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Key TakeawaysHow to CopeFAQsAuthors

Key takeaways

  • The two week wait brings a real mix of hope, doubt and impatience, and there's no single right way to get through it alone
  • Structure helps: give worry a set time slot, build small routines and set boundaries around checking and googling
  • Gentle movement, avoiding early testing and knowing what symptoms are normal all help you stay grounded without a partner there for perspective
  • Planning support in advance, choosing who to loop in, who's with you on test day and connecting with other solo patients, means you're not scrambling when you need it most
The two week wait, the stretch between your embryo transfer or insemination and the day you can reliably test, is hard for everyone, no matter their situation. It can help to prepare emotionally in advance for this, particularly when you're navigating the path to solo parenthood. 

These two weeks bring up a real mix of emotions from hope and doubt to impatience, sometimes all in the same hour. There's no way to make that easier to predict, but there are things that can make it smoother to move through. Here are 10 ideas.

1. Choose one or two people to loop in

Choosing one or two trusted people to keep updated gives you a built-in support system for this window, without needing to tell everyone what you're going through. Pick people who are good at listening, who you'd want to hear from after a scan, or sit with on test day. 

2. Plan who's with you on test day, before you need them

Arranging your test day support in advance means you're not scrambling to find someone on short notice. Whether that's someone coming to the clinic with you, or simply being on call to answer the phone the second you have a result, arrange it a few days ahead rather than leaving it to chance.

3. Give your worry a time slot

Setting aside a specific time each day to worry, rather than trying to stop worrying altogether, is one of the most effective ways to contain anxious thoughts during the wait. Try 15 minutes in the morning and evening, then redirect your attention to something else outside that window, such as an engaging TV series, a hobby, or a deadline-driven project.

4. Build small routines 

Small, self-contained routines, like a morning walk or an evening bath, give your days structure without depending on anyone else's involvement. Try ten minutes of journaling and writing out how you feel.

5. Keep moving, gently

Gentle movement, such as walking, easy yoga, or swimming, can ease anxiety during the two week wait without risking implantation. Always follow your specialist's specific guidance and avoid high-impact activities, hot yoga, or anything that significantly raises your core body temperature.

6. Set boundaries around researching symptoms

Setting limits on symptom-googling and social comparison protects you from spiralling alone, especially without a partner there to offer perspective in the moment. Cap it to a set window each day, or skip it altogether, and unfollow or mute any social media profiles that tend to unsettle you for now.

7. Learn what's normal, so you're not symptom-spotting alone

Knowing which symptoms, for example cramping, spotting, sore or swollen breasts, and bloating, are common and non-predictive during this window stops you from over-analysing every sensation on your own. If something feels significant, like heavy bleeding, severe pain, or emotional distress that feels like a real problem or just too much to sit with, call your nursing team rather than searching for an answer yourself.

8. Don't test early

Testing before your scheduled blood test can give a false result, since trigger shot medication and low early hormone levels can both mislead a home pregnancy test. Without someone else there to help keep perspective on an early result, it's particularly worth trusting your clinic's timing instead.

9. Reach out to people who understand this wait

Connecting with other solo patients, whether through a support group or your clinic's community, eases a specific kind of loneliness that even close friends and family often can't reach. You don't need to explain the whole context, sometimes it's enough to be somewhere everyone already understands what day 9 feels like. 

Our counselling team recommends connecting with Solo Mothers by Choice Australia (SMC).

10. Be gentle with yourself on results day, whatever it brings

Planning ahead for support on results day, regardless of outcome, helps you meet whatever the day brings with someone or something steady in place. If it's not the result you hoped for, be as kind to yourself as you'd be to a friend in the same position. If it is, give yourself a moment to actually feel that too, rather than jumping straight to the next worry.
 
There's no single right way to get through these two weeks. Some days will feel manageable, others won't, and both are completely normal. What matters most is having a few real tools ready and people in your corner.

FAQs

About the authors

Evelyn Zwahlen

Evelyn Zwahlen

Evelyn Zwahlen is Counselling Services Manager at Genea. She brings 40+ years of experience in social work and psychology.

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