If you have never struggled to conceive, you might not even know what the two-week wait is. And if you’ve been trying long enough… it’s the time you dread more than anything.
The Two-Week Wait is the excruciatingly long time it takes between ovulation and implantation of a possible embryo to know if you are finally going to be pregnant. It’s too soon for answers and too late to be able to change anything or increase your odds.
And whether this is your first try or your fifteenth, the waiting can make you feel like a stranger in your own body. Every cramp feels like a clue. I gaslit myself constantly. I was convinced spotting was implantation bleeding, trying to find hope, just to be let down again 12 hours later when my full period arrived.
The slightest twinge feels like a promise. You’ll Google “early pregnancy symptoms” again, hoping something has changed, just to go down the same rabbit hole as last month. You’ll have full emotional conversations with ChatGPT to try and give hope or to help comfort the pain you have come to expect will soon arrive with your period.
Let’s talk about what’s actually happening in your body—and how to survive it without losing your mind (or your relationships).
Am I Expecting or Expectant?
One of the most difficult parts of the Two Week Wait is that symptoms of being pregnant and not being pregnant are actually quite similar. During ovulation, your body releases progesterone—a hormone that prepares your body for a fertilized egg to implant.
That means your body is going to undergo some changes whether you’re pregnant or not, and every little tweak you never noticed before will suddenly be under a magnifying glass. Toss in your hopes, dreams, fears, and tears, and here’s what you can expect:
If You’re Pregnant
Classic early pregnancy symptoms you might experience in the first few weeks include:
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Headaches
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Fatigue or “pregnancy insomnia”
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Food cravings or aversions
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Light spotting
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Nausea or morning sickness
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Cramps, bloating, and diarrhea (fun!)
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Breast tenderness and swelling
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Increased urination
None of it feels good, but the tradeoff is worth every single ache and pain.
If You’re Not Pregnant
During your luteal phase—the time between ovulation and your period—your body is also going through some hormonal changes. What can you expect? Here are common symptoms:
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Headaches
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Fatigue
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Appetite swings
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Spotting as your period approaches
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Digestive chaos (yes, that’s the scientific term)
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Cramping and bloating
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Breast pain tied to your cycle
If those look familiar, then you understand exactly how difficult and painful the Two Week Wait can be.
Every. Single. Time.
Tackling the Next Two Weeks
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Education. The earliest you could possibly get a positive test is on 8 DPO (days past ovulation), but that’s rare. The latest you can get a positive is any day after your period is missed, but it can be as late as 16 DPO (what happened to me!). The truth is, most people get a positive within 3 days of when their period would arrive.
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Testing early. Should you? Probably not. Did I? Yes. I lost a small fortune before bulk-buying the cheapest tests—only to waver on believing in them. Looking back now, the best advice I can offer is do what you can handle. If you know testing and seeing a negative will be too much right now, DON’T. If you want to test and you can stay hopeful or be OK with the result, then test. Just take care of your mental health as much as possible during this time.
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Google and ChatGPT rabbit holes. Confession time: I 1000% did this… but I’m not sure I’d recommend it. The truth is that none of us can fast-forward time, and once you dive into the internet, you’re probably going to discover you’re pregnant, not pregnant, positive for cancer, suffering from shingles, and have a chronic case of lupus. And it’s never lupus. The fact is, even an OB/GYN shouldn’t be self-diagnosing their own pregnancy during the Two Week Wait, so feel free to educate yourself—but don’t torture yourself.
Be Proud of Your Courage
Our goal at PherDal is always to give you the best possible chance to see that second pink line finally appear. We always want to empower you, but empowerment doesn’t mean it’s easy.
It means you’re brave.
It means you are doing your best with what you have and that’s all any of us can ask of ourselves. You are doing the hard part and showing up with hope, even when it’s so rare to find some days. Give yourself the grace you will give your future children.
So while the two-week sucks and we can’t speed up time, we can do the best we can for ourselves during this wait. Always remember that your worth will never be decided by the number of lines on that test, no matter what it says. You got this, and we’ve got you—always.
With Love,
Dr. Jenn
