Implantation Calculator
This calculator is used to calculate when implantation may occur.
Whether you would like to know when implantation will occur so you can take a pregnancy test as soon as possible (the two-week wait is dreadful, I know), or if you are trying to determine if the symptoms you are experiencing could be due to implantation, or even if you are just wanting to calculate a potential implantation date for fun, this implantation date calculator is right for you!
How to Use Our Implantation Calculator
Our implantation calculator is a simple tool to use. To use the calculator, all you need to do is either enter the first day of your last menstrual period along with your average cycle length- or enter your last ovulation date.
Once that has been entered, our calculator does all the work for you. Like magic, it brings up a list of dates in which implantation is most likely to be successful.
How to Read the Implantation Calculator Results
Like the usage of our handy dandy implantation calculator, interpreting the results is also quite simple!
After you click calculate, you will be given a small table of results, with headings “Day Past Ovulation”, “Date”, and “Probability of Implantation”. You will also notice that each row is colour-coded in different shades of red.
You can see an example of results below:
The colour coding is simple: the darker the shade of red, the more likely implantation is to occur on that particular date.
As for the results themselves, here is a breakdown of what they mean:
Days Past Ovulation – Days past ovulation (DPO) is as simple as it sounds, it’s the number of days after you have ovulated. So, in the context of our handy implantation calculator, it is the number of days after ovulation that implantation is likely to occur.
Date – This is the date in which implantation may occur. Yep, it’s really that simple.
Probability – The probability column shows how likely it is that implantation will happen on that particular date/DPO. The probability can either be “most common”, “common”, or “less common”. The darker the red of the row, the more likely it is for implantation to occur.
When Does Implantation Usually Occur?
Implantation can take place anywhere between 6 and 12 DPO (that is, days past ovulation), but it most commonly happens at 8 DPO, 9 DPO or 10 DPO.
The exact date of your implantation depends on when you ovulated and whether you conceived earlier or later within your fertile window.
From Fertilisation to Implantation
Follicular Phase
Every menstrual cycle begins with the Follicular Phase.
In the Follicular Phase, the pituitary gland within the brain triggers the release of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
The FSH release causes follicles to begin to develop in one of the ovaries, which are responsible for producing the mature eggs that are released every cycle.
Ovulation
After a week, FSH levels begin to fall, and only the most developed follicle (called the dominant follicle) is able to survive the reduction in hormone levels.
The dominant follicle then begins to release estradiol, a hormone that causes an increase in luteinizing hormone (LH), which leads to an egg being released.
The monthly release of a mature egg, as we know, is called ovulation.
Fertilisation… Or Not
Now, this egg cell waits patiently within one of the fallopian tubes for its date to arrive- Mr Sperm.
Eventually, with a little luck, one of the millions of sperm cells arrives on time, and the magic happens: Mr Sperm fertilises the egg, a Zygote (fertilized egg) is born and the egg and sperm live together forever in holy matrimony (talk about a whirlwind of a first date!).
(Or, the alternative happens.. the egg cell is stood up, and Mr Sperm never arrives. In this case, the egg cell leaves in a huff and is reabsorbed into the lining of the uterus. Soon after, our not-so-welcome friend, Miss Period, arrives and blesses us with menstrual cramping and bleeding..).
Implantation
After fertilisation, over the following 5 to 6 days, the newly wedded couple- or Zygote- must travel into the uterus for their honeymoon, grow into a blastocyst by dividing into many, many cells which fuse together (in a process called Mitosis, which you may remember learning about in high school biology), and then implant into the uterine wall.
Once all of these steps have been completed, implantation has successfully occurred! Now onto receiving that big fat positive pregnancy test result…
From Implantation to the BFP (Big Fat Positive)!
Straight after implantation, it’s down to business, with hCG production beginning.
The hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) hormone is the boss, and gets things moving smoothly on the pregnancy front; It:
- informs the corpus luteum that it needs to double up and maintain its production of progesterone, so the uterine lining can be sustained and our not-so-welcome friend, Miss Period, does not make an unarranged visit.
- instructs our body NOT to stimulate any more follicles. After all, we don’t need it, we are pregnant!
- gives us a positive pregnancy test, which is why it is also often known as the pregnancy hormone. More on this below:
The hCG hormone is what pregnancy tests need to detect in order to show a positive result. Following implantation, your hCG levels double every 48-72 hours, eventually peaking within the first 8-11 weeks of pregnancy.
The amount of hCG that needs to be present for it to be detected varies between home pregnancy tests. For example, Clear Blue Ultra Early pregnancy tests allow you to test as early as 5 days before your expected period, and there is no wait time between when implantation occurs and when you can receive a positive result. You can test straight away!
For other brands, the sensitivity is much lower and it can take some time before you can receive accurate results.
Overall, it usually takes between 7 and 12 days after implantation for our hCG levels to be high enough for it to read positive on a home pregnancy test.
Implantation Symptoms
The implantation process may come with some symptoms. Paying attention to these symptoms, along with using our useful implantation date calculator, can help you to determine whether or not you have implantation.
Now onto the implantation symptoms…
Implantation Bleeding
Implantation bleeding is a potential symptom that may accompany implantation.
Implantation bleeding occurs due to the implantation process- particularly the moment when the blastocyst attaches itself to the lining of the uterus. The movement of the blastocyst can cause tiny blood vessels in the uterine lining to break, causing a small amount of bleeding.
It is described as light bleeding or spotting that may be pinkish-brown or light brown in colour.
Around one-third of women experience implantation bleeding.
Implantation Cramps
When implantation happens, you may experience implantation cramping.
This is due to your hormones going haywire following implantation!
Implantation cramps are much milder than menstrual cramps and may be described as feeling like a dull ache to some, and a mild twinge to others.
Implantation Dip
The implantation dip is where your basal body temperature drops due to implantation- usually around one week after ovulation. This temperature drop usually lasts for one day, and can be considered a sign of pregnancy.
If you haven’t been tracking your basal body temperature, then you will not be able to determine whether or not you are experiencing an implantation dip.
Nausea
When implantation occurs, your progesterone levels increase suddenly.
This sudden increase in progesterone can cause you to feel nauseous.
Breast Tenderness
After implantation, your hCG, estrogen, and progesterone levels all increase.
This can cause your breasts to feel very tender, and even heavy.
Mood Swings
Once again, your hormones are to blame for this particular symptom!
Estrogen, progesterone and hCG levels increase very quickly following implantation. This can make your emotions flip like a switch. So, if you are feeling overjoyed one moment, and then like you could cry the next, implantation might be to blame.
(Phew, these hormones sure like to wreak havoc!)
Missed Period
Now, this is the symptom that really makes us start to question whether we are pregnant.
If you are sexually active and your period is late, it is worth nipping to the shop and purchasing a home pregnancy test.
It is important to note that whilst a missed period can be caused by pregnancy, it can also be caused by many other things, such as stress, too much exercise, stress, birth control pills and more
Did you enjoy this article? Why not check out another article: Does Plan B Work During Ovulation?
My name is Louise and I am the Digital Marketing and Administrative Assistant at MyBump2Baby. I have been writing in the parenting niche for over 2 years specialising in fertility, pregnancy, baby and baby name support articles.