Fourteen days, fourteen small things

Two weeks can feel like two months when you are waiting to find out if you are pregnant. One way to make the time pass more gently is to give each day a small, positive focus. Here are fourteen simple ideas, one for each day. Do them in order or pick and choose. None of them requires much time or money.

Week one

Day 1: Make a waiting plan

Decide when you will test and write it down. Having a plan can quieten the daily temptation to test early.

Day 2: Cook something comforting

Make a meal you love, perhaps a family favourite or a recipe from your childhood. Share it if you can.

Day 3: Get outside

Take a walk in a park, along the beach or simply around your neighbourhood. Fresh air and daylight can lift your mood.

Day 4: Write a gratitude list

List ten things you are thankful for right now. Include small things: a good cup of tea, a friend's voice note, a comfortable bed.

Day 5: Start something absorbing

Begin a book, a puzzle, a craft, a sewing project or an online course. Something that holds your attention is a gift during the wait.

Day 6: Connect with a friend

Call or meet a friend and talk about anything except trying to conceive. Laughter is good medicine.

Day 7: Rest and worship

Take a day of rest. Go to church if you are able, listen to worship music, or spend some quiet time with God. Let yourself put the wait down for a few hours.

Week two

Day 8: Do something kind for someone else

Bake for a neighbour, send a card, help a friend with a task. Serving others can take your mind off yourself in a healthy way.

Day 9: Move your body

Gentle exercise such as walking, swimming or stretching can ease tension. Normal, moderate activity is fine during the two-week wait.

Day 10: Have a screen-free evening

Put your phone away for the evening, especially forums and social media. Read, talk, play a game or have an early night.

Day 11: Plan something for next month

Book something enjoyable for a few weeks' time, whatever the outcome: a day trip, a meal out, a visit to family. It gives you something good to look forward to either way.

Day 12: Write a letter to God

Write down your hopes, fears and prayers. Be completely honest. Then fold it up and put it somewhere safe.

Day 13: Pamper yourself

Have a warm (not very hot) bath, paint your nails, put on a face mask or have your hair done. Being gentle with your body is a form of self-respect.

Day 14: Prepare for either result

Before you test or before your period is due, think about what you will need either way. Who will you tell? What will comfort you if it is a no? How will you celebrate gently if it is a yes? Then hand both possibilities to God.

Rejoicing, patient and praying

Paul gives a short but powerful description of how to live through difficult seasons:

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” (Romans 12:12, KJV)

These three go together beautifully in the two-week wait. Rejoice in hope, not necessarily in a positive test, but in the God who is good. Be patient in the hard moments. And keep praying, in short, honest words throughout the day. That is what “continuing instant in prayer” means: staying in touch with God as you go.

A few reminders for the whole wait

• Keep taking any folic acid supplement you have been advised to take.
• Many health bodies suggest avoiding alcohol if you could be pregnant.
• Keep caffeine moderate.
• If you need medicine, tell your pharmacist or doctor you might be pregnant.
• Contact your doctor straight away if you have severe pain, heavy bleeding, shoulder-tip pain or feel faint.

And if waiting brings intense anxiety or low mood that is hard to manage, please talk to your doctor or someone you trust.

A prayer for each day of waiting

Lord, give me grace for each of these fourteen days. Help me to rejoice in hope, be patient when it is hard and keep talking to You along the way. Fill these days with small good things, and hold me close whatever the end brings. Amen.