Then there’s blood! But there is no need to worry if you are planning to conceive a baby. Spotting during the early part of pregnancy is completely normal. Spotting occurs in the first two weeks of pregnancy when women do not even know they are already pregnant and so mistake it as the start of their menstrual period. And yes, it can be pretty misleading. So, how do we tell them apart?
 One good way to tell the difference between an implantation spotting and a menstrual period would be how long it would last. Then, how long does spotting last? It differs among women. But spotting usually lasts for only a day or two. It would be really too short compared to a menstrual period which usually lasts for 5 to 7 days. To understand better how it takes spotting to last, let us first look at what spotting is and how it occurs.
What is spotting? Spotting is bleeding in a lighter way because you literally just see spots of it on your underwear or on a used toilet paper. It is not some heavy bleeding like in a menstrual period. It is only a light bleeding that is usually of pink or brownish red in color. The blood we shed during our menstrual period is not actually just blood. It is a mixture of blood and some tissues that line up the uterine wall to get ready for the baby. It is the same blood and tissues that get discharged during spotting. Once the egg is fertilized it goes to the uterus and implants itself on the wall of the uterus. And because of this implanting, some part of the lining gets shed off. But only a small amount of blood and tissues are lost. This is actually what we call, implantation bleeding or spotting.
The bleeding is too light that some women do not even notice it. Most women, however, notice a few spots once during the day and then they won’t see it again until the next day. Other women experience spotting for a few days, even for a few weeks. The case is different among women. And so if you are still quite unsure if you are pregnant or just having a light menstrual flow, better go and check it using a pregnancy test. If you already know that you are pregnant but are having a bright red discharge, you should go and consult your doctor. The same goes if you are having spotting with a pain or cramps. You should visit your doctor.