Should you take a pregnancy test after implantation bleeding

Published on March 12th, 2022 and Updated on June 22nd, 2022

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You’ve circled your ovulation days on the calendar. You’ve tracked your basal body temperature like a pro. You practically feel butterflies in your stomach. But, when it’s time to take your pregnancy test, you look down and see… blood. What’s the deal? 

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, a few drops of blood might actually be a good thing. In fact, 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 sign —and it’s nothing to fear. 

But how can you tell the difference between implantation bleeding and menstruation? Will a pregnancy test clue you in to what’s really going on? 

While you can take a pregnancy test during implantation bleeding, you’re more likely to get an accurate result if you wait at least 5 days after bleeding has stopped. 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?

You can consider implantation to be the 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 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 has a Cinderalla-esque timeline of about 24 hours to meet a handsome sperm and be fertilized. If your egg does meet a sperm, they bind together and voila! Fertilization is complete! The result is a single-celled organism called a zygote.
• Cell division (1 to 7 days) – Immediately after fertilization, the zygote gets to work. The cell 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 its journey 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 cushy uterine lining (you know, trying to get comfortable). This rupture leads to bleeding in about 1 out of 4 pregnant women, making it a relatively common early sign of pregnancy. 

Let’s explore some factors that can differentiate implantation bleeding from other types of vaginal bleeding. 

Timing of Implantation Bleeding

Implantation bleeding occurs between 1 to 2 weeks following conception. Here’s where things can get tricky. Because 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.

Appearance of Implantation 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

Duration of Implantation Bleeding

During menstruation, your body sheds its now unneeded uterine lining, along with your unfertilized egg. This results in menstrual bleeding that can last between 3 to 7 days. 

However, during implantation, the uterine lining is only mildly ruptured—not totally shed—so bleeding isn’t nearly as long. 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? 

After those first few drops of blood appear, it can be tempting to run to the nearest drug store to stock up on your pregnancy tests (if you don’t already have a collection under the bathroom sink). However, 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). Once pregnant, hCG levels begin to rise, signaling to other hormones (like estrogen and progesterone) that there’s a baby on the way and assisting in fetal growth over the course of the first trimester.

Hormone hCG is what at-home pregnancy tests measure to determine if you’ve got a bun in the oven. Here’s why:

• First to rise – While progesterone and estrogen levels constantly fluctuate throughout your life (regardless of whether you’re pregnant), 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 at-home 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.

Timing Your Pregnancy Test 

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, dependable 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 Pregnancy Test Accuracy 

For results you can rely on when you do take a pregnancy test, here are tips for accurate testing:

• Hydrate appropriately – While you do need enough water to urinate, you don’t need to go overboard with your intake. Too much water can dilute your urine and hCG levels, potentially creating a false negative. 
• Choose an optimal test – Not all pregnancy tests are created equal. 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.
• Test 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.

Learn More About Your Newest Family Member With SneakPeek

So, can you take a pregnancy test during implantation bleeding? In short, yes, but keep in mind that your result may not be as accurate as it would be a few days later. If you test negative, don’t feel discouraged. 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, start stocking up on diapers, and order your SneakPeek At-Home Early Gender Blood Test.

From the comfort of your own home, SneakPeak’s test can tell you if you’re having a little boy or a little girl with clinically-proven 99.9% 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 500,000 moms just like you. 

So, after you test for hCG, test for gender, with SneakPeek Gender. 

This post has been reviewed for accuracy by the following medical professional:

Dr. Heather Soper, Certified Nurse Midwife

Heather has 15 years of women’s health and obstetrics experience. She is the owner of The Genesis Resort for Birth and an Assistant Professor of Nursing at James Madison University.

Sources:

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