The two week wait is the time after an embryo transfer (or IUI / artificial insemination). You took all those shots like a champion and had all the ultrasounds. You went to the fertility office, and amid anticipation and excitement, you entered the procedure room. Then you left the fertility office knowing that your little embryo was in place.
But now, it will be over a week to see if this embryo took. While, depending on your doctor, it could just be nine days, you may have to wait a full two weeks to find out if this embryo stuck its landing. This wait can be nerve-racking and fill your mind with questions. You may be tempted to test early at home, especially when every little twinge makes you think of pregnancy symptoms. On the other hand, symptoms, or lack of symptoms, may have you thinking it didn’t work.
If this is an anxious time, you may benefit from encouraging words. Indeed, with my fertility treatments, I needed to settle my mind. Check out these 14 inspirational quotes to help you make it through your two week wait.
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear- not absence of fear.
– Mark Twain
Being in the two week wait can raise some fears. Will this work? Will I have another miscarriage? Is this a waste of time and money? These fears are real, and these questions are legitimate. But courage is stepping out, having another embryo transfer or insemination despite those fears. Courage is understanding the anxiety, acknowledging and working through it without being consumed. Therefore be the master of your fears, don’t let them master you.
The starting point of all achievement is desire.
– Napoleon Hill
Let your desire be the energy spark that moves you forward and keeps you going. You dare to try and venture into uncertainty because of the pull of your heart. Listen to it. This pull, this desire, is the compass pointing you to your goal.
A healthy self-love means we have no compulsion to justify to ourselves or others why we take vacations, why we sleep late, why we buy new shoes, why we spoil ourselves from time to time. We feel comfortable doing things which add quality and beauty to life.
— Andrew Matthews
Self-love is essential and does not need to be justified. How are you taking care of yourself during this phase? Taking time to slow down, pamper yourself, feed your mind, explore your creativity, and fellowship with friends all lighten your mind and help you to feel happier. Do you feel the need to explain why you do what makes you light and joyful?
Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
– Oprah Winfrey
How are you feeling today? What are your thoughts about your fertility journey? Maybe you are focused on the what-ifs, googling IVF research studies, or messaging your REI on if the twinge you felt is a sign of pregnancy or a miscarriage. Maybe you’re comparing this time to last time and are reliving the pain or grief from the previous cycle. The past has already happened, so breathe, recognize the emotions and let them drift past. Don’t cling to them. The future isn’t here yet, and its chapters are unwritten. Now is what’s important, focus on your current state and enjoy this moment.
Close some doors today. Not because of pride, incapacity, or arrogance, but simply because they lead you nowhere.
– Paulo Coelho
Do you know the saying about how one door closes, another door opens? When you’re on a fertility journey, the possibility of pregnancy the old-fashioned way may have closed. But it would be best if you shut some other doors yourself. It would help if you muted unsupportive relationships, self-doubt, shame, and constant thoughts about past cycles. Focus on the path you are on now and the possibilities in front of you.
It’s not what you say to everyone else that determines your life; it’s what you whisper to yourself that has the greatest power.
– Unknown
Sometimes we put on a happy face and mask what’s happening inside. We curate an image on social media or the outside world that our lives are perfect and everything is okay. But what are we saying to ourselves? Is that little inner voice sharing encouraging words of positivity, softness, and understanding? Take a moment today to check your thoughts and reframe your internal messaging.
The difference between winning and losing is most often not quitting.
– Walt Disney
Sometimes, giving up seems like the right option when things don’t work out on the first try. This feeling can even become overwhelming. But if you hear a little voice saying, “what if I try once more,” you may want to listen. Often time persistence and tenacity pay off. Trying again, choosing a different path, or doing something different could all take you to your win.
Your illness is not your identity. Your chemistry is not your character.
– Pastor Rick Warren
Infertility is a heavy diagnosis to carry. It can be all-consuming and affect your life in ways you never wanted. But it’s important to remember that you are more than your infertility. More than fibroids, endometriosis, cancer, PCOS… You are more than your ability to reproduce. As you continue on your fertility journey, don’t lose sight of who you really are. And, of course, celebrate your true self.
Self-care is how you take your power back.
- Lalah Delia
There is so much we don’t have control over in a fertility cycle. How many eggs will fertilize? When is the trigger shot? Will the embryo transfer take this time? It can make anxious thoughts run wild. But there’s a way to settle your mind and feel more comfortable in an uncertain time. Regular, intentional self-care is your key. Make sure to double up on your self-care during your two week wait.
Just Breathe. You are strong enough to handle your challenges, wise enough to find a solution to your problems, and capable enough to do whatever needs to be done.
- Lori Deschene
The two week wait is emotionally charged. A rush of feelings from excitement to worry seems to dance together. You will naturally have questions about whether or not it will work this time or what will happen next. But while you can’t know the outcome for sure, you can be comforted by knowing the strength you have in yourself. No matter what happens, you will make it through.
Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use.
– Ruth Gordo
Being brave and taking a chance on this cycle takes profound courage. You’ve taken the medications, done the shots, had the ultrasound, and scheduled time off work. And you did this all for a maybe. You are brave. As you move through the days of your two week wait continue to dare greatly.
If it can be solved, there’s no need to worry. And if it can’t be solved, worry is of no use.
– Dalai Lama
The two week wait is a period of uncertainty and wonder. Sometimes that wonder turns to worry. Will this embryo stick? Am I finally going to be pregnant? What if it’s another miscarriage? But worrying doesn’t seem to help. In fact, it can even spiral into more anxious thoughts. Remember, if there’s a solution to your fertility challenges, you don’t need to worry.
You won’t be happy with more until you’re happy with what you’ve got.
– Viki King
This is an important message to receive during your two week wait. You are at this point because you desire to add to your family. But happiness should not be tied to whether or not you can have a child. Therefore, make sure to find happiness within yourself and with what you have currently. No matter the outcome, you will be okay.
Take life day by day and be grateful for the little things. Don’t get caught up in what you can’t control. Focus on the positive.
– Unknown
Take life day by day, including each day of these two weeks. You don’t know for sure what the outcome of this cycle will be, and you can’t control what will happen. But for now, you are pregnant until proven otherwise. Let the early days of your pregnancy be filled with hope and possibility.
Trust the wait. Embrace the uncertainty. Enjoy the beauty of becoming. When nothing is certain, anything is possible.
– Mandy Hale
One of the best sayings in the fertility world represents the two week wait and this quote so well, PUPO – pregnant until proven otherwise. You don’t know what the outcome of this cycle will be. It could be the baby you’ve been waiting for, or it may lead you straight into another try. We just don’t know. But that means that anything is possible. And as far as we know, you are pregnant right now. These may be the very first days of your pregnancy and rainbow baby. Wow! Enjoy this time.
