Oh, the secret lingo of pregnancy message boards. They are ripe with abbreviations that might have you scratching your head and saying things like, what does "2WW" mean? So I'm here to decode for you. "2WW" stands for the "two week wait" or the two weeks you have to wait between ovulation, having sex/getting inseminated, and then taking a pregnancy test. Sometimes, your period will show up before you get a chance to take the test, which can be extremely disappointing. When you're TTC, or trying to conceive, it's hard not to spend every day wondering if this is the month it happens or... not.
Did I just say it was hard? That's an understatement. It can be downright agonizing. One tiny thing that helps: solidarity in the acronyms like 2WW, which proves that other women hoping to become mothers are going through what you're experiencing. Hey, that's why pregnancy message boards exist, and why there's code involved.
You don't need to read another article telling you not to stress, because if you're like me, when you hear that message, you get defensive or offended. But, you also know that stress helps with about zero things in life unrelated to TTC, so take that nugget of wisdom and do with it what you will. There are some ways, however, to make those two weeks less painful. So with that in mind, I hope these things can help you get through the 2WW.
1Take A Prenatal Vitamin Everyday
Swap out your usual multivitamin for a prenatal one. If you need to, remove the label so it's just a "vitamin" in your mind. Hey, you need one anyway. Plus, a prenatal vitamin provides enough folic acid to keep your neural tubes plump and healthy, and ready to grow a baby's brain and spinal cord, noted Fit Pregnancy. Because brain and spinal cord development occurs in the first four weeks of pregnancy, most doctors recommend women pump themselves of folic acid if even contemplating having a baby.
2Exercise
Because, exercise is the solution to pretty much all the world's problems. But it's especially great during these anxiety-filled 14 days. According to Parenting, "all doctors agree that moderate exercise is a great distraction and stress buster during the two-week wait."
3Distractions Are Everything
If you're TTC, chances are you're spending an awful lot of time wondering: Do these ovulation detectors really work? Should I have had that piece of salmon sushi? Was that gas, or an implantation cramp? In other words, you're driving yourself crazy musing on things that are beyond your control. And no, reading another article on the different consistencies of cervical mucous isn't going to make you feel better. But, cleaning, dancing, or watching every J. Law film ever made actually might. Actively distracting yourself from thinking of the 2WW can help ward off unnecessary trips down the rabbit hole.
4Sleep
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reported that sleep helps keep you healthy both emotionally and physically. The same report added that sleep aids fertility. But you're just taking a nap, lady.
5Indulge In A Treat
While the American Pregnancy Association recommends that you eat nutritiously when TTC, and not partake in any fad diet (note: this is also just common sense), during the 2WW it's OK to indulge a little.
6 Summon Your PMA (Positive Mental Attitude)
Because Bad Brains and Pharrell Williams rule. Just think to yourself, I'm a feminist, and feminists are all about choice. Now, choose to be happy. It beats the alternative.
7Let Go Of Expectations
If you channel happiness and at the end of the two weeks you're not pregnant, it's tempting to say, "Being positive is a sham." Come on, girl. You know better.
8Have Sex
Your breasts might be sore, as that's an early sign of pregnancy and PMS, Parenting notes. But a good romp between the sheets is scientifically proven to make you feel good, according to an article about the health benefits of sex in Fitness.
9Keep Your Eyes On The Prize
If you want to have a family, you will. It might not feel like it in the moment, but it will happen in some way or form. What's even more important than that happening, though, is not losing yourself in the struggle to conceive. You're more than TTC or 2WW — you're you.
