Surviving The Two-Week Wait Without Losing Your Mind

Anyone who is trying to conceive knows the dread associated with the two-week wait. This is the time between ovulation and your period (or, hopefully, your missed period). It’s a time filled with anxiety and stress not knowing what the results will be, but also full of hope and excitement knowing that this might be the cycle you finally get pregnant.

I’ve been there. I know the two-week wait feels like eternity. So, how do you make it through those days without constantly obsessing over if your body feels any different and if that could mean you’re pregnant?

Ways To Make The Two-Week Wait More Bearable

Here are some easy ways to help you cope with the stress and make the time pass by a little faster.

Talk to Your Husband

This is so important. While he’s also anxiously awaiting the news, he might not fully understand what you are feeling and what your body is going through.

He wants to be there for you – he just might not know how to do that. Help him understand. Tell him what you need to get through the wait and what he can do if you don’t get the news you wanted. You are likely each other’s strongest support system. So, take advantage of having one another to lean on.

Have a Support Person or Group

This can be friends, family, or even a local or online support group. The two-week wait is such a stressful time and having this type of support can help you cope and work through negative emotions.

Those that know about your trying to conceive journey can help you through this time. Let them know how to best support you – whether that’s giving you space or making sure you are distracted.

Spoil Yourself

Save your favorite activities to do during the two-week wait. And plan on doing something special during that time that you might not do regularly.

Go to the spa, get your nails done, go hiking, watch your favorite movie, read your favorite book, or bake your favorite dessert. Having something to look forward to can do wonders for the anxiety you’re feeling. Whatever you enjoy doing – do it.

Stay Busy

The two-week wait seems like it lasts forever. Time goes by so slowly while you question what the results will be. Keeping busy can help pass the time and distract you from constantly questioning if you are pregnant.

Try a new hobby to pass the time. Learning something new will keep you busy and distracted. Or plan out a daily schedule to clean your house during those two weeks. It might not be hugely enjoyable, but at least you’ll have a clean house!

Another option is to plan some date nights or outings with your husband and friends. They’ll help distract you so you aren’t consumed with thoughts about being pregnant or not.

Stop Obsessing Over Symptoms

It’s hard. Every twitch, twinge, and funny feeling you get makes you think it might be because you’re pregnant.

During this time, searching your symptoms online is bound to make it even more stressful. I get it. It’s hard not to search every online forum to get the answer you’re looking for – I did it too. If one other person had the same symptom you have and they ended up pregnant, surely you will too?

The reality is that every woman is different and every woman will experience different symptoms, if any at all, before they get a positive pregnancy test. It’s not worth overanalyzing your two-week wait symptoms.

Try a Relaxation Technique

If you find yourself overwhelmed, try a relaxation technique. Relaxation exercises can help you reduce anxiety and enjoy a better quality of life – things that are beneficial even when you aren’t trying to conceive!

One of the exercises that helped me realize how tense I was is progressive muscle relaxation. My husband introduced this to me and it’s also discussed here. You tense and relax each muscle starting in your toes and working your way up to your head. This helps you be more aware of the difference between being tense and relaxed.

Some other options are deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and music or art therapy.

Get Creative

If you’re having a hard time getting through the wait, experiment with what works best for you. Try combining all of the ideas above into a “two-week wait jar”.

Make a jar with activities for each of the 14 days. Write down your activities on a strip of paper and put them in the jar.

Some ideas are:

Go a on a walk
Have lunch with a friend
Make your favorite dinner
Go to your favorite restaurant
Do yoga
Clean the kitchen
Meditate
Have a date night
Read a book

This way you won’t have to think of something to do to distract yourself. All you have to do is reach into the jar and you’ve got an activity to take your mind off of things.

When Can You Take A Pregnancy Test?

As you get closer and closer to the end of the two-week wait you’re probably wondering when you can take a pregnancy test.

The best time to test is after your period is late because early testing can give inaccurate results. Pregnancy tests work by detecting the hormone hCG. Your body needs time to build up enough of this hormone to trigger the positive result on a pregnancy test.

Even though it’s recommended to wait until after your missed period to test for the most reliable results, if you’re like me, you’re going to test early.

It’s recommended to wait until at least 12 DPO (days past ovulation) to take a pregnancy test, but it’s not unheard of to get a positive pregnancy test a few days earlier than that. It all depends on timing. Implantation usually occurs between 8-10 DPO and your body then needs time to build up hCG. So, depending on if and when implantation occurs for you, you’ll likely be able to take a pregnancy test and have accurate results about 2 days after implantation.

Hang in there and be patient. The two-week wait is hard, but with a little preparation and pampering you’ll make it through!