The Motherhood Series, Ep. 5: The 2-Week Wait, Take Two — Waiting for the First Ultrasound

You’d think that after two weeks of waiting for a positive pregnancy test post-transfer, the hard part would be over. But if you’ve been through IVF, you know that wait is just the beginning.

What comes next is something few people talk about, the quiet, anxious limbo between that first BFP (Big Fat Positive) and the first ultrasound. And for me, that time was filled with a roller-coaster of hope, fear, and everything in between.

IVF Changes Everything

In a typical pregnancy, most people don’t even realize they’re expecting until they’ve already passed their first missed period. But with IVF, you’re hyper-aware from Day 1. Every cramp, every symptom (or lack thereof), every lab number, it all feels loaded with meaning.

I remember waiting for that first ultrasound and thinking, "Am I really pregnant? Is this going to stick?"

Each beta number felt like a lifeline. I’d study them like clues, searching for reassurance:

• “Is it doubling fast enough?”

• “What’s a normal rise at this point?”

• “Why don’t I feel more nauseous yet?”

  
  

Symptom Spotting & the Google Spiral

Ah yes, symptom spotting, not a fan.

One day my boobs hurt and I felt confident. The next day they didn’t, and I spiraled. I scoured IVF forums, tracked every twinge, and reread beta charts like they were sacred texts. (Spoiler: they weren’t.)

What I really needed was to step away and learn to trust my body again… but that takes time, especially after infertility.

Reframing “Progress”

Here’s something I learned: pregnancy after IVF doesn’t always feel joyful right away. Sometimes, progress looks like:

• A beta that rose on time.

• A day where you let yourself feel excited.

• Making it to the next ultrasound, one milestone at a time.

And that’s okay. Hope can coexist with fear.

How I Coped in the Post-BFP Limbo

If you’re in this space right now waiting, watching, wondering here are a few things that helped me:

📝 Logging symptoms—but not obsessively

I kept short, gentle notes about how I felt each day. No pressure. Just a way to track patterns and gently notice changes without panic.

🧩 Distractions

TV shows, books, puzzles, anything that helped me pass the time without doom-scrolling.

💬 Support groups

Talking to other IVF moms who “got it” made a huge difference. No explaining. Just understanding.

Looking Ahead…

The day of our first ultrasound finally came. And when we saw that little flicker, our baby’s heartbeat, for the first time, something shifted. It wasn’t the total release of fear, but it was the beginning of believing.

In the next post, I’ll take you into Episode 7: The Silent Joy, where I share what it felt like to move from the safety of the fertility clinic to the wild unknown of regular pregnancy care.

Trust me, it’s more emotional than you think.

Until then, if you’re waiting in the in-between right now, know this: it’s okay to feel everything. You’ve been through a lot. And you’re not alone.

Let’s keep walking this path together. ❤️