The Two Week Wait: What Is Actually Happening in Your Body?
Learn what may be happening after ovulation, from fertilization and the zinc spark to implantation, hCG and the first possible positive pregnancy test.
Reviewed by Courtney Garland, NICU Registered Nurse, IBCLC Lactation Consultant and Paediatric Sleep Consultant
The wait to find out whether you are pregnant can feel incredibly long.
But I also find this part absolutely amazing because so much can be happening inside your body while, on the outside, you cannot even tell.
When a sperm fertilizes an egg, there is even a tiny burst of zinc from the egg. Under special imaging, scientists can see it as a little flash, often called the zinc spark.
I love that fact.
So what is actually happening during the two week wait?
What is the two week wait?
The two week wait is the time between ovulation and when your next period is due.
For many women, that is around two weeks.
During that time, fertilization and implantation may happen before you even know you are pregnant.
What happens first?
After ovulation, the egg moves into the fallopian tube.
If sperm meets the egg, fertilization can happen.
The fertilized egg then starts dividing into more and more cells.
What happens over the next few days?
Those growing cells keep travelling toward the uterus.
By around day five, they can form a tiny ball of cells called a blastocyst.
The blastocyst then reaches the uterus and gets ready to implant.
When does implantation happen?
Implantation usually happens about 6 to 12 days after ovulation.
This is when the developing pregnancy attaches to the lining of the uterus.
After implantation begins, your body starts making hCG, the hormone pregnancy tests detect.
Why can a pregnancy test still be negative?
Because hCG starts very low.
If you test too early, there may not be enough hCG in your urine yet to show a positive result.
That is why waiting a little longer can make such a difference.
Can you feel any of this happening?
Usually, no.
You cannot feel fertilization or the tiny cells dividing.
Some women notice symptoms during the two week wait, while others feel nothing at all.
Both can be normal.
The part I find incredible
In less than two weeks, an egg can be fertilized, start dividing, travel to the uterus, implant, and begin making the hormone that will eventually turn a pregnancy test positive.
All of that can happen before you even know you are pregnant.
It honestly blows my mind.
Follow what happens next in The Mama Years
If you do get a positive test, you can continue into the early pregnancy weeks in The Mama Years and see what is happening from the very beginning.
Read next
• Pregnancy Week 2: What Is Happening Before Ovulation?
• Pregnancy Week 3: Fertilisation and the Very Beginning of Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Week 4: Implantation and Your First Positive Test
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