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The two week wait

Written by: Cally Worden

If you’re trying to conceive, the two week wait can feel like an eternity.  The fourteen days between ovulation and the date of your next expected period is a time when you may be pregnant, but simply cannot know for sure.  It can be a nerve-wracking, frustrating and deeply emotional time, and it’s important that you take care of yourself during this period.

Here are some tips for helping you to maintain your sanity and cope with the wait:

Make sure your dates are accurate.

Ovulation cycles vary, and if yours is later in your cycle then the two-week wait will start later … and finish later too.  Testing for pregnancy too early may result in a false negative, so gather as much information about your cycle as you can beforehand.  Be honest with yourself about when your two weeks really starts.

Stop obsessing

Ok, so this is easier said than done, but over-analysing your body for minute signs and symptoms of pregnancy can raise your stress levels, and result in disappointment if you allow yourself to become convinced you are pregnant when you may not be.

Fill your time

The days and hours may seem to drag by when you’re waiting for something, and the two week wait can be very much like this.  Try to keep busy and fill your time with activities to distract your mind from drifting back to baby-thoughts.

Let your mind wander – in a controlled way

Contrary to the advice above to stop obsessing, a healthy degree of indulgence in all things pregnancy can actually help.  The key word here is “healthy”!  Allowing yourself time to actively obsess about the possibility you may be pregnant is ok, provided you don’t overdo it.  Schedule time to think about dates, pregnancy tests and what may be going on inside you right now.  Just don’t let it take over your life.

Share your experience

Talking to others in the same predicament, in person or online, can help you feel supported during the difficult wait.  Knowing you are not alone can make a great deal of difference to how you feel during this time, and can also provide the chance to air concerns with others in the same position.

Keep calm and carry on

Whether this is your first month of trying to conceive, or whether you are a seasoned two-week-waiter, there is never any guarantee you will be pregnant.  It’s important to keep perspective, or you may end up spending two weeks every month in limbo and missing out on all the good stuff in life along the way.

When can I test?           

Home pregnancy tests work by detecting hCG – human chorionic gonadotrophin – more commonly known as the “pregnancy hormone”.  The biological fact is that hCG cannot be produced until implantation of an embryo has occurred, which normally happens 6-10 days after conception.  It then takes a few days for levels to rise enough for a pregnancy test to be able to reliably detect it.

The only way to be sure of the accuracy of a home pregnancy test is to wait until after your period is actually late.  Some tests claim they can be used earlier – this may be true in some cases, but be aware that every woman and every pregnancy is different, and the accuracy of early tests can be questionable.  If you want to be sure, you simply have to wait!