Abnormal vaginal discharge and bleeding that is not aligned with the menstrual cycle could cause a great deal of anguish in women. Some assume that it could be an abnormal bleeding condition while others will brush it off as a normal occurrence, especially when it is just spotting or a case of minor implantation bleeding. There is a lot of concern when it comes to implantation bleeding with many women wondering if it is even possible to have heavy implantation bleeding?
Can Implantation Bleeding Be Heavy?
In case you are one of the millions of women who have been wondering if implantation bleeding can be heavy then the answer is yes, it can. However, it should only occur for a short while and just like your menstrual period, the bleeding stops on its own. The length of the bleeding will vary amongst women and this could be a couple of hours or days. For some women, it’s a case of on and off spotting, and this too could last a couple of days. There are no specific rules as to how long implantation bleeding should last and there have been cases of heavy bleeding which lasted for four days.
Heavy Implantation Bleeding
Normal implantation bleeding should be light and occur for a short while, but that doesn’t mean that heavy bleeding is an abnormality. Although heavy implantation bleeding is largely considered normal, there are signs that you should not ignore. If you notice any of the following signs with your bleeding, you need to seek immediate medical care.
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding when you are confirmed of being pregnant
- Post menopause bleeding
- Recurrent and extended heavy bleeding along with your regular periods
- Extreme pain, fatigue and light headedness with your vaginal bleeding
- Pathological spotting, as this could be a sign of uterine fibroids, cancer in the reproductive system and endometriosis, amongst other health conditions
Warning: sometime heave implantation bleeding could be a sign of miscarriage, be sure to see your gynecologist when in doubt.
You have known the answer to "can implantation bleeding be heavy", if you want to get more information on implantation bleeding, watch this video below.
Normal Implantation Bleeding vs. Period
Appearance
Normal implantation bleeding is very different from your period. The major difference between the two is the color of the blood.With implantation bleeding, the bleeding tends to be very light and minimal. In fact, many women will only need to wear a panty liner during this time. The bleeding could also be an inconsistent spotting or a single spot.
Typically, this bleeding appears pink or brown and it could become darker as it progresses. The bleeding could also appear darker than your normal period mainly because of the time it takes for the blood to move through the vagina from the walls of the uterus. Menstrual blood is normally blood red and it tends to become heavier as the days go by.
Accompanying Symptoms
Besides asking "can implantation bleeding be heavy", you would like to know other symptoms of implantation to tell it apart from period. Normally, implantation has no symptoms, but some women have complained of experiencing cramps, bloating, nausea and increased basal body temperature. Other symptoms that could accompany implantation bleeding include swollen and tender breasts, increased sensitivity to certain smells, fatigue and frequent urination. As you can see, these are all some of the major signs of pregnancy.
Timing
Another factor that leads to confusion between the two forms of bleeding is the timing of the bleeding. Normal periods have a 28 day cycle and with such a cycle periods would occur 14 days after ovulation. Most women conceive during ovulation which is when they are most fertile and implantation would therefore occur 10 to 14 days after conception. This would mean that the timing for the implantation bleeding would coincide with the dates when periods would be expected to begin. That said; if you are experiencing vaginal bleeding when you are sure that you shouldn’t, you may have a simple case of implantation bleeding.
In a nut shell, you can differentiate implantation bleeding from menstruation by paying close attention to the nature of the bleeding, the duration of the bleeding, the timing and the symptoms that accompany the bleeding as well.