Can you get implantation bleeding at 6 weeks

Ohio lawmakers recently passed the so-called "Heartbeat Bill," which bans abortions in the state from the moment an embryonic heartbeat can be detected. In most pregnancies, this typically occurs when you're six weeks pregnant. But with some pregnancies, first signs of a heartbeat can happen as early as the fourth or fifth week.

Pregnancy—and the time measurements surrounding it—can get incredibly confusing, so we asked experts to break it down for us. Here, an explainer of what exactly it means to be "six weeks pregnant."

Six weeks pregnant means six weeks after your last period.

Monica Simons, M.D., ob/gyn at Every Woman Wellness, tells SELF that doctors measure pregnancies in terms of weeks since a mother's last period. Simons and other doctors tell their patients that normal pregnancies last 40 weeks—that's 10 months, instead of nine. "You're not actually pregnant for 10 months," she says. "But we're counting from your last period."

So for many women, six weeks pregnant could really just mean two weeks after they missed their period. That's not a long time—especially considering that many women with a regular menstrual cycle don't even realize they're pregnant until after they've missed their period, according to Juana Cuevas, M.D., ob/gyn at Every Woman Wellness. "Women are usually about five or six weeks pregnant when they realize," Cuevas says. But women whose menstrual cycles are less regular may not realize until much later.

At six weeks, your body will show very few signs of pregnancy—if any.

Simons says that at six weeks, your body will have undergone very little change. You may feel bloated or nauseated, and you may start experiencing morning sickness. This is because your hormones are changing. Once a pregnancy has gotten to five or six weeks, your ovarian tissue produces a hormone called progesterone. The hormone supports the pregnancy, but you likely won't start showing until the second trimester, Simons says.

At six weeks, the embryo is about the size of a pomegranate seed.

The first four weeks of pregnancy are filled with things like conception, fertilization (when the sperm and egg unite), and implantation (when a ball of cells, known as a blastocyst, burrow into the uterine wall). By week five, the embryonic period—when the embryo's brain, spinal cord, and heart start developing—is only beginning. At week six, the embryo is only the size of a pomegranate seed. During this week, the neural tube across the embryo's back closes, and the heart should begin pumping blood.

It's also possible that you might not even realize you're pregnant until after your second missed period—typically around eight weeks.

That's thanks to something called implantation bleeding, which many people can mistake for a period. Think of the timeline again: Day one is the first day of your period. Around 14 days (two weeks) later, your body releases the egg. Sometime in the next few days the egg becomes fertilized, and then a few days after that it implants into the side of the uterus. Some people will have implantation bleeding at that time, which happens sometime in the late third or early fourth week—and can be mistaken for period, even though it isn't the same thing. So it's possible for a person not to even realize that they're pregnant until their second missed period.

And no prenatal tests are available to detect things like embryonic abnormalities.

Prenatal testing for anomalies isn't available until 10 weeks into a pregnancy, Cuevas says. These abnormalities can include untreatable lifelong conditions, like microcephaly, or conditions that will kill the baby shortly after birth, like anencephaly.

Six weeks is very early into pregnancy—so early that some women don't even know they're pregnant yet. Considering Ohio legislation requires women to attend two separate appointments in order to get an abortion—and enforces a 24-hour waiting period between the counseling appointment and the actual procedure—the so-called Heartbeat Bill could extremely restrict a person's access to abortion. People in Ohio seeking abortion would be given a very small window to obtain them, and those who don't realize they're pregnant until after the six-week mark would be given no window at all. "Women's health should not be a political football," NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland previously told SELF. "Once a woman makes a decision to have an abortion, she should be able to access quality health care in her community."

Bleeding during pregnancy is relatively common and does not always mean there's a problem – but it can be a dangerous sign.

Urgent advice: Call your midwife or GP immediately if:

you have any bleeding from your vagina

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update

If you're well, it's really important you go to all your appointments and scans for the health of you and your baby.

If you're pregnant, hospitals and clinics are making sure it's safe for you to go to appointments.

If you get symptoms of COVID-19, or you're unwell with something other than COVID-19, speak to your midwife or maternity team. They will advise you what to do.

Find out more about pregnancy and COVID-19

Causes of bleeding in early pregnancy

Implantation bleeding

In early pregnancy, you might get some harmless light bleeding, called "spotting". This is when the developing embryo plants itself in the wall of your womb. This type of bleeding often happens around the time your period would have been due.

Cervical changes

Pregnancy can cause changes to the cervix, and this may sometimes cause bleeding – after sex, for example.

Miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy

During the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, vaginal bleeding can be a sign of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

However, if you bleed at this stage of pregnancy it's likely you will go on to have normal and successful pregnancies.

Miscarriage

If a pregnancy ends before the 24th week, it's called a miscarriage. Around 1 in 5 pregnancies ends this way.

Many early miscarriages (before 14 weeks) happen because there is something wrong with the baby. There can also be other causes of miscarriage, such as hormone or blood clotting problems.

Most miscarriages occur during the first 12 weeks (3 months) of pregnancy and, sadly, most cannot be prevented. Other symptoms of miscarriage include:

cramping and pain in your lower abdomen
a discharge or fluid from your vagina
a discharge of tissue from your vagina
no longer experiencing the symptoms of pregnancy, such as feeling sick

If you have bleeding or any of the symptoms above, contact your midwife or GP straightaway.

Ectopic pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilised egg implants outside the womb – for example, in the fallopian tube.

It can cause bleeding and is dangerous because the fertilised egg cannot develop properly outside the womb. The egg has to be removed, which can be done through an operation or with medicines.

Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy tend to develop in the 6th week of pregnancy but can happen later.

Other signs of ectopic pregnancy can include:

tummy pain low down which may be on one side
vaginal bleeding or a brown, watery discharge
pain in the tip of your shoulder
discomfort when peeing or pooing

Call 111 if you have symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy.

Causes of bleeding in later pregnancy

Cervical changes

These can lead to bleeding, particularly after sex.

Vaginal infections

Your midwife or doctor can discuss tests and treatment with you.

A 'show'

This is when the plug of mucus that has been in the cervix during pregnancy comes away, signalling that the cervix is getting ready for labour to start. It may happen a few days before contractions start or during labour itself.

Find out about the signs of labour and what happens in labour.

Placental abruption

This is a serious condition in which the placenta starts to come away from the womb wall. Placental abruption usually causes stomach pain, and this may occur even if there is no bleeding.

Low-lying placenta (placenta praevia)

This is when the placenta is attached in the lower part of the womb, near to or covering the cervix. Bleeding from a low-lying placenta can be very heavy, and put you and your baby at risk.

You may be advised to go into hospital for emergency treatment, and a caesarean section will usually be recommended. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has more information on placenta praevia.

Vasa praevia

This is a rare condition where the baby's blood vessels run through the membranes covering the cervix.

When your waters break, these vessels may be torn and cause vaginal bleeding. The baby can lose a life-threatening amount of blood.

Finding out the cause of bleeding in pregnancy

To work out what is causing the bleeding, you may need to have a vaginal or pelvic examination, an ultrasound scan or blood tests to check your hormone levels.

Your doctor will also ask you about other symptoms, such as cramp, pain and dizziness. Sometimes it might not be possible to find out what caused the bleeding.

If your symptoms are not severe and your baby is not due for a while, you'll be monitored and, in some cases, kept in hospital for observation.

How long you need to stay in hospital depends on the cause of the bleeding and how many weeks pregnant you are.

Being in hospital allows staff to keep an eye on you and your baby, so they can act quickly if there are further problems.

Find the answers to common health problems in pregnancy

Video: What should I do if I start bleeding during early pregnancy?

In this video, a midwife tells you what to do if you start to bleed during early pregnancy.

Media last reviewed: 20 March 2020
Media review due: 20 March 2023

Can implantation happen at 6 weeks?

Late implantation bleeding, or an early sign of pregnancy happens during the first trimester. It occurs when the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterus. Implantation spotting does not occur until about week six of a woman's cycle and should be lighter than your usual period.

What causes implantation bleeding at 6 weeks?

Implantation bleeding In early pregnancy, you might get some harmless light bleeding, called "spotting". This is when the developing embryo plants itself in the wall of your womb. This type of bleeding often happens around the time your period would have been due.

Is it normal to bleed in 6 weeks pregnant?

One in four women will bleed in early pregnancy, many of whom go on to have a healthy baby. However, if you have any bleeding at any time during your pregnancy, contact a health professional, so that appropriate investigation and treatment can be started.

Can implantation bleeding happen at 5'6 weeks?

Early pregnancy symptoms (at 5 weeks) You might notice some light bleeding, and think it's your period, but it can also be a sign of implantation bleeding (when an embryo attaches to the lining of the womb).