How to cope with the two week wait (TWW)

What is the two week wait (TWW)?

The two-week wait (TWW) is the two-week interval between ovulation and a missed period. Home pregnancy tests are only considered accurate on (or after) the first day of your missed period, so you'll have to wait two weeks once you ovulate to find out whether you're pregnant.

A more detailed explanation: The first day of your period is the start of your menstrual cycle (and the official start of your pregnancy, if you later conceive). Ovulation occurs about 14 days after your period starts. If you've had sex in the days around when you ovulate, a sperm can fertilize the egg within 24 hours of ovulation. If sperm and egg make a viable match, the resulting embryo will implant in your uterus about six days later. That means you're officially pregnant approximately 21 days into your cycle (give or take, depending on the length of your cycle).

You won't know any of this has happened, however, until about two weeks after you ovulate. At this point, you'll get your period, because an egg wasn't fertilized or didn't implant. Or, if you're pregnant, you'll miss your period and get a positive result on a pregnancy test.

Keep in mind that even if you time sex perfectly, conception only happens about 25 to 30 percent of the time (less if you're over the age of 35), so it may take a few cycles to get pregnant.

Are there TWW symptoms I should watch for?

"It's unlikely to experience early signs of pregnancy during the TWW, because pregnancy hormone levels aren't very high during that time," says Layan Alrahmani, M.D.Opens a new window, a board-certified ob-gyn and maternal-fetal medicine specialist, clinical faculty and assistant professor at Loyola UniversityOpens a new window in Chicago, and member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board.

While there's no hard data on how early women notice early pregnancy signs, anecdotally it's usually not until around 6 to 8 weeks of pregnancy, she adds.

While some women may experience the first pregnancy symptoms within days of conception, others won't feel pregnant for several more weeks. If you do notice early pregnancy symptoms before a missed period, "they're usually nonspecific, like bloating," says Dr. Alrahmani.

Other very early pregnancy symptoms could include:

• Implantation bleeding. At about 10 days after conception, you may notice light spotting as the embryo implants in your uterus.
• Frequent urination. Soon after implantation, you might notice you need to pee more often: Your blood volume is increasing, and your kidneys filter out the resulting waste via your urine.
• Nausea and vomiting. These symptoms may strike at the end of the TWW.

Other common early pregnancy symptoms include fatigue, bloating, and sore and swollen breasts.

How can I cope with anxiety over the TWW?

If you're actively trying to conceive, you may find the TWW excruciating – especially if you've been trying to get pregnant for a while.

If you're feeling anxious about the TWW, "try to keep busy and get your mind off it," suggests Dr. Alrahmani. She also recommends that you:

• Get plenty of physical activity
• Get enough sleep
• Avoid alcohol and drugs
• Eat a healthful diet
• Maintain positive social connections
• Meditate with a guided meditation app

What to do during the TWW

During your TWW, you can take steps to prepare for pregnancy. For example:

• Take a prenatal vitamin. This ensures you're getting the vitamins and nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy. Before conception and early in pregnancy, it's especially important to get 400 mcg of folic acid a day, since it reduces the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida.
• Eat well. The nutrients in the foods you eat support you and your baby. Focus on eating plenty of veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats.
• Fit in regular physical activity. Staying active supports your physical and mental health and helps to relieve stress, a big plus for fertility. Exercise is also good for your baby-to-be, potentially reducing your risk of complications including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm birth. The American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsOpens a new window recommends aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic pregnancy exercise per week.
• Schedule a visit with your healthcare provider. If you haven't scheduled a preconception visit, now's the time to get an appointment on your calendar. Your doctor can talk with you about how to maximize your odds of conception, whether you're at risk for infertility or pregnancy complications, and steps to have the healthiest pregnancy possible. They can also officially confirm you're pregnant, if your appointment lands at the end of your TWW.
• Take time for yourself. Once you've ovulated, you invariably have to wait to know if you've conceived. Every moment of the TWW can feel excruciating, so keep your mind off of it by taking time for activities that you enjoy, like watching a favorite movie or going on a hike.

What not to do during the TWW

• Don't test too early. Home pregnancy tests look for the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is found in your urine and blood at a rapidly increasing rate following conception. "HCG level is generally too low in the urine during the TWW to be detected," says Dr. Alrahmani. While the blood test your doctor performs can detect hCG about 11 days after conception, home pregnancy tests that check for hCG in your urine are most reliable starting on the day of your missed period.
• Skip alcohol and other substances. It's a good idea to avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and using marijuana during the TWW. It's unknown whether these substances harm babies before implantation. But you'll need to stop using them by the time you're officially pregnant anyway, since they've been linked to a variety of risks – from miscarriage and premature birth to birth defects and developmental delays in children.
• Don't let stress overwhelm you. This is admittedly annoying advice, especially when you really want to get pregnant. But know that excess stress may prolong the time it takes to conceive. Try to focus on what you can control, including taking the time to eat well and incorporate stress-relieving activities such as walking and yoga. If you're having a hard time controlling stress, talk to your provider and ask for a referral to a therapist.

What women say about the TWW

As comments from women in the BabyCenter CommunityOpens a new window show, the TWW can be an emotional rollercoaster:

"This TWW is the longest wait ever. I'm very excited for this cycle and hope for the best!"

"Here it goes. This time I didn't even tell my partner that I was in my fertile window or that I had an LH peak. He has no clue that we just entered TWW."

"I know it's too early, I just know it... but something feels different. I know I shouldn't test, but this is driving me crazy!"

"We did the deed at perfect timing in my menstrual cycle so I'm now in the TWW. If it doesn't happen this month, that's fine, too. Whatever happens, happens."

"I'm impatient and started testing. Of course it's negative."

"I'm really trying to stay positive but I want my rainbow baby so badly. Getting these negative results is very discouraging."

"I got my first-ever positive ovulation test a few days ago, and I'm over the moon. I feel like this is my first TWW ever, since it's the first time I know I actually ovulated!"

"I'm so eager to test and can't stop researching, so I know I'm going to drive myself crazy waiting this out."