What does Implantation Cramps Feel Like, When It Starts, Timing
Last updated on July 26th, 2018 at 06:05 pm
Questions: What does implantation cramps feel like? Where does it occur? When does implantation cramps start?
When young girls are trying to conceive, it’s important that they take note of body changes that can occur before and after missing their period.
This is because pregnant women, especially first-time moms, will easily miss very early signs of pregnancy.
Implantation cramping and bleeding are pregnancy symptoms that will show up days before your menstrual period starts, and like most women, can easily be confused with menstrual period pain.
Because some women will also have cramps in their lower abdomen within 1 to 3 days before period will start, it’s vital you understand what you implantation cramps feel like and how to differentiate it from your menstrual period.
To do this, you must understand your menstrual cycle, and if you’ve been observant and recorded the first day of your menstrual period over four to six months, you can tell if your menstrual cycle is regular or not.
The menstrual cycle is simply the difference in the number of days between your periods, and majorly it is controlled by hormones.
For instance, if a woman’s last menstrual period (LMP) started on the 2nd of June, and the following period began on the 29th Of June, it implies that her menstrual cycle length is 27 days.
To determine your menstrual cycle, it may require some discipline over months. All you have to do is now chart and record the first day period starts, and do this for a few months.
If you already know your menstrual cycle length, and if it’s regular, it becomes easy to identify when ovulation and implantation cramps will occur during your cycle.
This guide explains
- The meaning of implantation cramping and bleeding
- What does implantation cramps feel like
- How to know it’s implantation cramps and not your period cramps
- Implantation cramps timing
- Where implantation cramps occur in your abdomen
What are implantation cramps and bleeding?
Your body is made up of different systems, and particularly, the reproductive system is involved with ovulation and formation of the embryo (your baby).
A woman’s reproductive organ is made up of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and the ovaries. The ovaries or located on the side of the uterus and they spontaneously release one or more egg into the fallopian part of the uterus.
Usually, if your menstrual cycle is regular, ovulation will take place about 14 to 16 days from the start of your next menstrual period.
After ovulation occurs, the egg is picked up by fallopian tube fimbriae and ready for fertilization.
If you’ve already had sexual intercourse, sperm will swim through your cervix to the fallopian tube where it fertilizes the egg released during ovulation.
The truth is, if you’ve not had sexual intercourse, the egg released is absorbed and washed out of your body. However, if there is already a sperm waiting before ovulation, there is a better chance conception will occur.
At the ampullary region of the fallopian tube, the sperm fuses with the “released” egg and forms the embryo that is subsequently transferred into the uterus.
At the uterus, the embryo is slowly buried into the blood-thick lining covering the inner wall of the uterus, the endometrium.
During this process, called implantation, some women will feel mild to moderate cramping their lower abdomen with bleeding that comes out too.
When does implantation cramps start?
Usually, before getting pregnant and during your menstrual period, your uterus contracts and relaxes, resulting in mild to severe pain in their abdomen.
This pain is due to hormones in your body that force your uterus to contract. Just like cramps during periods, some will experience cramps in their belly and back even before menstrual period will start. This type of pains that occur before period is a sign that your period is approaching.
On the other hand, implantation cramps will start before your period commences, and in some women, a cramping belly pain a week before period is a sign of implantation has occurred.
If your period is about to start in a weeks time, and then you suddenly get light spotting and cramps at the same time, it’s more likely you are pregnant.
What does implantation cramps feel like?
During your period, the hormone prostaglandins will force uterine muscles to contract and push out blood from your vagina.
Depending on your threshold for pain, and the levels of prostaglandins in your body, you will have mild to moderate belly cramps during a menstrual period.
Like most women, it’s not abnormal if you start having cramps one or two days before your expected period, as pain will fade away toward the end of period.
On the other hand, if you are pregnant, you will have belly cramps that will occur earlier and about a week from your period. Pain due to implantation is less severe than your period cramps, and cramps come and go without even stopping your daily activities.
Also, spotting will occur around the time you have cramps in your abdomen. Implantation spotting is dark in color, on and off and stops within 2 – 3 days.
Where do you feel implantation cramps?
First of all, not all pregnant women will feel implantation cramping. So, if you’ve already taken a pregnancy test and wondering why you did not experience implantation cramps and bleeding, you shouldn’t.
Secondly, Implantation bleeding and cramps can be felt in your lower abdomen (with right or left side referred pain), though some women will experience slight discomfort at the back.
What does implantation bleeding and cramping signify?
If you are expecting a baby, mild abdominal cramps before your menstrual period may be due to pregnancy. Other signs of pregnancy (apart from implantation cramps) are:
Breast pain
When you are expecting your period, it’s normal that you begin to observe changes in your mood and also your breast.
If you become pregnant, even before missing your period, you will experience breast tenderness and notice your breast is heavier.
Missed period
If you are yet to have period after having mild cramps, then it’s likely you’re pregnant. A missed period is an early way to know you are pregnant, and it means pregnancy hormones are preventing your period from showing up.
Other symptoms of pregnancy are feeling tired easily after your usual activity, an increased frequency of urination, change in your mood, nausea, and vomiting.
When should I test for pregnancy after implantation cramps start?
If you are having implantation pain and spotting, taking a pregnancy test too quickly may get you disappointed.
Implantation cramps and negative pregnancy test is common if a test was carried out many days before your next period.
After fertilization, it will still take some days for your baby to be attached to your womb and start growing.
When implantation occurs, your body begins to secrete a glycoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, that continues to rise in early pregnancy.
This hormone is easily recognized by blood and urine pregnancy strips, and sometimes, if the level of this hormone is low, it will result in a negative result when you are actually pregnant.
The truth is, most health care professional will advise that you take a pregnancy test after missing your period for seven days. If it’s still negative, this guide explains causes of missed period and abdominal cramps.
