What You Need to Know about the Dreaded Two-Week Wait

When you’re trying to get pregnant, there are a lot of ups and downs. There are moments when you just know that it worked and moments when you want to crawl into a ball and scream at anyone who tries to comfort you. The two-week wait occurs between ovulation and your expected period. It’s the period where you wait to find out if you’re pregnant or not. Needless to say, for those who are struggling to conceive, this is a period of stress, anxiety, and more than a few sleepless nights.

If you’re working with a specialist and are undergoing fertility treatment cycles, the two-week wait gets even more stressful. You’re faced with fears, hopes, dreams, some sadness, a bit of an obsessive mindset, and a lot of times, frustration. While your mind is likely racing with every possible scenario and outcome, there are a few things to do to stay calm and collected while you wait.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the dreaded two-week wait.

Common Stages of the Two-Week Wait

For those that have dealt with the two-week wait multiple times, they understand that the stages are pretty consistent. Time moves slowly and during that time, most women experience the following stages.

1. The Nonchalant Stage

No big deal, everything’s going to work out. You’re hopeful and you keep your composure. The infamous phrase, it is what it is, plays on repeat in your mind. You’ve done everything possible, so the only thing left is to wait patiently. This lasts between 24 and 36 hours.

2. The Over Confident Stage

Next, you get an undeniable knowledge that you’re really pregnant. The self-fulfilling prophecy comes into play and you start to see every single little symptom, discomfort, or glimpse of fatigue as common pregnancy symptoms.

3. The Upsetting Stage

After you’ve convinced yourself that you’re pregnant, you’ll start to convince yourself that you’re not. You don’t feel any signs of life, no symptoms of pregnancy, and start to doubt everything that just raced through your mind.

4. The Obsessive Stage

Instead of just waiting to take a test, this is the stage where you glue your eyeballs to a monitor and start to Google anything and everything about the two-week wait. Is it too early for a pregnancy test? When do symptoms start showing? You’ll scour through forums, blogs, and anything that will help you feel like this is going to work. Then you’ll boycott the Internet… if only for an hour.

5. The Time is Right Stage

Finally, two weeks has come and gone and it’s time to take a pregnancy test. Maybe you slipped up and took one too early and got a negative test, but realize now that it could have been a false negative. Some women get nervous, others are elated, but whichever type of person you are… it’s time! If you’re pregnant, congratulations! If you’re not, don’t worry and just keep trying.

Healthy Behaviors During the Two-Week Wait

Instead of focusing on everything that could go wrong, use the two-week wait to boost your health both physically and mentally. Positivity and optimism are great, but healthy behaviors will make sure that you do everything possible to support a healthy conception and pregnancy.

Always Eat for Nutrition

Yes, sometimes you will want to crawl into bed with a bucket of ice cream, but try to avoid succumbing to unhealthy cravings. Instead, eat to support your hormones and to nourish your uterine lining. Get enough fiber, add a few superfoods to your diet, and eat “blood nourishing” foods.

Be Mindful of Your Body’s Changes

A lot of pregnancy symptoms are similar to PMS ones, so keep your expectations grounded. However, it’s still important to note any changes that occur during your body throughout the two-week wait. When you’re realistic, you’ll avoid major let downs while getting a chance to understand your body better.

Wait to Take a Pregnancy Test

The biggest dilemma women have during the two-week wait is taking a home pregnancy test too soon. Just wait. Pregnancy tests detect human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which will be present in pregnant women about 7-10 days past ovulation. If you take a test too soon, you might receive a false negative and experience sadness or disappointment for nothing.

Practice Good Mental Health

Mental health is crucial to our every day sanity, especially for mothers experience the dreaded two-week wait. Take care of yourself. Get enough rest. Practice positive self talk. Splurge on a relaxing massage or a day out with your friends. Do whatever you need to do to stay in good mental health.

Take Prenatal Vitamins

Prenatal vitamins like folic acid are great for your health before conception, during pregnancy, and even after delivery. Talk to your doctor about creating a good balance of parental vitamins and take them regularly.

Stay Healthy

Regardless of your results, practice healthy habits and keep yourself in the best shape possible. Being healthy is great, both for expecting mothers and mothers trying to conceive. Stay healthy to promote a healthy womb, pregnancy, and delivery when the time comes.

How to Survive the Two-Week Wait

The main problem with the two-week wait is the anxiety and frustration that comes along with it. If you’ve been struggling to conceive, it’s often a time filled with worry and doubt, but nevertheless optimism pushes you forward. Rather than sit around and tear your hair out, here are a few ways to survive the two-week wait.

Try Not to Obsess

This is easier said than done, but it’s important. If you think you’re experiencing an early pregnancy symptom, stay calm. A lot of the early signs of pregnancy are the same as those that appear when you’re about to get your period. Instead, take things one moment, or one day, at a time. Keep track of your body’s changes, avoid falling down the rabbit hole that is online forums, and stay calm.

If you can’t stop thinking about potential pregnancy symptoms, schedule the time to get a bit obsessive. Whether it’s 10 or 15 minutes, once or twice a day, you need to schedule it, stick to it, and then move on. You won’t do yourself any good if you sit around unproductively and continue to obsess day in and day out.

Keep Yourself Busy

If you find it hard to avoid obsessing, try and find activities that will keep you busy. Staying busy helps time pass more quickly, which is essential during the two-week wait.

However, don’t try and keep busy only with dull, work tasks. Schedule a few dates, work on perfecting your hobby, or crack open a good book. Whatever takes your mind off the waiting will help time progress at a normal speed.

Practice Relaxing and Stress Management

In addition to keeping busy, schedule time for relaxation and stress management—both of which are quintessential for the two-week wait. Whatever it takes to get relaxed and stress free, do it! If you’re not sure what relaxes you, start here and work your way down the list.

Find Support

Last but not least, it’s important to have support during the two-week wait. Yes, your partner is a great supportive relationship, but so is someone who understands what you’re going through. Infertility is frustrating and often misunderstood by people who don’t have problems with it.

Coping with infertility is difficult and one of the best ways to feel supported is by finding someone who has gone through the same thing. You should also openly communicate with family and friends about what you need and how to be supportive, or even look into finding an infertility therapist. Get whatever support you need to help you through this time.

Conclusion

If you’re struggling with the two-week wait, don’t forget to find some support. A little help is one of the best ways to get through difficult times. If you find yourself with a positive pregnancy test, congratulations! It’s time to schedule a doctor visit. If you’re still struggling, there are people you can talk to. Don’t give up. Your time will come. Try working with a fertility coach, seeing a specialist, or talking to your doctor to find out what your options are.

During the whole process, don’t forget to visit Byram Healthcare for more tips, product reviews, and to receive an electric breast pump at no cost! Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, expectant mothers are eligible to receive a breast pump covered by their insurance provider. Visit Byram Healthcare today to browse our wide selection of both manual and electric pumps.

If you have any tips for mothers on how to cope with the two-week wait, or want to share your success stories, head over to our Facebook page and leave a comment! We always love hearing our readers’ personal experiences, comments, and tips!