For every successful pregnancy, whether it is a natural pregnancy or pregnancy through fertility treatments, the main process that determines its success is embryo implantation. Only when the embryo implants firmly into the uterine lining will it be able to grow and develop into a healthy baby.
If you have undergone a fertility treatment and are expecting pregnancy, below are some symptoms that might indicate an unsuccessful implantation. Knowing these symptoms can help you get an idea of the results of the treatment and prepare the next steps.
Symptoms Of Unsuccessful Implantation
Just like how you experience certain symptoms after a successful implantation, you will experience certain symptoms that indicate an implantation failure. These symptoms might be a bit hard to identify. Learning what symptoms to expect can help you prepare for this.
1. No Implantation Bleeding
Implantation bleeding typically happens a week after embryo transfer (IVF) or insemination (IUI). It occurs when the embryo or fertilized egg implants into the uterine lining. This implantation can cause damage to some blood vessels present in the site, causing slight bleeding.
Most women confuse implantation bleeding with menstrual bleeding. Remember, implantation bleeding is more brownish or blackish in color, while menstrual bleeding is brighter and reddish.
If you don’t get this bleeding within 1 or 2 weeks of fertility treatments, then there are high chances of implantation failure.
2. No Early Pregnancy Symptoms
If you had a positive pregnancy, you will start experiencing symptoms like nausea, vomiting, tender breasts, bloating, mood swings, etc. These are some of the positive signs that indicate a successful implantation. However, the absence of these symptoms might indicate an unsuccessful implantation.
Some symptoms are common for both a positive and negative pregnancy. So, don’t conclude your pregnancy results based on these symptoms
3. Negative Pregnancy Test Result
The best way for you to know if your implantation was successful is to do a pregnancy test. You can do a pregnancy test about 2 weeks (10 to 14 days) after IVF or IUI.
A pregnancy test kit measures the amount of hCG levels in your urine. These hormones increase in your body during pregnancy. If your implantation was unsuccessful, your hCG levels won’t increase, and the pregnancy test result will be negative.
4. Menstrual Period
Menstruation is one of the notable signs of implantation failure. If implantation does not occur, the endometrial tissues in your uterus will be expelled from your body through the vagina, causing menstruation.
5. Lack Of Activity During An Ultrasound
Visiting your doctor and taking an ultrasound can give you a clearer picture of your pregnancy result. An ultrasound scan can help you know whether the implantation was successful.
If your doctor does not find anything during the scans, then your implantation was a failure.
Is Failed Implantation Common?
Having a failed implantation can make you hopeless and sad. But, it is not the end of your fertility journey.
In most fertility treatments, be it IUI or IVF, the average implantation success rate in the first cycle is around 15–20%. Your chances of a successful implantation increase as the number of cycles increases.
So, don’t worry if you have an unsuccessful implantation. Find the exact cause of your implantation failure and take the necessary measures to avoid it during your next cycle.
Implantation Failure Reasons
Implantation failure can happen for various reasons. Identifying your specific cause and treating it before the treatment can increase your chances of implantation.
Below are some common reasons for implantation failure:
Hormonal imbalance
The hormones progesterone, estrogen, and several others should be at a particular level for healthy and successful implantation. Any imbalance in hormone levels can affect implantation.
Uterine of tubal abnormalities
Certain uterine or tubal factors, like uterine fibroids, adhesions, endometriosis, scar tissues, endometrial polyps, hydrosalpinges, etc., can result in recurrent implantation failure (RIF).
These abnormalities can disrupt the blood flow to the uterus and prevent the embryo from attaching to the uterus. This can result in failed implantation.
Chromosomal or genetic issues
Chromosomal or genetic abnormalities might hinder the embryo from implanting in the uterus. This can happen in both IVF and natural pregnancies. You can undergo procedures like Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) to avoid these circumstances.
Lifestyle factors
Unhealthy lifestyle choices like smoking, alcohol, underweight, obesity, and stress can affect your overall fertility and decrease implantation rates.
Conclusion
Understanding the symptoms that indicate an implantation failure can help you learn when your treatment fails and decide on the next steps to avoid them in the future.
Also, remember some symptoms are common in both implantation success and failure. So, don’t lose hope if you experience certain symptoms. Visit your fertility doctor and discuss what you can do to avoid these issues in future cycles.
FAQs
Yes, it is possible to have no implantation symptoms. Most times, women only experience one or two symptoms that might indicate a pregnancy. So, don’t worry too much if you don’t experience any notable symptoms of implantation.
It will take around 6–12 days for the hCG hormone levels to be high enough to be detected in a pregnancy test. So, it is best to take a pregnancy test about 2 weeks after your fertility treatment.
Your symptoms might start about a week after your fertility treatments. It will start mild and grow in intensity as days go by.
