- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preconception articles
- preconception q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
What Is Implantation?
Definition, Symptoms and What It All Means
By Lisa A. Goldstein
Generally, implantation lasts for a day or two, says Dr. Anthony Wakim, medical director of the IVF program at Magee Women's Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Implantation rates vary widely with the age of the female partner, Dr. Marshall says. "A fertilized egg probably implants only about 50 percent of the time; the rest of the time, they enter the uterus but don't implant at all or implant abnormally and don't continue as healthy pregnancies."
In some cases, implantation can occur yet be incomplete. "Sometimes women will have a biochemical pregnancy, with low levels of the pregnancy hormone B-HG," Dr. Marshall says. "A clinical pregnancy with a sac and a heartbeat is never established. This is likely because the process of implantation did not occur completely."
Some women actually experience implantation symptoms. How many do depends on whom you talk to. Dr. Wakim, for example, says it's "very, very, very rare." Dr. Marshall says, "I have never seen a rigorous survey, but my clinical estimate is that about 5 to 10 percent of women experience some symptoms, usually bleeding or a little cramping." And if you talk to your friends, odds are a few of them will claim to have felt it. There's also something to be said for women's intuition.
In retrospect, Anthony says she has strange enough memories of that time. "I remember thinking that the cramping and reaction of my body were not like I expected with my normal monthly," she says. "It was different somehow. The cramps were different – longer and more 'painful,' though not really painful in any sense. It just was different and the first time I began to suspect that I might be starting on a new journey. I never had any spotting or bleeding, but my body was definitely off from what I normally expected each month."
Want to see more?
Comments
Found 2 comments
Displaying all 2 comments below
What Is Pregnancy Implantation? by Anonymous on 07/17/2009 10:27PM
I had some light spotting right about the time I thought I should be ovulating. Now I have gotten a positive result today! This answers some questions that my husband & I were having about why I bled a couple of weeks ago.
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||
What Is Pregnancy Implantation? by Ashleigh on 11/25/2009 02:34PM
Hi I was wondering when u are told by the hospital that u are 9 weeks and 1 day pregnant does it mean the 9 weeks and 1 day ago implantation happen?