50+ things to do during the Two Week Wait

The absolute worst part about trying to get pregnant is the dreaded Two Week Wait (TWW) which is the 14 days between when you ovulate and when you should get your period. You can technically take a pregnancy test about 10 days after ovulation, but it only becomes dependable the day of your missed period.

But you're still waiting to find out. Especially if you've gone through a fertility treatment (like I just did), and you need to do something to kill the time and not think about whether you're pregnant or not. Here are 50 or more things to take your mind off the time.

1. Watch every TED talk ever filmed. I tell you, I only recently discovered how neat TED talks are, and they're all on YouTube. You probably could watch them all in 2 weeks, or you could just watch a whole lot of them and learn a ton.
2. Learn to crochet or knit. You know what's cool as heck? Hand knitted or crocheted baby stuff. And it's not that hard to pick up. Again, a ton of tutorials are on Youtube. Pick a project you want your future little one to wear and learn how to make it! You might not finish in 2 weeks, but if you apply yourself, you'll have a good foundation to start on!
3. Binge watch that show you've been wanting to. Once you have a baby, watching the shows you're wanting might be difficult. Start that show you've been meaning to watch or rewatch. See if you can watch the whole thing before you take your test. (Bonus points if it's a Star Trek Series. Those things are hundreds of hours long.)
4. Read a book. You have a book sitting around that you've been meaning to pick up, right? Well read it now while you have empty hands. Or get an audio book subscription so you can keep reading with a little one in your arms!
5. Go to the movies. I don't know if you know this, but babies hate movie theatres. Head to that blockbuster you've been wanting to catch without a baby sitter or pregnancy bladder (when your bladder holds approximately 2.3 mL of liquid)
6. Give yourself a facial. This is my go-to when I'm stressed. Get a mud mask (or make one, if you're that mom), slather it on and relax for 20 minutes. You'll clear your pores and give you a reason to do absolutely for a while.
7. Practice mindfulness. Okay, I'm the worst at this, but it does help. I personally love the Calm app, but others swear by headspace. Both of them give you a 14 day trial, so now is a perfect time to give that a try!
8. Get a pedicure. There is nothing nicer than a leg massage that ends with pretty toenails. Go get one now!
9. Take a nap. A surefire way to deal with stress is to take a nap. Go curl up right after work and sleep it away. Bonus - the Calm app has bedtime stories it will read you in a soft voice to help you doze off.
10. Cook your favourite meal. For some people, this won't work because cooking causes stress. For me, making something that I love to eat makes me happy.
11. Deep clean your house. This definitely wouldn't work for me, but it's something that works for others. If you're someone for whom cleaning reduces your stress do that.
12. Work out. Studies show that a workout releases endorphins and makes you happier. But make sure you don't overdo it. If you don't usually work out, go for a brisk walk or a swim (after 48 hours if you had an IUI). Don't get your pulse above 150 or overheat. And don't go in the sauna afterward, even if you really love it.
13. Take a long shower. Especially when you're in a time when you're not supposed to raise your body temperature above a certain point or take a bath, a nice hot shower will do wonders. It relaxes you, and you're clean. 
14. Empty your purse. You know you've got receipts from 5 months ago in your purse. Dump it out on your bed and only put back what you need. Throw away everything else.
15. Have a drink. Okay, so this is going to be controversial, but seriously, one drink during the first week of your TWW isn't going to hurt anything. In fact, some studies show a 1-3 drinks per week for the first week can improve your chances of conceiving because it relaxes you.
16. Get a massage. Find a massage therapist and pay someone to rub your tension out. You can thank me later.
17. Have a girls' night. Most of your friends know you're trying to get pregnant. Get together and have a great time together. It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you're together!
18. Run that errand you've been putting off. You know the one. go do it. Now!
19. Write it down. Realistically, that's how this blog started. Write down your hopes, your fears, your obsessive research. Put it where you can see it.
20. Burn your fears. If anything from the previous number is negative, burn it. imagine all the negativity and fear literally blowing away in the smoke.
21. Learn a new makeup technique. Have you always wanted to learn how to wing your eyeliner or do a perfect matte lip? Pull up a YouTube tutorial and practice incessantly. You'll get it!
22. Go on a date with your Significant Other. You guys need some time together. Go out to dinner. Or for a picnic in the park. Just spend some "you time".
23. Do something kind for someone. Find a GoFundMe that speaks to you and contribute. Or volunteer a a soup kitchen. Or make hats for the homeless (back to the knitting/crocheting)
24. Have a "Mommy and me" day for your existing kid(s). If you already have children, you really should take some time for them. Parents having a new baby can be scary for kids of all ages. Make sure they know that you're still there for them, no matter what.
25. Get a full night's sleep. Not only does your body work better when you have plenty of sleep, if you're asleep, you can't worry. Well, not consciously anyway.
26. Stop Googling that. You're probably googling every symptom to see if you're pregnant. If you're not at least 12 days in, a Home Pregnancy Test (HPT) can't tell you, so why could Google. Everything is a symptom of pregnancy and at the same time of not being pregnant. Just don't google it.
27. Find a forum. Depending on how long you've been trying, it might be time for you to find your community. Reddit has some TTC and infertility groups. So does Facebook. Go try out one and talk to others who might help you get through it.
28. Eat something that's bad for you. Have some ice cream or cookies or a whole bag of chips. I'm not saying you should always eat your feelings, but it can feel great once in a while.
29. Laugh. Whether it's a funny movie or a standup special on Netflix. Find something that will make you laugh so hard you cry. You'll feel better.
30. Get a haircut. You might need a trim or a new style. Or you might just go in and have someone wash, dry, and do your hair. It's relaxing, and you'll feel like a million bucks.
31. Play a board game. My husband and I love games, but we never play one together. Get together and play your favourite game together to pass the time.
32. Name  your feelings. Possibly the hardest part of the TWW is not knowing how you feel. There are a lot of emotions that go into waiting to find out if you're pregnant. When you feel one, stop and give it a name. Is it anxiety? Fear? Hope? Joy? Knowing what you're feeling can make feeling it so much easier.
33. Walk it out. Exercising is one thing, walking is another. Go for a walk outside once a day. Breathe the air. Think about how beautiful the sky is.
34. Buy yourself something pretty. Whether it's a new lip gloss or a pair of earrings, buy yourself something you love. It doesn't matter if it costs $3 or $300, as long as it's pretty and you want it.
35. Pinterest binge. I swear I can spend hours pinning things. I even have a secret nursery board for when I'm obsessing too much. 
36. Find a new phone game. When I need to pour my time and energy into something pointless, I download a new, free phone game and play it as much as possible. Heck, I have games I've played for over a year because I found them on a whim.
37. Shave your legs. This might sound silly, but having silky smooth legs makes me feel better. And when you've been trying for a baby as long as we have, sometimes, I'm not as great about shaving. So a nice shave helps me out.
38. Learn to draw something. I can't draw at all. But if I took 2 weeks to learn to draw something, I'd get better. 
39. Do your hair every day. I hate doing anything but brushing my hair straight, but if I were to curl it every day, that would certainly give me something to be more annoyed with than the fact that I can't take a pregnancy test yet.
40. Plan your Halloween costume. Maybe it's because I'm in my two week wait at the end of October, but you know how to take your mind off of everything? Decide what you're going to be next Halloween! For bonus points, plan two costumes - one for you as you are now and one for you if you are pregnant.
41. Make a Christmas list. Again, I'm writing this toward the end of the year, so that's where my mind is going. That being said, I have completely abandoned writing this list because of ideas I've had.
42. Write a book. You're not going to finish a whole book in 2 weeks, but if you follow the guidelines of the National Novel Writing Month (50,000 words in 30 days), you could get halfway there. Or you could outline a new story.
43. Go to a park. Go to a park to walk around or feed the ducks or watch kids play or have a picnic. Seriously, at a park, there's so much to do, you won't have time to think about when you can pee on a stick.
44. Get busy for fun. Hey, you've been timing sex for how long? Have sexy time with your significant other just because. You don't have to worry about if your lube is semen friendly or if saliva hurts your chances. Just have fun.
45. Garden. Maybe you have a flower bed that needs weeding. Or maybe you just pot a flower. Put everything you can into a day of growing beautiful things.
46. Bake some cookies. Actually, I'm about to do just that. Make a mess in your kitchen to make some sweets. Then clean it up.
47. Fold your Laundry. I hate folding laundry. It's my least favourite chore. But it sure does make for something mind-numbing to do when I need to stop thinking about everything.
48. Sort your closet. When was the last time you went through your closet and threw things out? Go through it now and donate anything that doesn't bring you joy. You'll have more room and someone will get new clothes.
49. Dust everything. Quick, how much dust is on everything in your house? Grab your Swiffer duster and go to town.
50. Organize your bookshelf. Or your movies or knick knacks. Reorganize.
51. Let go of the guilt. You can't do anything to guarantee that you'll get pregnant. You also can't do a lot to stop it. Did you stretch wrong when you got off the IUI table? It doesn't matter. Did you get angry at a worm? It doesn't matter. Almost nothing you do means anything, so stop blaming yourself before you even know if it worked.
52. Make a plan either way. The day you can test, you should have a plan for what to do if it's positive and what to do if it's negative. For me, if it's positive, I have a gift planned for my husband when he gets home. If not, I'll grab sushi for lunch. Make it nice for yourself.
53. Buy a pregnancy test. I mean, if you don't have one, and you're not scheduled for a blood draw, you should probably go buy one so you have it on hand.
54. Schedule time to think about it. Look, we all know that even if you do all the things on this list, you're going to think about it. Put aside 15 minutes every day to really over analyze every twinge you've had. Is it pregnancy? Who knows? Just obsess then let it go.