If you are trying to conceive, you have probably heard of the two week wait. This refers to the time between ovulation and hopefully conception. While the two week wait can be difficult for everyone, it can be especially nerve-wracking for those who experience IUI or an IVF embryo transfer and have a follow-up blood test to check for pregnancy hormones.
No matter what your journey to motherhood looks like, we have a few tips on how you can make the two week wait a little more bearable. Staying calm is beneficial for both your health and the future health of any resulting pregnancy. Easier said than done, I know!
Surviving the Two Week Wait
While these tips may not completely eliminate anxiety, we hope they can provide you some calm and relief.
Ready Your Support Team
If you have been trying to conceive for a while or going through fertility treatments, it is likely that you have a support team. This can be your friends, family members, or even professionals like a therapist. During the two week wait, you will want to lean on these individuals more than ever.
It is a good idea to prepare them for the reality that these two weeks could be especially hard for you. You may want to help them help you by offering advice on how they can best support you during this challenging time.
Don’t forget about your partner! You will need to lean on each other for support. Knowing ahead of time how to help one another is extremely valuable.
Try Calming Techniques
- Meditation
- Deep breathing exercises
- Gentle yoga
- Journaling
- Self-massage
- Light to moderate exercise
- Self-care practices
Try eating:
- Berries
- Bananas
- Coconut
- Nuts
- Dark chocolate
Schedule Stress and Don’t Obsess
Easier said than done, right? It is completely normal to obsess over every little sign, wondering if it is a pregnancy symptom. However, constantly stressing over signs, watching and waiting, is not helpful. It may lead to you being restless, anxious, unfocused, and generally touched-out.
Instead of living in a constant state of high alert, try not to make a big deal over every symptom, or lack thereof. Allow yourself a scheduled ten to fifteen minutes each day to dive deep into your two week wait journey. This can be obsessing over your BBT chart, reading ttc blogs, counting the days on your calendar, documenting your symptoms, or participating in a fertility forum chat.
It may take you a few days to get into the habit, but scheduling a set time to worry and then moving on with your day can be immensely helpful.
Take Control of Your Calendar
Some women find that staying busy helps them to keep their mind off of things. Other women prefer not to have a lot of plans and instead focus on themselves and self-care. Whatever your plan of action, take control of your calendar and commitments.
Clear your schedule as much as you can and stay in, or lean on your support system and fill your days with fun activities! What you choose to do is one thing you can control, which can be very reassuring during this time of unknowns.
Go Easy On the Pregnancy Tests
It’s common to be tempted by pregnancy tests, and become compulsive about taking them. But try to resist until the two week wait is nearing its end. Stressing out over whether you see a line or not isn’t worth it. Not to mention the disappointment over a negative result when it could simply have been too early to test.
Additionally, if you have a blood test scheduled, try to prepare for test day as much as possible. Cancel plans and work if possible. Think about who you would like to have present to support you, such as your partner. If there is a way to schedule and plan whatever would feel best for you, regardless of the result, try to make it happen.
Two Weeks Isn’t Timeless
Remember, the two week wait won’t last forever. It will inevitably end and you can make it through! Do your best to stay calm and take up practices that are relaxing, validating, and empowering for you.
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Posted by Shruti Mishra
Shruti is the founder of Freshly Moms. She is a profesional plant based chef from Natural Gourmet Institute, NY and a certified IIN health coach. She has been working with Ayurveda, food & nutrition since over 10 years and is also a fresh mom herself.
This article is not a medical advice and is not meant for every situation. Every woman's body is different and may respond differently to treatments or supplements.