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Implantation, conception..

I know this might sound like a completely ridiculous question... but if sperm can live up to 7 days in a woman, and a woman ovulated within those 7 days or a day after, how long does conception, fertilization and implantation take? Can it take up to an entire month? Also, if so called “implantation bleeding” occurs, how soon after the bleeding with a pregnancy test be positive? Could it take 20+ days for a pregnancy test to bring a positive result? Or would it be positive sooner after the bleeding?
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134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
You might also check with your doctor about possible post-partum depression. It can begin before a baby is born, and one of its symptoms can be obsessive thinking about the baby. I suggest this only because you have no medical evidence to be worrying, yet you are.  Post-partum takes a long time to go away if left by itself and can make you miserable, yet doctors can recognize and prescribe meds for it.
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134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi, I'm going to address your questions by writing answers in the order you asked them. I'll also address your assumptions that make the question into a different question, as they come along.

Question 1) If sperm can live up to 7 days in a woman,
- Answer 1) No studies on this topic say sperm is able to fertilize an egg at 7 days, even if it is still viable, and few studies even say sperm is still alive at 7 days in a woman's system. Most research doesn't even say it's still viable at 6 days. (Research that thinks sperm can only live 5 days is more often seen.) I'd use 6 days as a max in your figuring. But the research that says it's that long-lived also casts doubt on whether it is mighty enough by day 6 to penetrate the egg.

Q2) and a woman ovulated within those 7 days or a day after,
- A2) See Answer 1, there is no "or a day after" if the sperm has been as long as 7 days in the woman's body. That sperm would be dead. The hypothetical can't be stretched to 8 days and have any research back you up at all.

Q3) how long does conception, fertilization and implantation take?
- A3) If you are at the tail end of the life of the sperm, conception had better happen immediately or the sperm will be dead. From the research, I'd say that should happen by day 5 after sex. Then the embryo has about a week at most to implant or it will die.

Q4) Can it take up to an entire month?
- A4) No, my dear, it certainly cannot.

Q5) Also, if so called “implantation bleeding” occurs,
- A5) If you bled for three days and needed feminine products, it wasn't implantation bleeding. Implantation bleeding is largely an Internet myth promulgated by women who want to scare each other, but the women who have had it and were sure from mittelschmerz that this is what they did have, report that it is like one little wisp of blood in toilet paper, one time. It is not tablespoons and tablespoons of blood requiring feminine products, over a period of days. An embryo is smaller than the dot on the i in this sentence, and the uterine lining is created by nature to receive it. It does not greet the tiny little embryo with massive bleeding.

Q6) how soon after the bleeding with a pregnancy test be positive?
- A6) It depends on if you did a home test (and how well) or a blood test at the doctor's. The earliest the most sensitive home tests can tell you a result is about two days before your missed period, but not always. But certainly by the time of a missed period. A doctor's blood test could tell you a day or two earlier than that. If you are using the home test wrong, such as drinking a lot of fluids and then peeing on the stick, you could dilute your urine enough to get a negative when it should be a positive in the early days. I don't know how long you could get away with that before it would show up anyway.

Q7) Could it take 20+ days for a pregnancy test to bring a positive result?
- A7) Usually it would be on about day 14 or day 15 after ovulation. Did you drink gallons of water before taking the test? If not, by day 14 you should know on most tests.

Q8) Or would it be positive sooner after the bleeding?
A8) Yes, it should be positive sooner after your period if you had been pregnant at that time.

Q9) Also, is there a thing as late implantation?
A9) If implementation doesn't happen by about day 12 or so from ovulation, since the embryo needs the nutrients it will die.  

Q10) I’ve had early ultrasounds. Are they fairly accurate also?
A10) More accurate than your thoughts, sweetheart. Try to come to earth, here. You have had ultrasounds that saw and measured the actual baby. Your doctors went to med school and have been in practice for many years. These things are evidence. Your thoughts are just you taking counsel of your fears. Which to believe?

Q11) What is the margin for error?... I had one at 5w6d, if I was to count back, could I figure out when I conceived?
A11) At 5w6d, if they told you a due date, it will be spot on. You would have conceived about 3w6d prior to the ultrasound that told you the pregnancy was at 5w6d. The margin for error (when trying to determine how far along you are in the pregnancy time period by using ultrasound measurements of the baby) changes over time but anything before 7 weeks has 0 days margin for error, possibly 1 day by 7 weeks. Not more.

Q12) I had a weird period that only lasted three days, so I’m unsure if that was my period or implantation bleeding.
A12) See answer A5. Also, please stop reading sob sisters on the Internet who are only repeating crap they have seen from other sob sisters. :) Enjoy your baby! One folded ear is not enough to cause this distress. :) See a counselor if you can't get past your obsession. Also, make it up to your husband not by dumping your guilty secret on him and ruining his relationship with you forever, but by vowing that you will make him the happiest dad in the world, forever. Many guys would take that trade -- your secret that he never learns, traded for you being a wonderful wife to him all the rest of his days.

Take care, and read other posts in this community. You'll see that this kind of worry (especially when the dates and medical evidence does not support it at all) is not really uncommon, and it's not uncommon to let it float to the worry about paternity either. But it's not real.

(((HUGS)))

Annie
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Thank you. Your sweet words made me cry. I appreciate every answer and help. God Bless.
Avatar universal
Also, is there a thing as late implantation? I’ve had early ultrasounds. Are they fairly accurate also? What is the margin for error?... I had one at 5w6d, if I was to count back, could I figure out when I conceived? I had a weird period that only lasted three days, so I’m unsure if that was my period or implantation bleeding. It was heavy, filled tampon, but was very light by third day. I didn’t get a positive pregnancy test until 23 days later....
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