Periods V/S Pregnancy Bleeding: Implantation Bleeding - How To Identify?

Every woman from the age of menarche or the teenage years undergoes a physiological change, after which a single ovum is released from the ovary every month. In case of non-fertilization, the ovum and the supportive endometrium degenerate and get shredded off, which along with debris, some tissues and blood comes out of the vagina. This process is collectively known as menstruation. Therefore, as this cycle occurs once a month, it is usually called the menstruation period.

Like any other bodily process, menstruation varies, and each woman has her own unique experience in terms of duration, flow, and effects, which can range from mild discomfort to severely disabling days. However, it is essential to prioritise menstrual health and hygiene to live a safe and fulfilling life.

Amenorrhoea

The stoppage of having a period is called amenorrhoea, and pregnancy is one of the leading causes of amenorrhoea. However, there could be many reasons for not having your period, which needs investigations and consultation from a specialist along with specific treatments.

Fertilisation

The process is where the sperm and ova fuse and the genetic material stored in them combines to form a fetus or embryo. Now, this embryo cannot survive on its own; it needs nutrition. Hence, it adheres to the endometrial lining of the uterine cavity until it grows more through cell divisions.

Now when a woman suddenly experiences bloody mucus-filled discharge from her vagina after an episode of unprotected sexual intercourse, she has to keep two separate entities in mind: It may be menstrual secretion (period), or another condition that may be a more severe consequence is implantation bleeding.

What Is Implantation Bleeding?

As described earlier, the embryo cannot survive alone. Hence, it needs nutrition from the endometrial lining of the uterus. Still, to achieve that, some strand-like projections come up from the embryo known as chorionic villi and erode the lining by secreting protein-dissolving enzymes for smooth facilitation of adherence to the lining; this is known as implantation; the damage caused by the proteolytic enzyme causes some amount of bleeding, which is known as Implantation bleeding. This can take 6-12 days.

How Do We Differentiate Between Period Blood And Implantation Bleeding?

A critical discussion related to menstrual health and hygiene is associated with pregnancy, which is a high-risk physiological state, so extra attention is needed.

• Colour: Implantation bleeding is more pinky brown, whereas period blood is light red-brown or dark red, depending upon the amount of blood and other factors.
• Spotting: The spotting is typically on and off in implantation bleeding. During this period, Blood flow gets progressively heavier with time, peaks, and then wanes off slowly.
• Presence of clots: If the discharge contains a more significant number of clots, it is more suggestive of menstrual bleeding. Implantation bleeding ought not to produce clots, as both mechanisms are distant.
• Cramping: If Cramping is short-lived and intense, it somehow crudely suggests implantation bleeding, whereas period cramps are long-lived. The individual is well-recognized by the patterns of pain to some extent.
• Duration: Implantation bleeding stays for 1-2 days, whereas periods last for 3-7 days.

What Should You Know about Implantation Bleeding? - Menstrual Health and Menstrual Hygiene Initiative.

So, if you think the bleeding from your lady part denotes something more than your regular periodic discharge, it is possible that pregnancy has been initiated and implantation has occurred. Also, one has to be cautious about the other different symptoms of pregnancy -

• Frequent mood changes, irritability
• Fluctuations in hunger or sleep
• Carbohydrate cravings
• Breast tenderness
• Generalised fatigue
• Nausea or morning sickness

How Do You Find out You Are Pregnant?

1. Urine Pregnancy Test: In pregnant states, the beta fraction of the hormone human Chorionic Gonadotropin can be detected in urine through a simple test.
2. Blood Test: Beta-HCG can also be measured via the blood, and the doubling of the amount of beta hcg in a woman who has her period stopped is highly suggestive of a pregnancy.
3. Ultrasound: Ultrasound can demonstrate if there is a fetus inside or not or if the fetus has any cardiac activity or not.

Other Causes of Bleeding through The Vagina :

1. Ectopic Pregnancy: In this em, emergency surgery is almost needed due to the high risk of rupture. Here, intense pain, especially in the abdomen, is felt by the individual
2. Subchorionic Haemorrhage: Rare, but may occur
3. Miscarriage: It is a spontaneous abortion and occurs less than 20 weeks after the age of the fetus. Specific syndromes are associated with it, and the trimester in which the abortion occurs is also very crucial to get the underlying cause.
4. Molar Pregnancy: Also known as a hydatidiform mole, the discharge occurs in grape-like clusters, and chromosomal defects may be present. The term pregnancy is used here, but in specific variants, a fetus may not be present at all. If the urine pregnancy test is positive, it is necessary to check using an ultrasound to ascertain the exclusion rule. Rare, but very few went on to develop a cancer known as c Anti-cancer drugs are given in the management of choriocarcinoma.

How to Prevent Pregnancy?

So, in this era of evergrowing talks about menstrual health and hygiene, it is essential to understand one's menstrual cycle and preferably track it so that one can make decisions accordingly. Proper sanitary pad use and disposal are crucial in identifying the symptoms early. Also, protected intercourse is a must domain to prevent pregnancy; the choices of contraception may vary from person to person. But here are a few ways to avoid pregnancy:

• Condoms
• Oral contraceptive pills
• Depot medroxyprogest
• Hormone implants
• Copper devices
• Spermidical jellies and diaphragms

Takeaway:

One should ask their gynaecologist about the choices that would be medically fit for them so that having safe intercourse without the risk of unwanted conception will be possible. It is also advisable to quit substances like smoking and drinking, which increases the chances of pregnancy-related complications that can be easily prevented.