Naturally, the point of taking birth control pills is not to get pregnant, but even with proper and devout use you have a 1% chance of getting pregnant on birth control. Missing a pill, taking the pill at a different time of day, or throwing up within a half hour of taking the pill can increase this chance. Being that nearly 80% of all women have at some point used the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy, even 1% is a lot of women.
How will I know if I’m pregnant on birth control?
One of the primary ways most women discover they’re pregnant is to miss a period. The catch with the chance of becoming pregnant on birth control is that many women experience missed periods or lighter periods while taking birth control. As a result, when they miss a period or experience light implantation bleeding, they don’t suspect pregnancy.
The only way to know if you are pregnant on birth control is to take a pregnancy test. Contrary to some belief, a pregnancy test will not be affected by birth control. This is because pregnancy tests detect a hormone not present in birth control. This doesn’t mean you need to take a pregnancy test every single month. It’s rare that pregnancy comes without other symptoms such as nausea and fatigue.
If you do find need to test, it’s also important you don’t test too early. As birth control is designed to prevent ovulation and artificially regulates cycle length, rather than testing based on ovulation/cycle length, it’s more ideal to use intercourse timing. Test no earlier than 14 days after the last sexual act. You can read more on when to take a pregnancy test for accurate results here.
Should I stop taking my birth control pill if I think I’m pregnant?
Even if you just suspect you may be pregnant on birth control, you should stop taking your birth control until you confirm you aren’t. Remember, if you miss even one pill you are more likely to become pregnant if you have unprotected sex assuming you aren’t already pregnant. Missing more than a day can lessen the effectiveness of birth control up to seven days even after resumed use. You should use a back up method in the meantime.
Are there any risks to my baby if I become pregnant on the birth control?
While there are no known birth defects caused by becoming pregnant on birth control, it has been shown to possibly increase the chance of low birth weight and premature labor. In rare cases involving certain types of birth control, irregular development of female sex organs is possible.
Becoming pregnant on birth control can come as a big surprise, but if you do decide to keep your baby, try to relax, chances are very high if you weren’t aware you were pregnant and continued birth control use your baby will be fine.
Whether you’re trying to become pregnant or hoping you aren’t, when it comes to end-of-cycle spotting or bleeding, you’re likely wondering: how can I tell if it’s implantation bleeding or a period?
What is implantation bleeding?
Implantation bleeding is bleeding that occurs as a result of a fertilized egg implanting in the uterine wall. This bleeding is the first recognizable sign of pregnancy and does not occur in all cases.
What is menstrual bleeding?
While most women already know what a menstrual period is, just for knowledge’s sake, a menstrual cycle is on average 28 days in length but may vary from woman to woman. In this time, an egg should be released (about mid-way through your cycle). If the egg is fertilized, it implants in the uterine wall, and implantation bleeding may occur. Otherwise, the egg travels on and is shed with the uterine lining during your period. If you don’t release an egg, your period may be delayed, but you will likely still experience bleeding. Ovulation, or the release of this egg, can be confirmed by charting your basal body temperature.
Now that we’ve defined both types of bleeding, let’s talk about how you can tell them apart. If you prefer, click the start button below to take our implantation bleeding quiz for a quick answer on the likelihood of your bleeding being implantation. Otherwise, beyond the implantation bleeding quiz start button, you can read about the methodology used in the quiz.
Implantation bleeding or period: How can you tell?
When does implantation bleeding occur?
Implantation bleeding will generally occur 6 to 12 days after intercourse or ovulation so pay attention to when your period should start and when this mysterious vaginal bleeding occurs. If you experience bleeding slightly earlier than you should, this could be a sign of implantation bleeding. If the bleeding is more than 14 days after your last sexual act, it’s unlikely to be implantation.
What does implantation bleeding look like?
Implantation blood is usually a different color than your average menstrual blood being either darker and more brown (old blood) or lighter and pinkish (very new, light bleeding). Keep in mind that the implanting egg is the size of a pinhead. Implantation bleeding is very light and shorter in duration than a normal period with no clots—unless, of course, you don’t normally have one. It’s usually just the faintest pink showing up on toilet paper, blood-tinged discharge, or even just one to two tiny drops of blood. Implantation will not cause heavy bleeding, but there are other ways one can be pregnant and still experience period-like bleeding.
Some women also get a slight hormone dip at implantation, which may cause both a temperature dip on basal body charts and possibly some light spotting. This type of bleeding is not a heavy flow.
How common is implantation bleeding?
Only about one in three women experience implantation bleeding. If you suspect pregnancy or have had unprotected sex, don’t assume that you’re not pregnant simply because you didn’t experience this symptom. Some women become pregnant and exhibit no symptoms whatsoever.
Whether after reading this page or taking our implantation bleeding quiz, you feel you’ve experienced implantation bleeding or not, a home pregnancy test will always be the best way to ease your mind. Be sure to take the test after your regular period should have been and not immediately after the bleeding.
Even if it is implantation bleeding, a pregnancy test will probably still read negative as hCG, also known as the pregnancy hormone, levels will be insufficient. On average, it takes about 48 hours to get even a faint positive test. It’s recommended that you wait to take a pregnancy test until at least four days after your period should have started or roughly 14 days after the sexual act.
Does implantation cause cramps?
Some women do experience implantation cramping, but then, many women also get period cramps and lower back pain. Experiencing cramping alone isn’t an indication that implantation has occurred.
I have pregnancy symptoms. Does that mean it was implantation bleeding?
Unfortunately, many common early pregnancy symptoms, such as breast tenderness, swollen breasts, fatigue, headaches, discharge changes, mood swings, and nausea, are caused in part by the same hormone that peaks just before your period (progesterone) making it just as difficult to tell PMS from pregnancy symptoms as it is to tell implantation from a period.
What else can cause late-cycle spotting or period-like bleeding?
Beyond implantation and a period, there are also other causes of spotting and light vaginal bleeding, such as:
A note on comments: I usually respond to comments within 48 hours. All comments are moderated before they appear on the site to eliminate spam. Each and every comment is responded to as approved, but please remember, I am not a doctor nor a substitute for medical care. I can’t possibly tell you if you are pregnant over the Internet. I do have a medical background (medical assisting) and am a mother of four who struggled with infertility and multiple miscarriages, but I am not a doctor nor claim to be one.
While some consider this topic firmly in the too-much-information category, many women wonder about changes in period blood colors and texture. Your period is something you can’t really ignore, so it’s only natural to wonder when it changes in some way, shape, or form. The Net is flooded with questions like, “What does dark period blood mean?,” “Why is my period blood orange?,” “What do lots of clots in your period blood mean?,” and “What does bright red blood mean during your period?” to prove it. Below you’ll find explanations for various period blood colors and textures to hopefully answer those questions.
Period blood colors:
Bright red period blood: Normal
Bright red period blood was produced by the body recently. During a period, that just means what’s being shed was recently released into your uterus. You may see more bright red blood if you have a lighter flow or frequent periods. Bright red period blood is also common at the beginning of a cycle. If you see bright red blood outside of your period, that may be a sign of light spotting from hormonal imbalance/flux as a result of ovulation or implantation (a sign of pregnancy).
Dark period blood (red or purple): Normal
Dark blood may appear red, or even close to purple, and is typically older blood. It could have been part of the uterine lining and so had more time to break down, begun to coagulate in the vaginal canal, or been exposed to air. Many women notice darker red blood when they first wake up in the morning. This blood may also be clotted.
Brown or black period blood: Normal
Black or brown period blood is also older blood. Most women notice these colors at the tail end of their period or during light spotting at the beginning. It usually isn’t that heavy but can be in those with infrequent periods. Brown blood is also sometimes seen when bleeding is very light and takes some time to make it’s way out, so to speak. Period blood clots frequently appear darker as well, but we’ll get to that in a moment. You can read more about brown discharge, rather than actual bleeding, here.
Orange period blood (rusty): Possible infection
Bright red blood mixed with cervical fluid can appear an almost orange color with red flecks or look a bit rusty in color. Bright orange period blood can also be a sign of infection, though. If you see it frequently, it has a foul odor, or it doesn’t also have a slippery consistency, see your care provider.
Pink period blood: Normal
Pink period blood is a result of light bleeding. It’s most common at the beginning or end of a period, but if it’s the only blood you see over multiple cycles, it’s possible your estrogen is low.
Yellow period blood: Normal
Yellow period blood may not actually be blood at all. Cervical discharge that’s exposed to air or has been in the cervix for some time may appear yellow. Yellow cervical discharge is more common and copious in pregnancy. It can also be a sign of high estrogen.
Period blood textures:
Heavy period clots:
Heavy clotting is usually prescribed to heavy periods. As blood is expelled, the body releases anticoagulants to keep it from clotting. If your period is heavy, sometimes the blood flow and speed doesn’t give those anticoagulants time to work, and clots are the result. Clots can occur in any color of blood, though they are more commonly dark in color. Frequent heavy clotting or clots larger than the size of a quarter can be a sign of a more serious problem and should be evaluated by your care provider.
Slippery and jelly-like period blood:
Menstrual blood that seems almost slippery with a jelly-like texture is mixed with high levels of cervical mucus. Cervical mucus is always present in your vagina, even during menstruation. If your flow is light, it may be sufficient to alter the appearance of blood texture. You may also notice this after a bowel movement when more mucus is pushed from the cervix or if you’ve recently been pregnant. Blood with numerous small clots may also be described as jelly-like.
Thin period blood:
Thin blood is being properly prevented from clotting. It is often bright red in color and accompanies a light to moderate flow. Fresh blood will appear thinner, as will blood that is light and mixed with cervical fluid. In the latter case, it may also seem watery.
Tissue in period blood or a stringy texture:
If your period blood is stringy or there is what appears to be actual tissue within your period blood, it is possible you suffered an early miscarriage. It could also be part of your uterine lining.
Miscarriage tissue is typically described as being grey to white in color. It does not look like a common blood clot. Another type of tissue called a decidual cast may also be shed in cases. Decidua is part of the mucus membrane of the uterus and is often described as looking like “chicken skin.” It may come out as one uterus-shaped piece or in small, stringy chunks. It is possible to only see one small chunk and not shed an entire cast.
Decidual cast passage can be a sign of ectopic pregnancy or hormonal imbalance. It’s more common in those using hormonal birth control. If you have continued pain after passing a decidual cast, you should seek medical attention. You can do an online image search for both types of tissue to get an idea of the difference. Due to their graphic nature, they won’t be shared here.
Keep in mind, that in most cases, minor changes in period blood colors or texture are entirely irrelevant and don’t suggest any health problem. However, prolonged changes such as frequent heavy periods, odors, irregular periods, short periods, and/or severe pain during menstruation should be evaluated.
One of the primary ways most women discover they’re pregnant is to miss a period. The catch with the chance of becoming pregnant on birth control is that many women experience missed periods or lighter periods while taking birth control. As a result, when they miss a period or experience light implantation bleeding, they don’t suspect pregnancy.
