Trying to get pregnant can be a daunting experience. You have probably tried to become pregnant naturally without treatment, drugs, or intrauterine insemination (IUI) and/or in-vitro fertilization (IVF). While waiting to know the good news about your cycle, it must be frustrating, exhausting and draining of your emotions. You are watching for signs of change with your body—am I starting my menstrual cycle—or am I not. When a couple is trying to conceive, the two week wait of the time between the woman’s ovulation and when she does the two week wait for the pregnancy test is now here and exciting. You go to the bathroom and discover your period has started, bringing about sadness and tears.
What Is The Two Week Wait?
When you use basal body temperature (BBT) charting, or when the luteinizing hormone (LH) test is positive, your ovulation is the start of the two week wait determined by your temperature from either method. If your conception time is accurate, the time starts now, so you ‘wait’ to find out your pregnancy status. Thus, your two week wait is the time from ovulation until you have your period or your so-called missed period. Your conception can be determined with a pregnancy test proving positive.
Based upon a 28-day menstrual cycle (4 weeks), your 2 week wait is calculated by this method. If you have a longer cycle, your wait will basically be 2.5 weeks. This could involve more time and is dependent upon the length of your cycle.
Usually, it’s about a week for implantation of a fertilized egg and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone produced when pregnancy begins. The very precise and responsive pregnancy test facilitates your wait time, since the test can start about 10 days after you ovulate. Additionally, you can start testing without waiting for your missed menstrual cycle.
6 Things You Should Know About Two Week Wait
1. It's Just Like You're Getting Your Period
Early pregnancy signs are quite similar to those of PMS. The week following ovulation your body makes more progesterone regardless of if you’re pregnant or not. Many PMS signs, such as breast tenderness, mood swings, and bloating are caused by the hormone progesterone.
Your body will stop releasing progesterone about 10 days after ovulation if you are not pregnant. When the hormone levels diminish, your two week wait symptoms will vanish and you will have your period.
If you are pregnant, you will maintain progesterone production and continue with PMS-like symptoms. Mother Nature is elusive when she decided to have PMS and early pregnancy be similar.
2. Non-Menstrual Bleeding Would Happen
Implantation bleeding appears in approximately 30 percent of pregnancies. When your fertilized egg attaches to the uterus lining, bleeding can occur a few days before or on the date of your usual period, appearing light and of shorter duration than a normal period.
You could be spotting. However, you can be pregnant without implantation bleeding with two week wait symptoms.
3. Behave as Though You Are Pregnant
There is only a 15 to 25 percent likelihood of turning out to be pregnant each month. Imagine you are pregnant until you find out otherwise.
Do not drink alcohol or smoke, and have only one or two cups of coffee each day. Also pay attention to what you eat; fish high in mercury, seafood, meat, poultry and eggs that are raw or undercooked should be avoided. Though it's not necessary to drive yourself crazy with all those restrictions, treating yourself as if you're pregnant wouldn't bring you any harm as you might actually be pregnant.
4. Regular Physical Activity Is Good for You
If you have the habit of moderate exercises before, do not skip it during the 2 week wait as exercising can help you to manage stress better, which is beneficial for fertility.
Activity is also very important when you’re pregnant. Moderate intensity movement that uses energy, such as gardening, walking and climbing a few steps is beneficial. However, activities that are intense and may increase your core body temperature like heated spinning or hot yoga are not recommended as they can have a negative effect on your implantation.
5. Contact Your Doctor If Your Flow Comes Too Early
Should your period start in 14 days or less after you ovulated, it might indicate that your ability to get pregnant is being affected by something. It could be the fact that you might have misjudged your ovulation time. If your body is not making the levels of progesterone for continuing your pregnancy, it might be luteal phase defect. It is easy to diagnose and treat. Ask your doctor if extra progesterone can be prescribed after ovulation to lengthen your luteal phase.
6. Take Folic Acid
Before the 2-week wait, take 400-800 micrograms of folic acid included in most prenatal vitamins. During the first four weeks of pregnancy, the baby’s brain and spinal cord develop. This occurs in your baby’s neural tube and folic acid can help in the prevention of any neural tube weaknesses.
5 Tips to Help You Get Through the 2 Week Wait
While you are waiting to know if you conceived, you just might be making yourself crazy from anticipation during the two week wait. When you’re about to become new parents, waiting can trigger a powerful bundle of nerves. All parents have been there—so try the 5 tips approach.
1. Be Positive
Don’t agonize over you might have missed your opportunity for being pregnant this month. You might feel hopeless and anxious thinking it’s now or never—your only chance. Never say never. It is never too late to try next month. Stay positive and calm expecting joy.
2. It Is What It Is
Okay, let’s get real. You’re doing your best at being positive and maybe doing affirmations. You can’t just wave a magic wand and become pregnant. You did what you did to conceive and it is what it is. You’re eager to be pregnant but be okay if you are not. Next month might be the time for blissful success.
3. Obsession Is Not Good
You think about it all day—it’s constantly on your mind. Unfortunately, you can’t do much to accelerate the conception process. Don’t let this be the dominate subject during your two week wait. Talking about it isn’t really necessary because it’s always on your mind and you just give it power to keep you obsessing by continually discussing the situation.
4. Keep Busy and Stay Occupied
The best way to stop acting like a dog chasing its tail is to stay busy. The rerun dialogue in your mind will stop when you focus your attention on other things. Pamper yourself and enjoy some time with your friends. Give your mind a break—get your hair done, get a manicure, have lunch and shop with the girls. Relax and let nature take its course.
5. Ask Your Partner for Support
It takes twooooo baby!—the sperm and the egg. The emotional journey needs both of you. You’re in this like two peas in a pod. You both contributed in different ways and you just might show your individual support in different ways. It will all be good.