Bleeding during pregnancy can be a worry, but spotting can be a early sign of pregnancy. An implantation bleed is a small bleed as a result of the fertilised egg attaching itself to the lining of your uterus. Every cycle your body prepares itself for pregnancy. A woman’s uterus builds up a rich lining to protect and nourish a embryo. If the egg that is released is not fertilised, it will cause this lining to shed thus resulting in your period. If, however, the egg is fertilised, it will make its way into the uterus from the fallopian tubes and nestle itself deep into the rich lining your body has prepared. This burrowing can cause a slight bleed.
An implantation bleed can occur typically 6-12 days after conception, and may be a light pink to brownish red colour. A lot of women mistake an implantation bleed for a light period, since it occurs around the time your period would be due.
Bleeding during pregnancy is quite common in the first trimester (about 20-30% of pregnancies). Although it can be a sign of miscarriage, only about 50% of these women will miscarry. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience bright red bleeding and intense abdominal pains.
There are many reasons why a woman may bleed during pregnancy including a possible ectopic pregnancy, pelvic infection, or sex. It is always important to notify your doctor of any bleeds, even if you suspect it may just be an implantation bleed.
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Monday, 6 September 2010
The Basics of Conception
Its not easy as it seems!
It may come as a surprise to you to discover getting pregnant isn’t as easy as it seems. Couples only have about a 20% chance of getting pregnant each cycle and on average it can take 3 months to get pregnant, but up to a year is absolutely normal.
Many couples will start off with having sex every few days, but the real key to conception is proper timing. There is only a window of about 2 days every cycle when a female can get pregnant, and it takes a lot of attention to detail to determine when this small window of opportunity is.
The cycle continues
It helps a lot to know your menstrual cycle. Every woman’s cycle is different, but the average woman’s cycle can range from 28-32 days. If you have a average cycle, you will find that you will ovulate around 14 days after the first day of your cycle (when your period begins). If you have a shorter cycle you will ovulate earlier, and if you have a longer cycle you will ovulate later. It is a good idea to track the length of your cycle on a calendar, marking when your period starts and ends, then counting the length of each cycle.
The ovulation process
When you know you menstrual cycle, you can then work on determining when you ovulate. The beginning of a woman’s cycle is called the follicular phase, which starts at the beginning of your cycle and ends when you ovulate, on average 7 - 21 days, depending on your cycle length. After a woman has ovulated, and hasn’t conceived, the luteal phase begins and will end when then next cycle begins on average 12 - 16 days.
During the follicular phase, an egg will be released from a woman’s ovaries. Once the egg reaches the fallopian tube, it will await fertilisation from a sperm. Occasionally a woman may release more than one egg, if this event occurs and they are fertilised the result will be fraternal twins. Some women may experience a minor pain or discomfort in the general area of the ovaries, and sometimes even light spotting.
The egg will only survive in the females uterus for a maximum of 24 hours. If the egg isn’t fertilised in this short time span, it will break down and be absorbed into the uterus.
The changes within
During a woman’s cycle she may notice that her discharge (Cervical Mucous) may change. Before ovulation it starts out thick and cloudy. Closer to ovulation it will start thinning out to a clear or watery consistency, sometimes even egg-white like. Afterwards it will go back to a thick and cloudy consistency.
Other factors
There are a number of things that can throw off a woman’s cycle and ovulation. The two biggest contributors are stress and illness. A woman can also have a period without ovulating, or ovulate without having a period. If you have been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for a number of months, don’t think twice about asking your doctor for more in-depth options to help with conception.
Success
If conception does happen, the eggs outer will change to make it impossible for other sperm to enter the egg. The cells in the egg will begin to divide furiously. Three days after conception the egg and sperm, also known now as a embryo, will reach the uterus. At 6-12 days after conception the egg will then implant itself into the uterus and the mother’s body will start producing hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) hormone which will be detectable on a home pregnancy test when your period is due.
It may come as a surprise to you to discover getting pregnant isn’t as easy as it seems. Couples only have about a 20% chance of getting pregnant each cycle and on average it can take 3 months to get pregnant, but up to a year is absolutely normal.
Many couples will start off with having sex every few days, but the real key to conception is proper timing. There is only a window of about 2 days every cycle when a female can get pregnant, and it takes a lot of attention to detail to determine when this small window of opportunity is.
The cycle continues
It helps a lot to know your menstrual cycle. Every woman’s cycle is different, but the average woman’s cycle can range from 28-32 days. If you have a average cycle, you will find that you will ovulate around 14 days after the first day of your cycle (when your period begins). If you have a shorter cycle you will ovulate earlier, and if you have a longer cycle you will ovulate later. It is a good idea to track the length of your cycle on a calendar, marking when your period starts and ends, then counting the length of each cycle.
The ovulation process
When you know you menstrual cycle, you can then work on determining when you ovulate. The beginning of a woman’s cycle is called the follicular phase, which starts at the beginning of your cycle and ends when you ovulate, on average 7 - 21 days, depending on your cycle length. After a woman has ovulated, and hasn’t conceived, the luteal phase begins and will end when then next cycle begins on average 12 - 16 days.
During the follicular phase, an egg will be released from a woman’s ovaries. Once the egg reaches the fallopian tube, it will await fertilisation from a sperm. Occasionally a woman may release more than one egg, if this event occurs and they are fertilised the result will be fraternal twins. Some women may experience a minor pain or discomfort in the general area of the ovaries, and sometimes even light spotting.
The egg will only survive in the females uterus for a maximum of 24 hours. If the egg isn’t fertilised in this short time span, it will break down and be absorbed into the uterus.
The changes within
During a woman’s cycle she may notice that her discharge (Cervical Mucous) may change. Before ovulation it starts out thick and cloudy. Closer to ovulation it will start thinning out to a clear or watery consistency, sometimes even egg-white like. Afterwards it will go back to a thick and cloudy consistency.
Other factors
There are a number of things that can throw off a woman’s cycle and ovulation. The two biggest contributors are stress and illness. A woman can also have a period without ovulating, or ovulate without having a period. If you have been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for a number of months, don’t think twice about asking your doctor for more in-depth options to help with conception.
Success
If conception does happen, the eggs outer will change to make it impossible for other sperm to enter the egg. The cells in the egg will begin to divide furiously. Three days after conception the egg and sperm, also known now as a embryo, will reach the uterus. At 6-12 days after conception the egg will then implant itself into the uterus and the mother’s body will start producing hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) hormone which will be detectable on a home pregnancy test when your period is due.
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