Trying to conceive can be fun or stressful depending on where you are in your journey to becoming a parent. But, regardless of where you are in your journey, the dreaded two-week wait (TWW) is something all women and couples can agree is torturous.
The two-week wait is the time between ovulation and your expected period. During this time, you are consistently wondering “Am I pregnant?” while hoping your period does not show up. This period of time is even more stressful for women and couples going through fertility treatments such as IVF or IUI. You are wondering if the treatments worked, and if not, will you try again or if you even have the funds to try again.
So, what do you do in the meantime? Keep reading as I share tips on how to survive the two-week wait.
Keep Busy
Staying busy with things that make you feel productive or things you really enjoy can help the time feel as though it’s passing more quickly. The goal is to take your mind off of obsessing over if every little symptom you are experiencing is pregnancy-related, which will cause you to prematurely take an at-home pregnancy test, which is not recommended until you have missed at least one day of your period.
Get Support from People Who Can Relate to Your Situation
When trying to conceive it may seem easier to keep it to yourself, especially if all of your trying doesn’t end up in a successful pregnancy. However, having the support of people who understand and can relate to what you are going through can make not only the TWW easier and less stressful, but can make the entire process not feel like a load of bricks is weighing down on you. This support can be a stranger in an online community group or a close friend or family member. Whoever you choose, you should have someone to vent to during this process.
Write it Out
Start a journal and write out your feelings while you are trying to conceive and during the two-week wait. Writing down your feelings can help you get through what you are experiencing. It will be great to look back at and reflect on once you are finally holding your bundle of joy.
Don’t Buy Pregnancy Tests
I’ve been there, so I know how tempting it is to prematurely take a pregnancy test. At most, it can lead to disappointment, and then you become a serial tester taking tests daily or every other day until you get that big fat positive (BFP), or you don’t.
To relieve yourself of the temptation to test, just don’t buy any. Keep them out of your house and your sight, at least until you have missed at least one day of your period.
Schedule Time for Self-Care
Putting yourself first can help ease you through the two-week wait. That can mean taking a longer route home so that you can listen to your favorite music. Go to bed earlier than usual or wake up a half hour earlier to exercise or read a book. Treat yourself to a spa day, and have a manicure, pedicure and facial. Regular self-care provides a strong base to handle whatever comes your way – even the two-week wait.
Have a Date Night
Take time to reconnect with your significant other. Remember, although it may feel like it, you are not the only one in this situation. You both have been so wrapped up in doctor’s appointments, injections, and scheduled baby dancing sessions that you may not have had time for romance. Revisit your favorite date spots. Discover new places together. Take an impromptu road trip. Or just make sure to spend extra time focusing on each other.
