When a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus, where it can begin growing, some light brown/pink spotting may occur. This is called implantation bleeding, and it can be one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. Some women don’t experience this type of bleeding, and some simply don’t notice it. If it happens, it doesn’t indicate a problem with your pregnancy.
Is It Implantation Bleeding or My Period?
It’s possible to mistake implantation bleeding for a very light and early period at first. However, there are some differences to pay attention to. Although every woman’s period is different, it’s still possible to guess that it's implantation bleeding by the color and amount of bleeding, and by where you are in your menstrual cycle, as well as by looking out for other early signs of pregnancy — more frequent bathroom trips, fatigue, and nausea (i.e. morning sickness).
These are the main signs and symptoms of implantation bleeding compared to a period:
The amount of blood.
Implantation bleeding isn’t heavy; it’s more like a discharge or light spotting that’s about a few drops of blood on your underwear.
The brown discharge.
The blood from implantation is more of a pinkish or brown color, rather than a bright red some women normally see during a period. The spotting can be between the period.
When Does Implantation Bleeding Happen?
You may notice implantation bleeding around 10 to 14 days after conception, when a fertilized egg becomes attached to the lining of your uterus. Keep in mind that conception may not occur on the same day you had sex. Sperm can live as long as five days inside a woman’s reproductive tract, and conception might not occur for several days after sex.
Should I Take a Pregnancy Test During Implantation Bleeding?
You can take a home pregnancy test during implantation bleeding. Keep in mind that the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (or hCG) that pregnancy tests detect only starts being produced in your body the moment the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus — which is the trigger for implantation bleeding. The earlier you take the test, the less hCG there is to detect, meaning that the test may not yet be accurate. If you have the patience to wait, you’ll get a more accurate test result if you wait until after the first day of your missed period.
If you get a positive test result, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to confirm your pregnancy. And you can get an estimate of when to expect your baby by using our handy tool to calculate your due date.
Should I See a Doctor?
Implantation bleeding is generally nothing to be concerned about, but it’s a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider about any bleeding you experience during pregnancy. Although light bleeding in early pregnancy can be totally normal, there are some reasons for bleeding in early pregnancy that need to be addressed immediately. These can include infection, miscarriage, or ectopic pregnancy.
FAQS AT A GLANCE
Yes, but home pregnancy test results are usually more accurate when taken after the first day of your missed period.
On toilet paper, you might see light traces of pinkish or brown blood.
Implantation bleeding is very light. If you notice anything, you might only see a few spots of pinkish or brown blood.
It’s thought that when a fertilized egg attaches to the uterus, implantation bleeding happens. This could be about 10 to 14 days after conception. If you have regular periods, it happens around the time you would expect your period.
Implantation bleeding may sometimes be mistaken for a light period, especially if you have light or irregular periods normally. But these drops of blood could also be a sign that you’re about to embark on a very exciting journey. If you’re at all unsure, check in with your healthcare provider.
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We know that sex leads to pregnancy, but people often wonder how soon after intercourse you really get pregnant. It turns out that there are multiple variables at play, so the answer isn't exact. Instead, it's actually a range. After sex, you could get pregnant within minutes or could take a few days—or you might not get pregnant at all.
Learn more about how long after sex it takes to get pregnant, how to maximize your chance of conceiving, and when you can expect pregnancy symptoms to begin.
Verywell / Emily RobertsTiming of Conception
Once couples start trying to have a baby, many expect that they will be pregnant right away. The reality is that it can take as long as a year or more for couples under the age of 35 to conceive. One study found that of the 1,400 people who had planned their pregnancy, as many as 44% of them said it took longer than expected.
A delay in getting pregnant is often caused by mistiming sexual intercourse. For people trying to have a baby, it's important to know when the partner with ovaries is ovulating so that sex can take place around this timeframe (commonly known as the "fertile window"). However, determining when ovulation occurs can be tricky, too. So, many couples try to have sex every other day during the middle of their cycle to boost the odds of conception.
Conception (when the egg is fertilized by the sperm) can take place as soon as three minutes after sex or it may take up to five days. Implantation (when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall) occurs five to 10 days after fertilization—which means it can happen anywhere from five to 15 days after you had sex.
Officially, you are not considered pregnant until implantation occurs.
If getting pregnant takes a couple of months longer than anticipated, people might start to wonder if different techniques could help them conceive more quickly. However, conceiving is more complex than a simple tip or trick can address.
Conception
You might think that the time between sex and conception is just the amount of time it takes sperm to swim to the egg, but how quickly sperm swim doesn’t fully answer the question.
Studies have shown that sperm take, on average, between two and 10 minutes to travel from the cervix through to the fallopian tubes where they hope to meet an egg. This action occurs regardless of gravity. Sperm can swim "up" through the uterus no matter what position your body is in. When there is an egg waiting, conception can occur as soon as three minutes after sexual intercourse.
That said, sperm can survive inside the female reproductive system for up to five days. This means that the day that you had sex won't necessarily be the day that you get pregnant. If you had sex on Monday and ovulate on Thursday, conception could still occur days after you had sexual intercourse.
While you're more likely to get pregnant if you have sex two to three days before ovulation, you can get pregnant from sex that occurs up to five days before an egg is released from the ovary.
Note that when a healthcare provider estimates the day of conception, the date might not match up with the actual day that a couple had sex. The delay between intercourse and fertilization happens if ovulation had not occurred yet when the couple had sex.
Implantation
Conception occurs when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg. Implantation occurs when the fertilized egg—now an embryo—implants itself into the uterine wall. You’re not technically pregnant until the embryo becomes implanted.
Many people assume that fertilization happens in the uterus, but this isn’t correct. The sperm cells actually meet the egg in the fallopian tubes—and this is where conception occurs.
After conception, the embryo needs to go through several developmental stages before it can implant into the uterine lining. It also needs to travel from inside the fallopian tubes down into the uterus, which takes a few days.
Fertilization or conception can occur as soon as a few minutes after sex or as many as five days after. Implantation, which follows conception, can occur as soon as five days after you had sex or take as long as 15 days. Implantation typically occurs between five and 10 days after fertilization.
Emergency Contraception
Some couples with questions about conception and implantation are not trying to get pregnant. In fact, nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned. If a couple has unprotected sex or if they think that their birth control method has failed, it is possible to prevent conception and implantation, if you act quickly.
One option is emergency contraception. Emergency contraception works by preventing or delaying ovulation—the release of an egg from the ovary. Less commonly, it can work by preventing the fertilization of an egg if ovulation has already occurred.
Emergency contraception is not the same as the "abortion pill" (medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol, which can be used to end a pregnancy in its very early stage). If you take emergency contraception and you're already pregnant, the pill will not harm your pregnancy.
For emergency contraception to be effective, it should be used as soon as possible after having unprotected sex. If a person is unable to take it immediately, it might still be effective if taken three to five days after having sexual intercourse.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), emergency contraception is for use after contraceptive failure and is not recommended for routine use. The medications that are classified as emergency contraception are sometimes called "morning-after pills." They contain the hormones estrogen and progestin.
Most forms of emergency contraception are available without a prescription. One example is Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel), as well as its generic versions, which are available at most pharmacies.
Next Choice (levonorgestrel) is available to anyone 17 years and older and is usually available if you ask the pharmacist. The pill version, ella (ulipristal), is only available with a prescription.
Early Pregnancy Symptoms
Whether fertilization occurs within minutes of sex or days later, some people wonder if they will feel pregnant when it happens. The answer to that question is probably no, but some people claim that they "knew" they had conceived within minutes of sex.
Research shows that the symptoms of early pregnancy can start as early as a week after having sex, but most often take several weeks to start. That said, some people don't experience any noticeable early pregnancy symptoms, which is also normal. Typically, pregnancy symptoms like nausea and tiredness don't kick in until a few weeks to a month or so into the pregnancy.
Implantation Bleeding
Keep in mind that pregnancy symptoms can't appear until after embryo implantation. It takes time for the fertilized egg to travel from the fallopian tubes and find a landing area in the uterus.
When the embryo attaches to the uterine wall, some people experience a bit of light spotting or bleeding. This spotting usually happens close to the time when you would have had your period. In fact, it's not uncommon for some people to confuse implantation spotting with their period and not realize that they are pregnant.
Not every person will experience spotting or bleeding when implantation occurs. If it does happen to you, don't worry. It's normal and doesn't indicate a problem with your pregnancy.
When to Take a Pregnancy Test
Remember that a home pregnancy test can’t detect a pregnancy at the moment of conception—or even on your implantation day. The test won't be positive until there is enough pregnancy hormone in your body, and this takes time. To get the most accurate results, wait until your period is at least one day late before taking a test. Otherwise, you may get a false negative—even if you are pregnant.
A Word From Verywell
You aren't officially pregnant until the day that a fertilized egg implants into the uterus. While it's possible that you could conceive within minutes of sexual intercourse, it's more likely to take place hours or even a few days after you have sex.