantation cramps?

Usually, the sensations can be felt in the lower back, lower abdomen, or even the pelvic area. Although only one of your ovaries releases an egg, the cramping is caused by its implantation in the uterus—so you can expect to feel it more in the middle of your body than just on one side.

Do cramps come after implantation bleeding?

Implanting gives the blastocyst a blood supply so that it can start growing into a fetus. Along with cramping, you may experience what is called implantation bleeding or spotting. This usually happens 10 to 14 days after conception, around the time of your usual period.