The Longest Two Weeks of Your Life
If you're reading this, you're probably somewhere between ovulation and a pregnancy test, and every minute feels like an hour. The two-week wait (TWW)—the roughly 14 days between ovulation and when you can reliably take a pregnancy test—is widely acknowledged as the most emotionally challenging phase of trying to conceive.
You're not imagining it. And you're not being dramatic. This is genuinely hard.
Why It Feels So Intense
The TWW is a perfect storm of biological and psychological factors. Progesterone is surging (causing real physical symptoms), there's a meaningful outcome you have zero control over, and your brain is primed to interpret every physical sensation as a potential "sign." Add in the isolation many people feel during TTC, and it's understandable that this period can feel overwhelming.
What's Actually Happening in Your Body
If fertilization occurred, the embryo is traveling down the fallopian tube and implanting in the uterine lining (typically 6–10 days post-ovulation). hCG production begins after implantation and doubles every 48–72 hours. But you can't feel any of this happening. The symptoms you notice during the TWW are almost entirely driven by progesterone, which is present regardless of whether you're pregnant.
Coping Strategies That Actually Help
Set a test date and commit to it. Decide when you'll test (ideally the day of your expected period) and resist the urge to test earlier. Early testing increases the chance of either a false negative (disappointing) or detecting a chemical pregnancy (devastating).
Stay busy. This is cliché advice, but it works. Schedule activities, start a project, make plans with friends. The goal is to reduce the number of idle minutes spent symptom-checking.
Limit symptom Googling. This is a hard one, but "7 DPO symptoms pregnancy" searches will not give you useful information. Every symptom can go either way.
Move your body. Moderate exercise releases endorphins and reduces anxiety. You don't need to restrict activity during the TWW (unless your doctor has specifically told you otherwise).
Talk about it. Whether it's your partner, a friend, an online TTC community, or a therapist—voicing the anxiety helps reduce its power.
It's Okay to Feel All of This
Hope, fear, excitement, dread, impatience, guilt about feeling impatient—the TWW contains multitudes. All of these feelings are valid. This process asks a lot of you emotionally, and there's no "right" way to handle it.
This guide was last reviewed on January 18, 2026.