What To Do During The Two Week Wait

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15 Time-Killing Activities To Help Speed Up The Two-Week Wait

You’ve put everything into this cycle, it’s such a build-up to transfer day. It all comes down to this. And now…you wait. The two-week wait after your IVF transfer can feel like an absolute eternity.

For the purposes of this article, I am referring to ladies doing IVF, however…If you are monitoring your monthly cycles and tracking ovulation to get pregnant naturally, you could still use these ideas to help pass the time!

woman giving herself injection in her belly text overlay how to survive the ivf two week wait 15 time passing ideas

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Surviving The Two Week Wait

So, if you are finding yourself wondering “How do I survive the two-week wait”, read on. It’s all about distracting yourself and keeping busy.

I know that may sound simplistic and easier said than done, but you can do it!

There are actually things you can do to help you pass the time and make it zip by. I’ve got 15 terrific tips from fellow IVF warriors (including me) who have been there, done that.

Hopefully, one of these ideas to help speed up the clock will be your cup of tea!

How Do I Make The Wait Go By Faster?

It’s all about distraction, honestly.

Of course, your IVF cycle is at the forefront of your mind, and looking for positive signs after your embryo transfer is totally normal.

After all, during the lead-up to transfer day, your mind has been singularly focused…IVF stuff, IVF stuff, and more IVF stuff.

Yep, 24/7 you have been keeping track of all you need to: doctor’s appointments, preparing your body with medications, injections, good nutrition, vitamins, and supplements to support implantation and hopefully a successful cycle. It’s an emotional roller coaster and can sometimes feel all-consuming.

I’m not saying to push it out of your mind or deny reality (impossible and not mentally healthy!) but instead, try to ground yourself. You still have to go about your day-to-day life right?

Try your best to find balance and reduce stress

Continue to nourish your body and mind properly. Keep positive thoughts, practice affirmations, or journaling. Set aside some time for prayer or quiet reflection to calm your thoughts.

You have to keep yourself on an even keel during the two week wait. At one end of the spectrum is overthinking every minute of the day (obsessing) and at the other end is acting completely normal (like you aren’t waiting for what is quite possibly the biggest news of your life). Find the middle ground.

What works best for you to keep your mind occupied? Some people can immerse themselves in a book and shut out the world while others will read the same paragraph over and over.

Others are the artsy-craftsy type and can paint a picture, knit, or crochet something fun.

Anyway, let’s dive in and find an idea or two for you!

15 Time-Passing Ideas To Survive The Two-Week Wait

  • Read a novel~ When was the last time your read an actual book? There are some delicious ones out there to get lost in! Maybe one that you’ve been putting off for a while and that will keep you glued to it. Reading is a great way to escape from your outward reality and immerse yourself in another world.
  • Light exercise~ Moderate, low-impact exercise during the two-week wait is generally recommended and so great for the body and mind. (Talk to your doctor). Get your blood flowing with a little walk or some gentle yoga but avoid high-stress activities like lifting heavy weights or high impact such as running.
  • Journaling/Affirmations~ Schedule a time to write in your journal about how you are feeling each day. Getting the thoughts down on paper can help get them off your chest and keep you from obsessing all day long. Freestyle writing or jotting down affirmations is a healthy release and it’s definitely one of the things that helped me immensely during my two-week wait.
  • Meditate~ Try some guided meditation for relaxation and/or visualization techniques. YouTube has a ton of great channels that provide meditation music and guidance or you could check out an app like Calm or Headspace.
  • Binge-watch something~ Is there a series you’ve been wanting to watch but haven’t started yet? Well…now’s the time. Choose one that really holds your focus and makes you hit “next episode” without skipping a beat. Pick one that’s the equivalent of a real page-turner if you were reading a book.
  • Date night~ or a night out with friends. Set up a nice dinner out or catch a show with your partner. Or have a meet-up with some good chums at a restaurant you’ve been dying to visit. This will give you something fun to look forward to! Catch up with what’s going on in their worlds. You could even let them know to limit the IVF questions if you want, because your intent is to distract yourself.
  • Community Events~ What’s going on in your neighborhood, town, or city this weekend? Maybe your area has an annual festival of some sort, a craft show featuring local artisans, a street fair with music, a psychic fair, or a yummy food fest. Are you an avid garage saler? If so, that is an excellent way to spend a Saturday or Sunday! One man’s junk is another man’s treasure as my dad used to say.
  • Schedule some errands~ Have you been putting off that oil change, car repair, or some other mundane task? Why not get that done during your two-week wait?
  • Arts and Crafts~ Do you have an artistic side? Or maybe you’ve always wanted to give it a try? Try painting a picture (or splatter art which anyone can do!) sculpt with modeling clay, do ceramics or pottery at a local studio, knit, crochet, needlepoint, latch-hook, make some jewelry, tumble some crystals…whatever your heart desires.
  • Redecorate~ You don’t want to be doing any heavy lifting or moving large furniture yourself, of course, but maybe there’s a room you have been wanting to give a mini-makeover? Spruce it up with some new decor items or just rearrange what’s there, spin a little feng shui action. Want to do it on the cheap? Hit your local thrift shop and hunt down some awesome deals.
  • Declutter~ An excellent time killer. Is there a room in your home that needs attention as far decluttering and/or re-organizing? This is a good project that will take up a day (or several depending on how cluttered.
  • Clean/Reorganize kitchen cupboards~ Maybe a reorganizing project is up your alley. Once you open up a can of worms like overhauling the pantry or kitchen cabinets, you can put all your focus on that.
  • Scrapbook or Photo Album~ Grab some pictures off of your phone and upload them to a printing service. Scrapbooking is a really fun and creative hobby that anyone can learn to do!
  • Family Tree/Geneology research~ I fell down this rabbit hole a couple of years ago and I love researching and learning about my ancestors. And, believe me, if you enjoy it, the time just flies by once you start clicking around on Ancestry.
  • Get Into nature~ A little stroll on a local nature trail, in a park, or along a beach can help clear the mind as well as be a nice light form of exercise. It’s a great way to calm the mind and relieve stress.

You may also like: 40 Positive Affirmations For IVF

What Not To Do During The Two Week Wait

There are a few things you should avoid doing during the two-week wait. Top of the list are; obsessing, overthinking, overanalyzing every twinge and asking Dr. Google about every pregnancy symptom under the sun.

It’s easy to fall into this trap but it’s definitely not great for your state of mind.

It’s important to remind yourself that some women have no symptoms at all and end up with a BFP. We are all so different. Yes, there is a lot of great info on the web, just don’t research all day long.

Should you do a home pregnancy test or wait for your beta bloodwork? This is a tricky one and there are arguments for and against it. I’ve done it both ways for the several IVF cycles I went through and I still don’t have a definite opinion of what’s better.

As always, it’s a personal choice that you will make for yourself. I won’t get too much into that here but either way, you’re not 100% out until your bloodwork comes back so you’ll need to pass the time somehow regardless of if you decide to pee on a stick or not.

Don’t drink alcohol. smoke, or do drugs during the two-week wait. Keep your body clean and healthy with a nutritious eating plan, lots and lots of water, and keep taking all your medications as prescribed by your doctor.

Avoid heavy lifting/high impact or contact sports. Just to be on the safe side, be somewhat careful with your body for these two weeks. I’m not saying to be a total couch potato the whole time and definitely get some gentle physical activity in to promote good blood flow.

If you are tired then nap! You may be feeling drained emotionally and physically at this time. Rest and recharge…if you listen to your body it will tell you what it needs. Sometimes sleep is the answer. Again, don’t be a total couch potato for two weeks, just find balance.

Above all, be gentle and kind to yourself, and give yourself some grace. You’ve been through a lot!

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading and I hope some of these two-week wait activities is just the thing to make the time fly by for you!

Fingers and toes crossed for you, baby dust for sticky embies, and all the good vibes I can muster coming your way!

Until next time, K.

kelly blakely

Kelly is the founder and creative force behind Just Our View From Here. As a first-time mom over 40, she brings a fresh perspective to parenting and family life on her blog. Kelly also explores a wide range of lifestyle topics in her writing, including fashion, beauty, self-care, and well-being.

Our IVF Success Story

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