The two week wait aka TWW is here and what now? You probably just had your embryo transfer, timed intercourse, or maybe, like my husband and I, IUI (Intrauterine Insemination). Regardless how you got here, CONGRATULATIONS! This is a big deal! The TWW can be emotionally draining and nerve wracking waiting to do your blood work to find out if everything worked out!! This time is filled with crazy anticipation, prayers of hope, and you guessed it, tons of anxiety (at least for me).
It’s important to remember that these 2 weeks are the perfect opportunity to do exactly the opposite. You want to stay positive and hopeful! ♥
In this post, we will explore all sorts of fun and healthy activities to help you navigate the TWW. My goal is to not just keep you occupied but also to help you find relaxation, well-being, and resilience during this monumental stage of your fertility journey.
**Side note… as I write this, my husband and I are preparing for our third round of IUI and prepping for our 2WW.
So, let’s dive in ♥♥♥
The idea is for the next 2 weeks to stay happy, healthy and by all means… preoccupied. Before we delve right into the fun stuff, let’s knock out the DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT list:
- HPT aka Home Pregnancy Test – I know how tempting it is but don’t do it! HPTs could lead to false negatives or false positives. Just wait it out. GIRL YOU GOT THIS!
- Smoking, drinking, recreational drugs – Follow all the rules you would if pregnant because right now we are being positive and assuming the best ♥
- Heavy Weights/High Intensity Workouts – Working out and getting exercise is a fantastic activity to do during your TWW, however, avoid those heavy weights and high intensity spin classes we love. Try Yoga or a nice walk instead (we will get more into this later)
- High Mercury Foods – Like I said with the smoking, drinking and recreational drugs, we are assuming we are pregnant so stick to a pregnancy diet
- Hot Tubs – No hot tubs or hot hot baths
- Sex – this is for my IVF readers. No sexy time for you. But don’t worry, after these 2 weeks are up, you can go wild! As for my IUI, timed intercourse, medication cycle readers… ask your doctor before jumping into this activity. My husband and I did IUI and per our doctors recommendation, sex was allowed right after insemination.
1. Puzzles
I have an obsession with puzzles. If you are like me, you might need 10-12 puzzles to fill your time but if you aren’t a crazy puzzle lady like me, 1 or 2 puzzles will probably work perfect for your 2WW. Check out this Puzzle Board to easily put away the puzzle when you are not working on it.
2. go for a walk
Walking is such a great workout when you are pregnant (remember, we are staying positive and assuming we are pregnant)! Start this healthy habit now. You can start small and work your way up to longer distances. Turn it into a personal challenge, take your pups, walk as a couple!
3. Read
I know you knew this one would be on the list. How could it not? Find a good book to start reading or pick up some pregnancy books. Check out this list of books to read while waiting for baby to arrive. Currently, I am reading Above Average by Clara Jay. This is Clara Jay’s first book and I am blown away. LOVE A GOOD RAUNCHY READ!
4. journal
Get those pretty colored pens and start journaling about your journey. Oh, Journey Journaling ♥ Journaling is what helped me get through our miscarriage, 2 failed IUI attempts and currently, our 3rd round of IUI and got me to start this blog! These pens are my absolute favorite for all types of journaling!
5. Museums
Go check out some local museums with your partner. Do a quick google search. You will be amazed what your town/city has to offer! Plus, many museums take donations or can be free.
6. TikTOK
I hate that I am putting this in here, but if you have ever used TikTok, you can not tell me it isn’t a great way to make time just absolutely disappear. I wouldn’t necessarily consider this a healthy option but I think we can all agree on this one.
7. Clean/Purge
You need to start making space for a new addition to the family. This is the perfect time to get started on that. Take items to donation or sell them online and make some extra cash for goodies for the new arrival.
8. Adult Coloring Books
Coloring is such a fun way to spend time. Click here to see one of the adult coloring books I got that is full of words of affirmation then check out this link for colored pencils with amazing shades.
9. Meditate
Go to your happy place! Meditation is so much more than a time killer. Meditation can stabilize hormonal fluctuations. It also releases a natural hormone called oxytocin, aka ‘The Love Hormone.’ Oxytocin helps manage the reproductive system as well as labor, delivery and lactation. Meditation is a fantastic way to reduce stress also and one of the major keys to implantation and pregnancy is a stress free environment.
Tips to Meditating:
- Find a calm and disturbance free place
- Get comfy
- Don’t forget to breath – try the 4.7.8. method. Breath in for 4 seconds. Hold your breath for 7 seconds. Exhale for 8 seconds. The 4.7.8. method can also help you with reducing anxiety and sleep. This is a method I learned in therapy and it actually works (especially if you have an active brain that wont turn down… ME).
- Use meditation apps – Check out this list of free meditation apps from Real Simple
- Turn it into a healthy habit
- Keep it short and simple
10. Acupuncture
Not only is acupuncture amazing but studies have shown that it can help prevent miscarriages!!
I am sure you are thinking… more needles? No thank you! But just give me a second, if you have not tried acupuncture, you are missing out! First, the “needles” are so incredibly fine, you can not feel them. I am not a fan of needles (even though after all our fertility treatments, needles seem to be an every day thing) but these are nothing like that. Acupuncture is relaxing and gives you moments of peace and tranquility. Check out this post by the American Pregnancy Association.
I used acupuncture for my TMJ/Lock Jaw, anxiety and migraines and I’m excited to start again for my 2WW! Highly recommend ♥
11. DIY
If you are anything like me, your partner may not be the biggest fan of this one 🙂 I LOVE a good DIY!! I typically go over board but DIY is just too fun. Recently I have been Mod Podge-ing (it’s a word in my dictionary) everything and these DIY projects have been a great way to keep my mind busy while we wait! A great place to find ideas for DIY projects is Pinterest. Take a look at my page for some inspiration!
12. Play Video Games
Video games are a super fun one and something I do as well. I’m a huge video game nerd! Whether it is the Nintendo Switch, Xbox, or maybe the Oculus (be careful with this one), you have so many options and plenty of games to play to make time fly by! You can even try playing online with friends or just go solo.
13. Yoga/Pilates
In a study found in the National Library of Medicine¹, yoga is beneficial, especially to couples struggling with infertility. Not only can yoga reduce stress, depression, anxiety and pain, yoga even improved the chances of having a successful birth. ♥
Whose in for a yoga sesh now? ME!! Also can we talk about how amazing this 1″ thick yoga mat is?
14. Paint
While it might be a bit early to start painting the nursery, how about painting an old piece of furniture. Don’t have any old furniture/not feeling like sanding everything down and doing all that work? Let’s paint your next Picasso. And, if you can’t draw, here is a beautiful Paint by Number that is insanely fun, colorful and I think I am going to ACTUALLY display (pictures of finished product to come).
15. Start a garden
Nothing like eating food you have grown yourself. I started a garden a few years ago and I was amazed at all the yummy veggies that came out of it. I found myself spending more time outside, getting fresh air and eating better. Start with something easy if you have never gardened before. Mint grows like a weed and is great for making mocktails!!
16. Spoil Yourself
Yup, this is a good one! Go get your nails done and get that extra 10 minute massage on your legs. Go on a little shopping outing and get yourself those buttery soft lulu lemon leggings! YES PLEASE. Spoil yourself rotten because damnit, you deserve it.
17. Binge watch movies/shows
Hop on Netflix. Peacock. Disney+. Hulu. AppleTV. Prime Video. Paramount+. Your VCR. Whichever of the 1,000,000,000 streaming service you prefer to watch on! Re-watch Friends for the 100th time or Modern Family (that’s what my husband and I are currently binging). Nothing makes time go by like losing yourself in a good movie or show.
18. Travel
If it is in your budget, take a few days vacation. Nothing like spending time in the mountains or laid out on a beach to make the days go by. If it isn’t in your budget, have a staycation (omg did yall know that is a real word?) or find a place to go park the truck and put a blow up mattress in the bed with a million pillows and blankets and spend the night telling stories, picking baby names or making bets on whether yall are having a boy or girl (or both ekkk)!
19. Sleep/Rest
This is the best time to let your body rest. Get some ZZZZ’s in.
Did yall know… the first trimester is often the hardest. This is when the major organs and systems of your baby are forming. This also means it is typically the most exhausting. Your body is going through some crazy (but definitely amazing) changes. Trust me when I say, you will want some time to just snooze.
I have only ever experienced the 1st trimester (check out my about page to read our story) and I swear, even when I wanted to stay up and read or play video games with my friends, all I really needed (and honestly wanted) was to sleep. So early bed times. Plus rumor has it that in 9 months we will be begging for some sleep!! ♥
20. Crotchet/Knit
If you know how to crotchet or knit, consider making a blanket for when it gets cold or maybe even start a baby blanket. If you don’t know how to crotchet or knit, this is the perfect time to learn! Then you can impress your mom, aunt and grandma when you show them you made this beautiful chunky knit blanket ALL BY YOURSELF (Look at you being all badass and what not)!
21. scrapbook
Find a trip or adventure you went on and pull a bunch of photos and turn it into a scrapbook. Or you could start planning a scrapbook for a look back at your pregnancy. So many fun options with scrapbooking. You can do a standard scrapbook in a 12″x12″ or make a mini scrapbook. Look for fun ideas inside the DIY folder of our Pinterest page.
22. find and try new recipes
The list of things you can not eat while pregnant seems to be never ending. So find some new recipes that are pregnancy friendly. Check out my list of pregnancy friendly recipes. You’ll be surprised to see that you still have so many fun and delicious options. Embrace that inner Gordon Ramsay!
23. Take a class
Don’t worry, I am not suggesting you go register for night school (unless you want to, then girl you go for it). Go online and look for painting classes near you. Maybe you want to throw clay (dude so fun!), look up pottery classes. Need to unwind and have a little woosah time? Find a yoga class near by that offers goat yoga. You might even find classes that are free or take donations. Did I hear free? Count me in!!
You can survive the 2WW!
I know these next 2 weeks feel like they are just creeping by (I am dealing with the same thing as I write this) so try adding a few of these activities in your schedule. You might even find a new hobby or become the next Martha Stewart. Before you know it, you will be headed up to your doctor’s office to get your blood drawn and find out if you are pregnant!
Let me know in the comments if you ended up trying any of these activities or have another idea that I may have missed. Would love to hear from yall! ♥
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed medical professional, and the information provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any medical concerns or questions.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, regardless of compensation, I only link products that I use myself and recommend. If I do not believe in the product, I will not share it.
¹Study found in National Library of Medicine:
Darbandi S, Darbandi M, Khorram Khorshid HR, Sadeghi MR. Yoga Can Improve Assisted Reproduction Technology Outcomes in Couples With Infertility. Altern Ther Health Med. 2018 Jul;24(4):50-55. PMID: 29112941.
