When you are trying to get pregnant, ovulation and implantation are two very important things that happen. Without ovulation and fertilisation of the egg, there is no way for the egg to become implanted. People often mix up ovulation, implantation, and PMS symptoms and signs.
This article will talk about how ovulation and implantation are different and how they are the same.
Learn About Ovulation
In the ovary, follicles mature at the end of each cycle. When an egg is ready, it moves from the ovary to the fallopian tube. This is called ovulation. Each cycle doesn’t always make one ovum; sometimes, each ovary can make two. About 91–98% of cycles end with ovulation.
When the follicles are broken, the ovum comes out and is ready to be fertilised. This happens around the middle of the cycle. Depending on how long your cycle is, it could happen as early as day 12 or as late as day 21. The level of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) starts to rise 12 to 24 hours before ovulation and peaks 12 to 24 hours before ovulation. This prepares the follicles to break and release the ovum.
Before, during, and after ovulation, we can experience different ovulation symptoms. This doesn’t mean that everyone feels the same way about them. Many of us don’t have any signs of ovulation at all. Hormones are to blame, but no one is affected by them outside of the ovary.
Symptoms of Ovulation
- Breast Tenderness
- Ovulation bleeding
- Abdominal Cramping
- Headaches
- Cervical Mucus Changes
- Increased Sexual Desire
- Nausea
- Rise in Basal Body Temperature (BBT)
Learn About Implantation
On the other hand, when the egg is fertilised, implantation marks the end of the ovum’s journey. It means that the pregnancy has started. Even though you don’t know you are pregnant until a few weeks later, implantation is the first step. At this point, there is only one ovum cell called a blastocyst.
When the blastocyst sticks to the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus, which is called implantation between 8 and 10 days after ovulation, the egg implants, but it can happen as soon as 6 days after ovulation or as late as 12 days after it. During this time, the fertilised egg or blastocyst stays in the uterus.
Embryos become firmly attached to the endometrium in a process called implantation. Implantation is a complicated process with several stages. Progesterone is very important because it helps get the uterus ready for the egg to be put in. It helps in a direct way by encouraging the growth of glands and new blood vessels. This will eventually make the environment right for the fertilised egg (blastocyst) to grow into an embryo.
Symptoms of Implantation Bleeding
- Cramping
- Bleeding
Some common symptoms and signs of implantation include bleeding or cramping. Most of the time, implantation bleeding is spotty, light brownish or pinkish blood that does not clot or has a thick consistency. Period cramps are worse than cramps caused by an implant. Still, some women say they make their stomachs feel prickly or tingly.
Some women experience ovulation symptoms and signs. They can include pain or cramps in the bloating, changes in the mucus and saliva in the cervix, and tender breasts. But a woman can get pregnant up to 5 days before or 1 day after she ovulates.