Published on March 12th, 2022 and Updated on April 19th, 2024
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When trying to conceive, vaginal bleeding can be disappointing , especially when you hear that a missed period is one of the first pregnancy symptoms you may experience. However, light bleeding might actually be a good thing – it may be an indication that your fertilized egg has implanted itself onto the lining of your uterus. Implantation bleeding is a fairly common early pregnancy symptom —and it’s nothing to fear.
But how long after implantation bleeding can you test for pregnancy?. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at implantation bleeding so you can better understand why you may want to wait to take a pregnancy test.
What Is Implantation?
Implantation is essentially second major step of your pregnancy journey. After conception (the first major step), the fertilized egg must attach to the wall of the uterus in order to survive.
But when does implantation bleeding occur ? Let’s take a look at this process, step-by-step:
- Fertilization (12 to 24 hours) – During ovulation (which occurs roughly halfway through your menstrual cycle), one of your ovaries will release a mature egg into its fallopian tube. Once there, your egg will have 24 hours to bind together with sperm. The result is a single-celled organism called a zygote.
- Cell division (1 to 7 days) – Immediately after fertilization, the zygote rapidly divides as it travels down the fallopian tube toward the uterus, turning into a multi-cell blastocyst . During this process, the once single cell will eventually become between 200 and 300 cells.
- Implantation (8 to 9 days) – After going down the fallopian tube, the blastocyst reaches the uterus, attaches to the uterine wall, and burrows into its lining, also known as the endometrium. Since the uterine lining anchors and nourishes the baby, successful implantation is necessary for a successful pregnancy.
How Can Implantation Cause Bleeding?
Even though your blastocyst is only a tiny cluster of cells, it can nevertheless cause quite the commotion with things like bleeding and cramping. This is because, during implantation, the blastocyst creates a mini rupture in your uterine lining. This rupture leads to bleeding in about 1 out of 4 pregnant women , making it a common sign of early pregnancy.
Let’s explore some factors that can differentiate implantation bleeding from other types of vaginal bleeding.
When Does Implantation Bleeding Happen?
Implantation bleeding occurs between 1 to 2 weeks following conception .But, since you’re most likely to conceive during ovulation, the timing of implantation bleeding might overlap with the timing of your next menstrual period.
This isn’t always the case, as each week of your cycle has a certain amount of fertility potential. For instance:
- Menstruation – Essentially no fertility
- Follicular phase – Low fertility
- Ovulation – High fertility
- Luteal phase – Low fertility
So, if you have the rare experience of conceiving outside of ovulation, your implantation bleeding won’t occur the same week as your period. However, most women will conceive during ovulation, so it’s good to know other identifying characteristics of implantation bleeding, such as its appearance and duration.
How Do I Tell the Difference Between Implantation Bleeding and Menstrual Bleeding?
Menstrual blood can come in a variety of looks—red, brown, pink, thick, thin. However, implantation blood tends to maintain the same appearance for all women.
Happily, for identification purposes, the appearance of implantation blood is quite different from that of your menstrual blood. Implantation blood has traits like:
- Minimal volume, light bleeding that more closely resembles spotting
- A faint pink or brown color (rather than a deep red)
- Zero blood clots
- Some cervical mucus
How Long Does Implantation Bleeding Last?
During implantation, the uterine lining is only mildly ruptured—not totally shed—so bleeding isn’t nearly as long as menstrual bleeding. Typically, implantation bleeding will only last 1 to 2 days .
If you are experiencing severe pelvic or abdominal pain accompanied by vaginal bleeding and extreme lightheadedness, you could be experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, and you should seek emergency medical help immediately.
Are Pregnancy Tests Accurate during Implantation Bleeding?
If you’re wondering how soon will a pregnancy test read positive, taking a pregnancy test during implantation bleeding may not give you accurate results. This is all due to a key pregnancy hormone—hCG.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin—the Key to Pregnancy Tests
After implantation, your body releases a cascade of hormones to prepare itself for pregnancy. One of these hormones is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Hormone hCG is what at-home pregnancy tests measure to determine if you’re pregnant. Here’s why:
- First to rise – hCG only spikes during pregnancy. It’s also the first pregnancy hormone to rise exponentially. After conception, hCG takes as little as 11 days to show up in the bloodstream and 12 days in urine.
- Quickest to grow – Your hCG levels don’t just rise first—they also rise fast. During your first trimester (particularly, weeks 8 to 11), hCG levels double every 72 hours. This speedy growth means you’ll reach detectable levels sooner than you would with other hormones.
- Easiest to detect in urine – The body rids excess hCG through urine. Luckily, this makes an at-home urine tests a breeze. However, it’s important to note that hCG levels must reach a minimum concentration to trigger a positive pregnancy test result, usually around 25 mIU/mL . If you take a urine pregnancy test too early, your hCG levels may not be detectable yet, resulting in what’s known as a false negative.
How Long After Implantation Bleeding Can I Test for Pregnancy?
After implantation, hCG levels start to climb rapidly. However, it may still take between 7 to 12 days for hCG to reach a detectable level. This is about the same amount of time it may take for you to experience implantation bleeding. This leads to a gray area for testing, where some pregnant women may get a positive result and others may not.
For the most accurate results, doctors recommend waiting until about 7 to 12 days after implantation to ensure your hCG levels are soaring and save you from having to retest. This means waiting to test until at least 5 days after bleeding has stopped.
More tips for accurate testing include:
- Hydrating appropriately – While you do need enough water to urinate, too much water can dilute your urine and hCG levels, potentially creating a false negative.
- Choosing an optimal test – Some at-home pregnancy tests are more sensitive to urinary hCG levels. For instance, one study found that First Response Early Result was 95% successful at detecting pregnancy with hCG levels at 6.3 milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL). For comparison, most at-home pregnancy tests require at least 20 mIU/mL of hCG to confirm pregnancy.
- Don’t let it sit – If you don’t have an urge to pee yet, don’t open your pregnancy test kit. An unused testing stick can lose accuracy if left in the open air beforehand due to humidity degrading the test. Wait until you’re ready to go and take your pregnancy test right after opening.
- Account for medications – Certain hormonal medications (like Clomid, Menopur, and Pergonal) will affect pregnancy test accuracy, so check with your doctor before testing to determine if medications might impact your results.
- Testing in the morning – Your urine hCG level is at its prime right after you wake up, so test yourself in the morning for the earliest accurate result.
What are Other Common Early Pregnancy Symptoms?
Aside from confirming with an at-home pregnancy test, you may be pregnant if you experience some of the following symptoms:
- Missing an expected period
- Nausea or morning sickness
- Frequent urination
- Breast tenderness
- Implantation cramping, even without implantation bleeding
However, it’s possible to experience these symptoms without being pregnant, as they can also be caused by factors such as hormonal changes, stress, illness, or other medical conditions.
Learn More About Your Baby With SneakPeek
So, how long after implantation can you test? It’s best to wait at least 5 days. If you test negative, don’t feel discouraged it doesn’t necessarily mean implantation failure. You can simply wait a few days and try again. The longer you wait, the more time you give hCG levels to accumulate, and the more accurate your test will be.
And when you do test positive? Share the news with your friends and family and order your SneakPeek At-Home Early Gender Blood Test .
SneakPeak’s at-home test can tell you if you’re having a little boy or a little girl with clinically-proven over 99% accuracy. Even better? You can take the test as early as 6 weeks into your pregnancy. That’s months before a traditional anatomy ultrasound at 20 weeks can tell you. It’s no wonder SneakPeek Gender is the #1 OBGYN-recommended at-home fetal sex test on the market today, trusted by over 1 million moms just like you.
This post has been reviewed for accuracy by the following medical professional:
Dr. Heather Soper, Certified Nurse Midwife
Dr. Heather Soper brings over 15 years of experience in women's health and obstetrics to her role as the owner of The Genesis Resort for Birth. Complementing her clinical practice, she serves as an Assistant Professor of Nursing at James Madison University, where she educates nursing students with a focus on compassionate, patient-centered care. Her advanced training and dedication to midwifery are evident in her contribution to both academia and the wellness of expectant mothers
Sources:
- American Pregnancy Association. What is hCG? https://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/hCG-levels/
- American Pregnancy Association. What is Implantation Bleeding? https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-symptoms/what-is-implantation-bleeding/
- Annals of Epidemiol. Patterns and predictors of vaginal bleeding in the first trimester of pregnancy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2884141/
- ClearBlue. What you need to know about implantation bleeding. https://www.clearblue.com/am-i-pregnant/implantation-bleeding
- Grow by WebMD. Conception: From Egg to Embryo. https://www.webmd.com/baby/ss/slideshow-conception
- Grow by WebMD. Pregnancy Tests. https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/pregnancy-tests
- Parents Magazine. A Cheat Sheet to Pregnancy Hormones. https://www.parents.com/getting-pregnant/trying-to-conceive/ovulation-getting-pregnant/
- Parents Magazine. Your Chances of Getting Pregnant Every Day of the Month. https://www.parents.com/getting-pregnant/trying-to-conceive/ovulation-getting-pregnant/
- VeryWellMind. Stages of Prenatal Development. https://www.verywellmind.com/stages-of-prenatal-development-2795073
- Healthline. What are the Signs that Implantation Has Occured? https://www.healthline.com/health/implantation-signs
- Healthline. When You Should Take a Pregnancy Test. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/five-signs-to-take-pregnancy-test
- NCBI. Sensitivity of over-the-counter pregnancy tests: comparison of utility and marketing messages. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16295647/
- University of Rochester Medical Center. HCG (Urine). https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=hcg_urine#:~:text=Results%20are%20given%20in%20milli,meaning%20that%20you%20are%20pregnant.
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SneakPeek aims to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information to help our readers make informed decisions regarding their health before, during, and after pregnancy. This article was written based upon trusted scientific research studies and/or articles. Credible information sources for this article are cited and hyperlinked.
