Your body does lots of things each cycle to get ready for implantation. This includes releasing the hormone progesterone to , which is full of blood vessels. The idea is that when your uterine lining is thick your fertilized egg then has the best chance of attaching firmly. Clever, eh?In around , the fertilized egg bursts some of these blood vessels as it embeds. This is what’s known as implantation bleeding. Some people also report feeling implantation cramps at the same time. However, not everyone spots this since your body goes through some monumental changes in the earliest stages of pregnancy. So, is it linked to the bleeding?“ is very common,” explains , obstetrician and gynecologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, US. “We don’t know exactly what causes this sensation. The fertilized egg is very tiny when it implants — much smaller than 1 mm or 0.04 inches in diameter. Because it’s so tiny, it is unlikely to cause many symptoms from implanting. Cramping in early pregnancy is thought to be caused by hormonal changes and the uterus growing.” Since implantation happens after you’ve ovulated, any bleeding or cramps you notice may coincide with when . Pretty confusing! It’s early to know if you’re pregnant, even if you’ve been trying to conceive. So, it’s totally understandable if you miss these signs, , or don’t experience them at all. When do pregnancy cramps start?So now that we know that cramps are quite common in early pregnancy — and that they can be caused by implantation or to house your baby — when do they start?This question is more tricky to answer because no two pregnancies are the same. As a general rule, though, cramps caused by implantation can happen . Alternatively, some people start to feel symptoms linked to early pregnancy in the after conceiving.“Cramping directly attributable to implantation would only last for about one to two days at the very most,” explains Dr. Boyle. “However, cramping in early pregnancy is common and can continue for the first eight to 12 weeks.”When you’re trying to get pregnant, it can be difficult not to look at every new twinge or ache and wonder if you could be expecting. This is totally normal. However, try to remember that pregnancy symptoms can vary between different people and different pregnancies. If you haven’t noticed any cramping, this doesn’t necessarily mean hasn’t happened. The only way to know for sure if you’re pregnant is to wait until . What does implantation cramping feel like? Since implantation generally happens around the time that you might expect your next period, it can be pretty easy to confuse implantation cramps and bleeding with an early period. However, Dr. Boyle explains that there are some telltale signs you can look out for that may separate from implantation pains. She says that implantation cramping is usually much milder than period cramps. “It’s usually felt just above the pubic bone, in the middle,” she says. If you’re not sure exactly where this is on your body, you may be able to feel it if you toward your genital area. , Implantation cramps feel like mild period cramps – more of a dull ache or light twinge – and usually last just a day or two. They typically happen about a week or two after ovulation, right around the time you'd expect your period, and you might also notice light pink or brown spotting., Implantation cramping occurs when a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining, a process known as implantation. This typically happens 6 to 12 days after ovulation. The resulting sensations are often described as light pulling, tingling, or mild pricking, and they tend to be brief and localized..