Step 7: The two-week wait

As many of my patients have told me, the subsequent two-week wait can be downright torturous. Again, try and get as much rest as possible, and stay away from caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, strenuous exercise, and sexual intercourse. Participating in any activities that will skyrocket your body temperature is also not advised - so this means sunbathing, or sitting in a sauna, hot tub, or jacuzzi are out of the picture. At the end of the two weeks, you’ll have to return to your clinic or hospital for a HCG pregnancy test. While there are many home testing kits that you can purchase in pharmacies or drug stores, I don’t recommend the use of these kits. Even the most sensitive urine pregnancy kits will not be able to detect HCG until ten days after ovulation, and assuming you were given an HCG injection as part of your fertility treatment, this may serve to distort your HCG readings. The bottom line? Using a home testing kit may or may not give you accurate results, so to avoid being misled, wait until it’s time to return to your clinic for your pregnancy test.