The moment you know that you are pregnant is definitely a profound moment for you. However, many women experience vaginal bleeding after they come positive for pregnancy. And this can scare them to no extent, which is quite obvious. Most women fear miscarriage when they see vaginal bleeding once pregnancy is confirmed.

Currently with pregnancy tests it is possible to detect pregnancy way earlier than before. As a result, women can detect chemical pregnancy too. It was not possible to detect chemical pregnancy before ultra-sensitive pregnancy tests came into the market.

What is implantation bleeding?

Implantation bleeding is quite common and there is nothing to be worried in the same. However, many women get scared thinking it to be chemical pregnancy or miscarriage. In implantation bleeding, vaginal bleeding occurs in very small amount almost around 10 days post conception. The bleeding is nothing to be scared of; rather it is indication of the fact that the fertilized egg has been implanted or got attached to the uterine wall of the woman successfully.

All women might not experience implantation bleeding. This is a subject of research as why some women experience this and some do not. Infact it has been seen that a woman who got pregnant twice or more might have implantation bleeding in one pregnancy and not in the other. There is nothing to worry if you have or do not have implantation bleeding.

What is chemical pregnancy?

When the embryo gets attached to the uterus and hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is released, pregnancy is confirmed. However, in case of chemical pregnancy, this attachment fails to progress. Right after one is tested positive for pregnancy, menstrual bleeding starts. As a result, clinic pregnancy stage is not reached. Basically chemical pregnancies occur even before an ultrasound test can confirm the pregnancy. This is usually from 4-6 weeks of pregnancy.

Signs and Symptoms of Chemical Pregnancy 

Understanding chemical pregnancy is not easy always. You might take an early pregnancy test within 5-6 weeks gestation. Shortly after been confirmed for pregnancy, you can experience menstrual bleeding. Taking a pregnancy test then would show negative results. Infact the levels of hCG also decrease. These are clear indications that you have had chemical pregnancy.

There are usually no clear signs and symptoms of chemical pregnancy. Since the pregnancy did not last for more than 5-6 weeks, the levels of hormones in the body remained low. It is interesting to note that no prominent pregnancy symptoms are visible during this period too. Fatigue, nausea and other symptoms start appearing when the embryo is attached to the uterine wall permanently. Majority of women who do not go for very early pregnancy tests do not even know that they are pregnant.

Read More: Vaginal Discharge During Pregnancy: Ultimate Guide

Chemical Pregnancy Vs Implantation Bleeding

Sometimes it is truly difficult to distinguish between chemical pregnancy and implantation bleeding. Implantation bleeding takes place after the fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine lining and gets implanted there. On an average, after 6-12 days of fertilization, implantation takes place. All women might not experience implantation bleeding. But in women who experience the same, it is in the form of typically light spotting.

However, in case of chemical pregnancy, heavier bleeding takes place. Infact it looks more like normal menstrual bleeding. Since this occurs really early in pregnancy, most women consider it as normal menstrual cycle bleeding only. Along with heavy bleeding, chemical pregnancy might come with heavy cramping and abdominal pain (these symptoms many women face during normal menstruation). In many cases, the woman might pass tissue from the vagina in chemical pregnancy.

When to call the Doctor?

When you have tested positive for pregnancy (even if it is in very early stage), you must be cautious of your body. If you experience vaginal bleeding during any stage of pregnancy, do not ignore the same. Instead of coming to any conclusion on your own, get professional help from a healthcare provider. Do not think that you have a miscarriage because you had vaginal bleeding. There might be other normal reasons like implantation bleeding. See a doctor and seek necessary help.