Fertility & Treatment · 2 min
The two-week wait: what helps, what does not, and how to take care of yourself
Top things to know
The wait is roughly 9 to 14 days after transfer; there is nothing more to do clinically.
Normal life will not dislodge the embryo; bed rest does not improve pregnancy rates.
Symptoms during the wait are not reliable either way; the test on the assigned day is the answer.
Deciding beforehand what you will tell family, and when, can ease the pressure of the wait.
How do you manage the two-week wait after embryo transfer?
After embryo transfer, you wait roughly 9 to 14 days before testing. There is nothing else for you to do clinically. There is nothing happening on the outside. Inside, biology is doing what it does or it is not, and you cannot influence it from this point. Most readers tell us this is the hardest part.
Myth
If you don't feel pregnant, the cycle has not worked.
Evidence
Early pregnancy symptoms are not reliable in the two-week wait. Many women feel nothing and have a positive test. Many feel a lot (often from the progesterone medication itself) and have a negative test. The test on the assigned day is the answer. Your symptoms before that are not.
The hardest part wasn't the injections. It was the silence afterward.
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Reviewed by clinicians
Authored and reviewed by clinicians from the founding team. Information only, not personalised medical advice.
From the team behind Her Holistic Health, founded by Dr Divpreet Sacha, NHS-trained GP.