Implantation: Overview, Process and Symptoms

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What is Implantation?

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Implantation is the process that marks the initiation of pregnancy. The female egg and sperm fuse together to form a zygote in the fallopian tube. In the course of the journey, the fertilized egg cell undergoes multiple cell divisions and gets transformed into a ball of around 200 celled structure called a zygote.

• The zygote is called morula in the fallopian tube which further get transformed into a blostocystonce after reaching the uterus.
• Finally, it gets attached to the uterine wall (implantation) and starts receiving oxygen and nutrients for healthy survival and growth.
• This whole process takes about 7 to 14 days and after this, a women can biologically be called pregnant.

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Process of Implantation

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A series of events takes place in the women body before and after the process of implantation are mentioned below: 

• A female ovary releases an egg during the time of ovulation, normally after 28 days of each reproductive cycle in women.
• Now, there are two fates of the released egg- either it gets fertilised or gets denerated.
• The egg is fertilised once it comes in the contact with the sperm cell. This process is called fertilisation which takes place in the fallopian tube of a woman. 
• A diploid celled-structure formed after fertilisation is called zygote. 
• The zygote after several mitotic division gets transformed into a morula (8-16 cell stage). 
• Now when the morula approaches the uterus it gets transformed into a 200 celled blastocyst.
• Usually, it takes 7 days to reach the uterus, approximately.
• Upon reaching the uterus, the blastocyst remains in the uterine cavity for a day and finally adheres to the endometrium, the uterine lining.
• Further, the outer surface of the ovum starts to develop and the blastocyst digs deeper into the uterine tissue
• The blastocyst digs itself entirely into the endometrium in 11 days.

The final process of attachment of the blastocyst with the wall of uterus is called Implantation.

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Symptoms of Implantation

[Click Here for Sample Questions]Implantation is the sign of a successful pregnancy. When the egg gets fertilized by the sperm, the zygote formed as a result, moves towards the uterus through the fallopian tube. During this movement, which usually takes around 7-14 days to adhere itself to the uterine wall, the zygote undergoes multiple cell divisions. When the zygote gets attached to the uterus, it may reflect some symptoms in the female body.

Some women experience peculiar symptoms such as:

1. Cramps - Due to the attachment of the blastocyst with the uterus, some females may experience cramps in the stomach that may last a day or two.
2. Sore breasts - After implantation the levels of certain hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and HCG increase leading to tender or sore breasts.
3. Vomiting or Nausea - Nausea, also called ‘morning sickness’ is a common sign of implantation..
4. Headaches - Implantation causes the rise of the hormone progesterone in the body of females. This sometimes causes headaches.
5. Mood swings - Some women experience mood swings due to the changing levels of hormones caused by implantation.
6. Constipation - Hormonal changes can also affect the digestive system resulting in constipation or indigestion.
7. Dizziness - Hormonal changes and fluctuations within the body can compromise internal balance. Due to this, some females may feel dizzy or giddy.
8. Elevated body temperature - The body temperature of the females experience a shift (either high or low) due to the change in hormones
9. Lower back pain - Implantation may cause lower back pain in some females.
10. Bleeding or Spotting - A pink or brown discharge from the vagina called implantation bleeding
11. Bloating - Bloating can also happen to signify pregnancy
12. Nasal congestion - The changing levels of hormones can cause swelling of the mucous membrane that sometimes results in the blockage of the nose or nasal congestion.

Implantation bleeding

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Implantation bleeding is one of the many early signs of pregnancy. It is the light bleeding experienced by some of the women at the start of pregnancy. When the fertilized egg comes into contact with the blood cells in the uterus lining, it causes bleeding called Implantation bleeding or period. It is caused due to the insertion of the fertilized egg or the zygote into the uterine wall. The bleeding caused is light pink or brown in color. It occurs after a week of ovulation or conception and lasts one to three days. It signifies a successful pregnancy.

The females experience light blood flow with no blood clots and mild cramps. Implantation bleeding is often misunderstood as period bleeding but it is not so.

Implantation bleeding