Can Implantation Bleeding Be Bright Red?

Precap
Can implantation bleeding be bright red? No, implantation bleeding is not bright red like a period. Active bleeding cuts or disintegration of uterine lining releases bright red blood. Implantation bleeding doesn’t look bright red or have clots.

Can Implantation Bleeding Be Bright Red?

Blood changes its color as it gets old. The color of blood changes from bright red to dark brown due to clotting of fibrous proteins. Can implantation bleeding be bright red? 

For this one needs to understand what is implantation bleeding?

Implantation bleeding is the blood loss during the embedding of the embryo in the uterus wall.

As the embryo invades the blood vessels of vaginal lining, it causes mild abrasion of blood vessels. It leads to bleeding that generally is dark red to brown.

Some women may have a pinkish implantation bleeding or bright red spotting. It is because the implantation process just happened.

Active bleeding areas of womb cause bright red implantation bleeding.

Can Implantation Bleeding Be Bright Red

When Can A Woman Have Implantation Bleeding?

The egg after release from ovaries cannot stay for long in the Fallopian tubes. It is viable only for 24 hours. After that, it cannot fertilize as it loses its viability.

Sperms, on the other hand, can tolerate the conditions of tubes and stay in the vagina for about 5 days. If the sperms are present in the tubes during the 24-hour lifespan of the egg after ovulation, then fertilization can occur.

A healthy fertile woman has a fertile window of about five days. The window starts from 3 days before ovulation to one day after it. It is the shortest fertility period and can be longer in some cases. 

For conception, the sperms need to have the right shape, number, and motility. If all these conditions happen simultaneously, then fertilization can occur. 

There is no surety about it, and that is why every time you have sex near ovulation you don’t get pregnant.

1. After the egg fertilizes, the process of cleavage begins.  It is the rapid division of the fertilized egg into small units. About thirty hours later the fertilized egg divides into two. The next division occurs within 10 hours after it. The third division is after three days after fertilization.
2. During this cleavage process, the young embryo travels down the tubes. It makes its way to the uterus.
3. At the end of the fourth day, the embryo reaches the uterus. It has 8-16 units and looks like a mulberry. It is known as the morula stage.
4. At the next stage, this bunch of cells further divides to form a blastocyst which is of about 64 cells. This solid mass of cells now awaits to attach or implant in the wall of the uterus.
5. The egg has a protective covering called Zona Pellucida that prevents implantation at the wrong place. It doesn’t expose the sticky ends until the bunch of cells reaches the right place of implantation. Later it gets dissolved. This layer guides the egg to the right place.
6. After seven days after fertilization, the blastocyst attaches to the uterine epithelium. It leads to a little eruption of the blood vessels present there to make space for the embryo.

After successful implantation, the blastocyst starts the formation of germ layers. These form the different organ systems of the body.

How Long Does Implantation Bleeding Last? 

The egg lies near the endometrial lining on the 6th day after fertilization and on the 7th day it implants. Implantation bleeding occurs for a few minutes. 

Even in extreme cases, implantation bleeding cannot last for more than three days. A bunch of 64 cells is too small and is invisible to eyes. Such a small unit cannot cause heavy bleeding.

Implantation bleeding is mostly like spotting and lasts for few minutes or a day. The amount of blood is so less that by the time it reaches out of uterus it becomes brown or dark red. 

A bright red implantation bleeding is a sign that the blood is freshly released.

Signs Of Normal Implantation Bleeding

1. Spotting of pinkish-brown to dark brown color.
2. Cramps and slight abdominal pain.
3. Nausea and dizziness
4. A triphasic pattern of basal body temperature. A rise of BBT on the ovulation day, implantation dip of BBT – which is a sign of pregnancy, restoration of BBT to normal.
5. Increased cervical mucus due to rising progesterone levels

Some women may have bright red implantation bleeding for a day. But this bleeding will not soak pads.

• You need to keep a check on the number of pads used.
• Another point to remember is that you must never insert a tampon into the vagina during implantation bleeding.
• Do not douche or have sex during implantation bleeding.
• After you see implantation bleeding get a doctor’s appointment for Rh blood group test. If your baby is Rh positive and you are Rh negative, then opposite blood groups can cause the death of the baby. You will need an immunoglobulin suppressive injection. Earlier a condition called Erythroblastosis fetalis killed many babies. As soon as you see implantation bleeding get a blood group checkup done.

After implantation bleeding, you can take a pregnancy test to confirm pregnancy. You need to wait for the hCG hormone to start coming in your urine. It is like the LH hormone of the brain; it signals the other hormones required for pregnancy.

Implantation also stimulates the production of progesterone. This hormone prevents menstruation and causes secretion of cervical mucus that forms a mucus plug. 

This mucus can mix with implantation bleeding and cause orange bleeding.

Can Implantation Bleeding Be Bright Red, Pink Or Brown?

Types of implantation bleeding and significance:

1) Bright Red Spotting

Implantation bleeding of bright red color indicates that there are active areas in your womb that are bleeding. It could also hint a threatened miscarriage. A threatened miscarriage does not mean pregnancy loss.

It only shows that there are chances that it can convert into it. Can implantation bleeding be bright red? Bright red spotting is a sign that the implantation just occurred.

2) Brown Implantation Bleeding

In most cases after implantation, the blood doesn’t immediately escape the vagina. It stays there and later comes out as brown implantation bleeding. Spotting during pregnancy and brown vaginal discharge is common.

Even in the early stages of pregnancy, spotting is normal. About 1/3rd pregnant woman have implantation bleeding and have normal pregnancy later on.

3) Orangish Implantation Bleeding

In some cases, due to some infection, the implantation bleeding can be orange. It needs treatment and is a sign of disease. Mixing of cervical mucus also leads to orange implantation bleeding.

4) Pinkish Implantation Bleeding

Like bright red implantation bleeding pinkish implantation bleeding is also active bleeding. Pinkish spotting later may turn into the brown discharge. The proteins and coagulating factors give a pink color.

What Does Bright Red Spotting Mean?

Bright red implantation bleeding is a sign that the blood flow is continuous. As soon as blood flow stops, the mucus plug turns brown within minutes.

Heavy implantation bleeding is not normal. A small bunch of cells cannot cause any significant damage.

Is Bright Red Period Blood Normal?

Period blood is always bright red or the color of fresh blood. The redness of blood depends on the amount of hemoglobin and other factors.

If a woman is anemic, her blood may be darker because of lack of oxygen. Hemoglobin in an oxygenated state is red. Period blood is red, brown and may even have a tinge of green. It depends on the time you check it.

If you see it immediately as it comes out of the vagina, it will be like normal blood. Later on, it turns brown. If you don’t change pads, then it can even look black or green.

Bright red period blood is normal and flows heavily. After the second or third day of the period, the flow rate reduces.

When Is Bright Red Blood Abnormal?

1. If your implantation bleeding is bright red, then you have an active bleeding area in the uterus. There are many reasons for bleeding from uterus like polyps or scars.
2. In some cases, it could be a sign of tubal pregnancy. The tubes are narrow and not suitable for implantation. In case, the implantation occurs at the wrong place then a woman may have a tubal pregnancy. It is also termed as Ectopic pregnancy. In that case, you can have bright red bleeding.
3. An impending miscarriage can also cause bright red spotting. If there is an early chemical pregnancy, there can be red bleeding. It will not be implantation bleeding but heavy bleeding.
4. Miscalculation of implantation or period. If you did not time your period correctly then you may be mistaken. The time of period and implantation is nearly the same. The color of bleeding, intensity, and duration determine implantation bleeding or period.

How To Distinguish Between Period And Bright Red Implantation Bleeding?

It is easy to distinguish period and normal implantation bleeding.

• The color of implantation bleeding is darker than the period.
• Implantation bleeding lasts for a shorter span of time and period is for about five days.
• It is (Implantation bleeding) is not a heavy flow and period is a heavy flow initially.
• Implantation bleeding doesn’t cause severe cramps, but menstrual cramps are painful.

Can implantation bleeding be mistaken for a period? If you have bright red pregnancy spotting, then wait for a day. In case the color changes then it may be implantation bleeding.

 If you continue to get bright red blood, then you may be having your period. If you have other symptoms like shortness of breath and bright red blood period or miscarriage confusion, tell your doctor.

Can Implantation Bleeding Be Bright Red And Watery?

Implantation bleeding usually should not be bright red. There are situations when a woman in her early pregnancy gets bright red blood no clots like period. 

But as outcomes of implantation, bright red and watery bleeding are not normal. Egg size is not enough to lead to bright red blood oozing out your vagina.

It can be because you are having breakout bleeding which occurs near due date of the period in pregnant women. 

Other reasons for bright red bleeding are hormonal fluctuations in early pregnancy.

Can Implantation Bleeding Have Clots?

Pregnancy spotting doesn’t have clots. The vaginal wall doesn’t come off like during the period. The wall stays intact for the incoming embryo and pregnancy development. 

Clots during a period are pieces of the wall of the endometrial lining. Implantation discharge doesn’t have clots.