Implantation Discharge After Conception: What does it looks Like?

While in the clinic some days back, I met a young lady with her husband. They wanted to know what implantation discharge after conception looks like.

She has been trying to conceive for years now, and surprisingly, she noticed a brown discharge that lasted for about a week.

As expected, she thought she was pregnant. However, after carrying out some investigations, we identified that she was not pregnant but had a fibroid.

If you are trying to conceive, I’ve put together this guide to understand what implantation discharge after conception looks like. Is it whitish, yellowish, brownish, reddish, or greenish?

Greenish discharge, or discharge that smells very bad or causes itching or burning, is usually not implantation and often means an infection. You should see your doctor if you notice this.

How long should you experience implantation discharge? What other sign of pregnancy will you experience if you are pregnant? And then, possible other reasons you have a brown or red discharge when you are not pregnant.

So, to easily identify implantation discharge, it is crucial you go through this guide. Let me know if you have questions below. Hopefully, I will help.

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What is implantation?

But first, before trying to discuss what implantation discharge looks like and the color, it is important you understand what implantation means.

Think about your body as a complex place with fertile organs. These organs are your reproductive organs that are necessary for you to have a baby

In a woman, the reproductive organs are the ovaries, fallopian tube, uterus, cervix, and the vagina. Without these organs, it is difficult to have a baby.

Not just that, if you have a problem with any of these organs, it becomes difficult for you to conceive. Take, for instance, If you have a problem with the uterus like a fibroid, it may reduce your chances of conception.

However, if your reproductive organs are working optimally, ovulation, fertilization, and implantation will occur when due.

Now, After you’ve had intercourse in your fertile period, sperm transports itself all through your reproductive tract until it gets to the fallopian tube.

Right there, Fertilization occurs. Fertilization means the sperm fuses with the egg released during ovulation forming a tiny baby called an embryo. Without implantation, even after fertilization, you are not pregnant.

So, after fertilization, the embryo is taken back into your womb and fixed into the uterus where it starts growing.

This process is called implantation and must happen if you must get pregnant. It usually happens about 6 to 12 days after ovulation or conception. Mayo Clinic+1

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The concept of implantation bleeding?

While all women will need to have implantation before getting pregnant, not all women will experience implantation bleeding.

First of all, implantation happens in the uterus. The uterus is one of the female reproductive organs. It is situated just inside your hip bone.

There are three layers of the uterus: the endometrium, myometrium, and the perimetrium. The endometrium is the most inside layer of the uterus and its the layer that houses the fertilized embryo.

Just before implantation happens, due to hormonal influence, there is thickening and increased blood supply to the endometrium.

So, when the baby finally burrows into the endometrium, it causes bleeding. This bleeding is called implantation bleeding.

Health organisations like Mayo Clinic and the NHS describe implantation bleeding as very light spotting (not a heavy period), usually pink or brown, that happens around the time your period is due. (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-answers/implantation-bleeding/faq-20058257 and https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/common-symptoms/vaginal-bleeding/) Mayo Clinic+1Tommy’s+2

Some women will not notice any bleeding at all, and this is also normal. PatientPop+1

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What does implantation discharge look like?

After implantation finally happens, some women notice changes to the texture and color of their discharge. This is mainly due to pregnancy hormones acting on the cervix and vagina, not the implantation bleeding itself. MedlinePlus+1

Discharge after implantation can be watery, milky, and slightly excessive. You may notice that your discharge has a mild odor but not foul smelling.

At this point, you may or may not be experiencing other signs of pregnancy (discussed later in this article)

So, how will implantation discharge look like?

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White discharge after implantation

For many women that get pregnant, discharge after implantation is whitish. That is, it looks white, excessive, non-smelly, not itchy, and a little bit slimy. MedlinePlus+1

When you get pregnant, your hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone, spikes resulting in an increased secretion of cervical mucus.

This change causes women to experience a slightly heavier discharge, and so, its nothing abnormal.

Hence, if you are expecting, this type of discharge just before your period could indicate you are already pregnant, but it is not a sure sign. The only reliable way to confirm pregnancy is a urine or blood pregnancy test. MedlinePlus+1

You can read more about normal vaginal discharge in pregnancy here: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000583.htm MedlinePlus

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Brown implantation discharge

As previously mentioned, not all women will have implantation bleeding. If you do, you may notice a small amount of blood mixed with your normal discharge.

Implantation discharge is usually light pink or brown spotting, and it is generally much lighter than your period. It often shows up as a few drops or stains on your underwear or when you wipe, and it should not be heavy enough to soak a pad or tampon. Cleveland Clinic+2Tommy’s+2

This light brown or pink discharge only lasts for about a few hours to a couple of days. Healthline+1

So, if you are having spotting for over weeks, or the bleeding becomes heavy or painful, it is not implantation. You should see your doctor or go to the hospital.

Other colors of implantation bleeding are discussed here.

Some studies suggest that up to one in four women may notice some light spotting or bleeding in early pregnancy, but many pregnancies have no implantation bleeding at all. PatientPop+1

You can see more information on implantation bleeding from Cleveland Clinic and ACOG here:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24536-implantation-bleeding and https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/bleeding-during-pregnancy Cleveland Clinic+1

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What other signs will I experience?

Besides implantation discharge that may be white, brown, red, or pink, you could have other signs of pregnancy even before you’ve missed your period.

The most common complaint is breast pain. Right before your period, it is not abnormal for ladies to get pain in both of their breast. This happens because of the spike of progesterone that occurs around the last week of your menstrual cycle.

During pregnancy, ladies will continue to have pain in their breasts too. This is because progesterone level will remain high and cause changes to your breast. NICHD+1

Another sign of pregnancy is a high, soft cervix. This is not reliable, but during pregnancy, if you’ve regularly examined your cervix, you will notice it is soft and slightly up in your vaginal canal.

Other signs of pregnancy you should watch out for are back pain, implantation cramps, vomiting, nausea, mood swing, fatigue, and restlessness. Mayo Clinic+1

Even with all these symptoms, the most reliable early sign of pregnancy is a missed period followed by a positive urine or blood pregnancy test. If your period is late, it is better to do a test than to depend only on discharge or breast symptoms. MedlinePlus+1

You can read more about early pregnancy symptoms here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/getting-pregnant/in-depth/symptoms-of-pregnancy/art-20043853 Mayo Clinic

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What else could it be?

Not all brown or white discharge mean implantation. Here are other possible causes of brown discharge

• Uterine fibroid

• Vaginal infections

• Ovulation bleeding

• contraceptive use

• Yeast infection

• Vaginal tear after sexual activity

Brown or red discharge, especially if it is heavy, painful, or has clots, could also be a sign of early miscarriage or an ectopic (pregnancy outside the womb). These conditions need urgent medical attention. ACOG+1

You should see your doctor or go to the emergency room quickly if you have very heavy bleeding, severe lower abdominal pain, shoulder pain, dizziness, fainting, fever, or if you just feel very unwell.

For more on bleeding in early pregnancy and when to seek help, you can check trusted resources such as the NHS and Johns Hopkins:
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/common-symptoms/vaginal-bleeding/ and https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/10-early-signs-of-pregnancy