Implantation is a beautiful process that occurs in a woman’s body after the egg and sperm have fertilized and the cells begin to divide. As a woman, implantation can be thought of as the very moment that your baby attached to your uterine wall where he or she will remain until birth occurs.
Heavy implantation bleeding can occur, but the bleeding isn’t always heavy.
Can Implantation Bleeding Be Heavy?
Heavy bleeding is uncommon. For the majority of women, bleeding is not heavy.
What happens is that there is a space between the uterine wall and the egg. When the egg attaches, implantation occurs, which can produce blood that will result in vaginal discharge.
However, the blood is often minor. There is little space – if any – between the wall and egg.
Of the one-third of woman that experience implantation, many will experience the following:
- Light colored discharge that is normally pink or brown.
- Spotting that is often abrupt and not recurring.
There are women that experience heavy implantation bleeding. This occurs when there is a wider space between the uterine wall and the egg, allowing for more blood to flow out of the vaginal opening.
Heavy Bleeding Concerns
For the most part, there shouldn’t be much of a concern for heavy bleeding. Some women may experience bleeding that is just as heavy as their period, but this is not as frequent.
Normally, heavy bleeding due to implantation is:
- Not painful
- Does not last long
- Lessens quickly
Since blood can only be released through a small space, the flow will not be able to be maintained like a normal period. Typically, women that have heavy bleeding will have it subside rather quickly and turn lighter in color.
Implantation bleeding can last hours to several days, but heavy bleeding will not remain consistent. One of the biggest signs of caution is bleeding followed by pains.
With implantation, you should not feel intense pains. If any of the following occurs, it’s recommended that you consult with a doctor immediately:
- Bleeding accompanied by pain.
- Dizziness or lightheadedness.
- Pelvic pains.
- Heavy bleeding with clots.
Clotting with heavy implantation bleeding is not normal. This may be a sign of a miscarriage, and you should immediately consult with a medical professional.
If the bleeding remains heavy and is not your period blood, it’s also recommended to consult with a doctor at this time. Severe pains or even a higher intensity of pains should not be a result of implantation bleeding and will need to be examined by a doctor.
Treatment Options
Implantation bleeding can be heavy, but there is no cause for concern. There are no treatment options, and a woman will need to simply wait until the bleeding stops.
The typical bleeding experienced will only last 2 – 4 days for the majority of woman. It’s advised to call your doctor if you’re:
- 100% certain it’s not period blood
- Bleeding lasts beyond 4 days
It’s not normal for heavy bleeding to be prolonged in the case of implantation. While there is no treatment, an underlying issue may be causing the blood.
Women can wear pads at this time to protect clothing from being stained. Note : Birth control will not stop the bleeding from occurring and should be avoided at this time.
How to Determine If It’s Period Blood
Bleeding out of the vaginal canal is often viewed as period blood. However, this isn’t always the case.
Instead, this can be implantation or a more serious medical condition that will need to be examined and verified by a medical professional. There are a few ways to tell the difference between implantation bleeding and period blood.
Implantation bleeding will be:
- The blood will be on and off and not flow consistently like period blood does.
- Pinkish or brownish in color. The vaginal discharge from implantation is not bright red or heavy like a period in most instances.
- Not on your normal cycle. Periods normally follow a pattern, so if the bleeding is earlier than expected, it can be a case of implantation.
- Seen 6 to 12 days after ovulation.
The entire cycle before implantation occurs can be several days. Since sperm can live in the body for 5 days, implantation can occur 6 to 12 days after sexual intercourse.
If you’re past your normal period date, it is a wise choice to take a pregnancy test. Enough time should have passed that a pregnancy test will have an accuracy rate of 99%.
However, if your normal period cycle has not passed, tests can be negative until the pregnancy hormone is allowed to accumulate within the body. Can implantation bleeding be heavy?
Yes. But, you want to ensure that your bleeding does not clot, doesn’t last for more than 4 days and isn’t accompanied by pain.
If you suffer from any of these symptoms, it’s highly recommended that you seek the advice of a medical professional.