The Two-Week Wait Away from Home

Updated July 2026 · 6 min read

The two-week wait — the period between embryo transfer and your pregnancy test — is the most emotionally demanding part of IVF for most patients. Doing it in another country, away from your usual routines and support network, can amplify everything you're feeling.

Most patients fly home before the two-week wait begins — but the wait follows you. Here are practical strategies for getting through it, wherever you are.

What the wait actually involves

After embryo transfer, there's nothing medically to do except continue taking prescribed medications (typically progesterone) and wait for the pregnancy test date, usually 10–14 days after transfer. During this time, the embryo is either implanting or it isn't. Nothing you do — or don't do — during the wait will change the outcome.

That last sentence is important enough to repeat: nothing you do during the two-week wait will change the outcome. The anxiety that you're somehow doing something wrong — standing up too fast, eating the wrong thing, not resting enough — is universal and unfounded.

If you're still at your treatment destination

Some patients choose to stay in their treatment country for part or all of the wait. If that's you, use the time intentionally. Explore your destination at a gentle pace — this is not the time for extreme activities, but walking, sightseeing, and eating good food are all fine and encouraged.

Stay connected with people at home. Schedule regular calls or video chats with your partner, family, or friends. Let them know you might need to talk at odd hours. Having someone who understands what you're going through — even thousands of miles away — makes a significant difference.

If you're in a destination like Medellín, where there's a vibrant expat and digital nomad community, consider spending time in communal spaces — coffee shops, coworking spaces, neighborhood restaurants. Social contact, even casual, reduces the isolation that amplifies anxiety.

If you're back home

Most patients fly home within 1–3 days of transfer, which means the wait happens in familiar surroundings. This has advantages — your routines, your bed, your people — but the transition from "actively doing something about your fertility" to "waiting for results at home" can feel jarring.

Return to your normal routine as quickly as possible. Go back to work. See friends. Walk the dog. The busier your mind, the less space anxiety has to fill. Avoid bed rest — there's no evidence it helps, and lying still gives your mind nothing to do except spiral.

What helps

Limit symptom searching. Every twinge, cramp, or absence of symptoms during the two-week wait will send you to Google, where you'll find equal evidence that it means you're pregnant and that it means you're not. The reality is that early pregnancy symptoms and progesterone medication side effects are identical. Symptom analysis during the wait is not informative — it's just anxiety fuel.

Set a news blackout. Decide in advance that you won't test before the date your clinic specified. Early home tests produce false negatives that cause unnecessary distress, and false positives from trigger shot residue that cause unnecessary hope. Test on the day you were told to test. Not before.

Move your body. Walking, gentle yoga, and light activity are all fine during the wait and are among the most effective anxiety management tools available. Your clinic will tell you to avoid heavy exercise and heavy lifting — listen to that — but gentle movement is encouraged.

Talk to someone who gets it. Online communities of IVF patients — particularly those who've done treatment abroad — can be invaluable during the wait. They understand what you're going through in a way that even the most supportive partner or friend may not. Fertility-specific forums and social media groups are easy to find and often deeply supportive.

After the test

Whether the result is positive or negative, you'll likely need a follow-up conversation with your overseas clinic. Most clinics schedule a remote consultation within 24–48 hours of the test result. If positive, they'll outline next steps for early pregnancy monitoring with your local OB/GYN. If negative, they'll review what happened, discuss whether frozen embryos are available for another transfer, and help you plan next steps when you're ready.

Either way, you've done something brave. You researched, planned, traveled, and gave yourself the best chance you could. That matters — regardless of the outcome of any single cycle.