Fertility
20 Tips to Cope with the Two Week Wait
Holly Pigache | 4 Mar 2022
Anyone going through fertility treatment knows how awful the Two Week Wait (2WW) can be. If you’re wondering what the 2WW is, how people feel during this time and how to cope with the 2WW, this article is for you.
Our TRB community is an endless fountain of fertility support, guidance and understanding. Surviving the 2WW when you’re TTC is often considered the worst part of fertility treatment. There’s a rollercoaster of emotions and little mental ability to think of anything but the imminent pregnancy test.
So read on to learn more about the 2WW as well as top tips from our fertility community about what you can do to survive the 2WW and gather some helpful coping strategies.
What is the 2WW?
Following fertility treatment, like IVF or IUI, there’s a tense two week gap between embryo implantation and the time when taking a pregnancy test will show reliable results.
The two week wait is a flurry of emotions, such as:
- Anxiety
- Impatience
- Excitement
- Hope
- Sadness
With these emotions and hormones surging around your body from fertility treatment, it can be difficult to cope with the 2WW. Fortunately, our Instagram community (follow us here) has lots of tips for coping with, and surviving, the 2WW.
Fertility Community Tips on How to Cope with the 2WW
Keep busy:
- Keep busy doing kind things for yourself. Yoga and massages are a great way to relieve tension that builds up during the 2WW
- Engage in activities that clear your mind (like yoga) or occupy your mind (like reading an engaging book)
- Spend some time going through all those tabs open in your browser. Read the article, buy the dress, order that book
- Visit a relative out of town
- Go on a trip – being away from home is the best distraction.
Occupy your mind:
- Immerse yourself in work
- Catch up on missed TV series
- Be around people who don’t know about the embryo transfer or fertility treatment, so you’re not constantly thinking about it
- Watch lots of comedy shows and films
- Netflix!
- Get creative or learn a new skill
Treat yourself:
- Get a pedicure on the first day after ovulation. On the second day, have a massage. The third: fertility acupuncture?
- Pamper yourself
- Treat yourself to wholesome, nourishing food that feeds your soul as well as your body
- Give yourself little rewards and treats
- Eat well and rest
- Take a walk each day for fresh air and to clear your head
Try not to obsess:
- Start writing a journal
- Try to avoid symptom spotting (although that’s easier said than done!)
- Avoid testing early
Learning coping strategies to cope with the two week wait will hopefully make your fertility journey a little easier. The 2WW will always be an anxious time, so be kind to yourself and do things that make you happy and you’ll find the days slipping by.
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