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Getting pregnant is not a one step process, and implantation is the final step where the fertilised egg (now called an embryo) settles itself into the lining of the uterus for a 9 month stay-cation.

When you’re trying to get pregnant, it’s normal to be very aware of your body and notice every tiny change that happens, wondering if it’s a sign of pregnancy.

The frustrating part is that so many of the early signs of pregnancy and implantation are very similar to PMS, so in this episode I’m breaking down some of the most common signs of implantation that women experience.

But just because you don’t notice any of them, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening for you.

 

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

• The four key stages of conception
• When implantation happens (and what it actually means)
• Implantation and your main fertile signs
• Other possible signs of implantation (which might also be PMS)

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Hello, and welcome to episode 35 of The Mana Women’s Wellness Podcast. I’m your host, Rachel and today I’m sharing everything you need to know about implantation.

Getting pregnant is not a one step process, and implantation is the final step where the fertilised egg (now called an embryo) settles itself into the lining of the uterus for a 9 month stay-cation.

When you’re trying to get pregnant, it’s normal to be very aware of your body and notice every tiny change that happens, wondering if it’s a sign of pregnancy.

The frustrating part is that so many of the early signs of pregnancy and implantation are very similar to PMS, so in this episode I’m breaking down some of the most common signs of implantation that women experience.

But just because you don’t notice any of them, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening for you.

The Four Stages of Conception

Implantation is the final step of conception. First, we have ovulation, then fertilisation, then transport and finally implantation. During each menstrual cycle a follicle within one of the ovaries ruptures and releases an egg – ovulation. The egg travels into the fallopian tube, where it must be fertilised by a viable sperm in the next 24-48 hours. The egg is then transported down into the uterus and, if fertilised, implants into the inner layer of the uterus called the endometrium. From here the egg will develop into a foetus. If the egg is not fertilised, it is shed with the endometrium on menstruation.

Let’s go through this in some more detail:

If the egg has been fertilised by sperm, this will happen in the outer part of the fallopian tube, close to the ovaries. When the sperm joins with the egg, they form a zygote, which moves down the fallopian tube and begins to divide into a ball of cells. Even at this early stage of the embryo, those genetic and inherited characteristics like hair colour are being established. How incredible is that?

Ok, so this rapidly dividing embryo is producing hormones that make sure the uterus is able to nourish and protect it. And it’s about a week after ovulation occurs that the embryo, now called a blastocyst, attaches itself or implants into the lining of the uterus, the endometrium.

When Does Implantation Occur?

Implantation is usually achieved about 12-14 days after ovulation and can be as early as about 7 days and takes about 24-48 hours. Some women experience signs of implantation while others don’t. And so let me preface everything I’m about to say with this – you can still be pregnant and experience zero signs of implantation. The only way to truly know we’re pregnant is when our period doesn’t arrive but we’ve confirmed ovulation. And then we take a pregnancy test. And it goes the other way too. So, like I said in Episode 27 when we talked about the early signs of pregnancy and when to actually take a pregnancy test, a lot of these early symptoms happen at the same time as our regular pre-menstrual symptoms in our luteal phase. So, sore boobs, mood swings, fatigue, all of those things we experience between ovulation and our period could just be PMS, so it’s really important not to get overly obsessed with every tiny possible sign. Easier said than done, I know.

So, we’ve talked about what implantation is and when it happens in our menstrual cycle. And so it could happen sort of in the time between ovulation and our next period, so we might know that what we’re experiencing is too soon for PMS and menstruation, but it can also happen quite late, 2 weeks after ovulation when our period is due. And this is why we really want our luteal phase to be at least 10 days long, and why it’s usually 10-17 days long. We need to give our body enough time for implantation to occur, so our body doesn’t just give up and say oh well, maybe next time while the fertilised egg is still madly trying to get to the endometrium. And this is why its so important to look at things like our progesterone levels when trying to conceive, to really make sure our luteal phase is long enough for implantation to occur.

Once implantation has occurred, the embryo begins to produce the HCG hormone, the pregnancy hormone, and levels increase quickly but it won’t be until around the time of your missed period that they are high enough to be detected on a urine pregnancy test. For most women, implantation doesn’t feel like anything because the changes happening are too insignificant to be noticed.

Implantation and The Key Fertile Signs

With all of that said, let’s break down our three main fertile signs and how they might be different to a typical luteal phase if fertilisation and implantation has occurred.

Cervical Mucus

Let’s start with our number one, cervical mucus. We can confirm that ovulation has occurred when we’ve observed the change in our mucus patterns from dry, to moist to wet and slippery and quite suddenly back to dry again. This sudden shift back to dry indicates that ovulation happened on our Peak Day, the last day we observed fertile quality mucus. If the egg was fertilised and after implantation, you might notice that you feel wetter than you typically would in your luteal phase which is generally pretty dry. You might notice more mucus than usual and it might be thicker, gummier and be clear or white in colour. As pregnancy progresses and progesterone and oestrogen levels continue to rise, mucus might become even thicker, white or yellow in colour and in greater amounts.

BBT

Some women talk about the implantation dip just like the ovulation dip, in the day before ovulation happens. The spike in temperature is actually more important than the dip. Not all women experience a dip before ovulation, just as they may not see a dip at implantation, but it’s typically one day of lower temperature followed by a surge. The temperature spike we see at ovulation is due to the sudden surge in progesterone levels produced by the corpus luteum that forms from what remains of the ovarian follicle after ovulation. This jump is anywhere from 0.2-0.5 degrees and it’s our way of confirming ovulation. A second surge, not as obvious that the ovulation surge, can happen around implantation, due once again to the surge in progesterone. So on your chart, you might notice a second jump in temperature about that week after ovulation.

Cervix Position

Finally, we have our cervix position. When we’re fertile, our cervix sits higher, and it’s open and it’s soft. When we’re not fertile, it sits lower, it’s firm and it’s closed. If you’re well practiced in tracking the changes in your cervix throughout your menstrual cycle, you might notice that your cervix stays in this fertile position after ovulation and implantation, so it’s soft, open and higher.

Other Implantation Symptoms

Other possible implantation symptoms could include:

Cramping – Some women notice some minor cramping around the time of implantation, and again can really easily be confused with pre-menstrual cramping. It’s thought to be due to the surge in progesterone after ovulation, but remember this happens with or without fertilisation. Some women describe abdominal tenderness, lower back pain and everything feels like a milder version of before your period begins.

Bleeding – Next we have implantation bleeding or spotting. Now this is more commonly known about but actually only occurs in about 25-30% of women. It’s very light and only hangs around for a day or two, so that’s the easiest way to distinguish it from your period and again just like ovulation spotting, it’s due to the sudden shift in hormones. It usually happens a little earlier than your expected period and it’s more a light pink or brown spotting compared to menstrual blood that is that a bright red flow that will get heavier over the next couple of days rather than going away.

Nausea – Nausea and vomiting are usually the earliest signs of pregnancy. You might notice food aversions or changes in your appetite. You might also feel quite bloated because rising progesterone causes your digestive system to slow down. Again though, this is pretty common pre-menstruation. Morning sickness usually kicks in around 4-5 weeks of pregnancy, around the time you miss your period.

Tender breasts – Again, this is one of the earliest signs and is due to changes in your hormones. After implantation, HCG, oestrogen and progesterone all rise fast and many women describe their sore boobs as their first sign of pregnancy.

Fatigue and poor sleep – Growing a baby is hard work and when you think about how rapidly things are growing and developing in those weeks before we even know we’re pregnant, it’s no surprise that we feel tired. High progesterone, just as always in the luteal phase, can make us feel more tired.

Headaches – In early pregnancy our blood volume increases and it takes some time for our cardiovascular system to play catch up and adapt to the chances. This can cause headaches.

Mood swings – We know this is due to our hormones. And likely also linked to the stress of the two week wait and the waiting until we can take a pregnancy test to figure out if all these symptoms we’re experiencing are signs of pregnancy or just PMS. No wonder we’re moody, it’s a rollercoaster.

And so, they are the possible signs of implantation and early early pregnancy. You might experience them, but you also might not. Remember that so many women don’t know they’re pregnant until a couple of months in! So it goes without saying that everyone’s symptoms are different. You’ll likely notice more subtle signs if you’re tuned in to your body and you’re on high alert for the smallest symptom, but the frustrating part is that a lot of the early signs of pregnancy and implantation are very similar to what we experience during ovulation as well as in the lead up to our period. They’re all related to the shifts that occur in our hormone levels throughout our menstrual cycle and it’s really important to try no to obsess about every sign too much.

If you want to learn some survival strategies for staying sane during the time between ovulation and being able to take a pregnancy test, then have a listen to Episode 27.

If you learnt something new or found value in today’s episode, I’d love to hear from you! Send me an Instagram DM and let me know what you want me to talk about. This podcast is for you and so I want to talk about the things that are most important to you!

I will see you in next week’s episode, where we are talking ovulation predictor kits and why I think they are an absolute waste of money.

 

Ok, bye for now and don’t forget that knowledge is power!

When you truly understand your body,  you are empowered to make informed decisions and take control of your health!

Until next time.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Want to say goodbye to hormonal contraceptives and their weird and unpleasant side effects?

Want to improve your chances of conceiving quickly and naturally?

You need my Fertility Roadmap – My simple 3-step system to understanding your body’s natural fertile signs and pinpointing ovulation day so that you can use this knowledge to achieve (or avoid) pregnancy.

Related Episodes:

Episode 1 – Menstrual Cycle 101

Episode 2 – Am I Ovulating? The One Check You Can Do Every Day to Know For Sure When You’re Fertile

Episode 12 – The Menstrual Phase – Menstrual Cycle Masterclass Part 1

Episode 13 – The Follicular Phase – Menstrual Cycle Masterclass Part 2

Episode 14 – The Ovulatory Phase – Menstrual Cycle Masterclass Part 3

Episode 15 – The Luteal Phase – Menstrual Cycle Masterclass Part 4

Episode 27 – When Should I Take a Pregnancy Test?

OTHER FREE RESOURCES

Does your pelvic floor need a little extra TLC? Take the Pelvic Floor Quiz and find out how to start strengthening your pelvic floor today!

Want to make sure you’re exercising safely during your pregnancy? Get your Free Guide: 10 Exercises to Avoid During Pregnancy.

ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?

If you enjoyed this episode and the Fertility Co. Podcast generally, I have a favour. Please take two minutes to subscribe, and to write a rating and a review. You can do that on Apple Podcasts right now by clicking here. If you are an Android user, you can follow the podcast on Spotify here. Those actions will help the podcast reach more people, and I would be truly grateful. Thank you so much.

 

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