I Inseminated — Now What?

You’ve done the insemination—congratulations! 🎉 Now comes the hardest part for many: the waiting. The Two-Week Wait (TWW) is a time filled with hope, questions, and a lot of symptom-spotting. Whether this is your first cycle or your fifth, this blog will walk you through what’s happening in your body, when to test, and how to manage the emotional ups and downs that follow insemination.

What Happens After Insemination?

You’ve completed the insemination process, congratulations! Now begins the infamous Two-Week Wait (TWW). This is the window of time between ovulation and the start of your next menstrual cycle. It can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, so here’s what to expect.

What Is the Two-Week Wait (TWW)?

The TWW is the 14-day period after ovulation, during which a fertilized egg may implant into the uterine lining. This process is called implantation, and it typically occurs 6–12 days post-ovulation (DPO).

Your body will only begin producing detectable levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)—the pregnancy hormone—after implantation. That’s why most pregnancy tests will not give an accurate result until at least 7 days DPO.

Can I Take a Pregnancy Test During the TWW?

We get it, waiting is hard! While it’s tempting to test early, doing so often leads to disappointment. Testing too soon may give you a false negative because your body hasn’t produced enough HCG yet.

If you must test early, try waiting until at least 7 DPO. Even then, a negative result doesn’t mean you're not pregnant, it’s not over until your period (Aunt Flow) arrives.

How to take and understand a pregnancy test

Step 1: Collect a small amount of midstream urine in a clean container.
Step 2: Dip the test strip into the urine for 5 seconds.
Step 3: Lay the strip flat and wait 3–5 minutes.

You’ll see two lines on the strip:

Control Line (C): Confirms the test worked.

Test Line (T): Indicates pregnancy.

Important: Even a faint test line means you are pregnant!

That’s because HCG is only present in the body during pregnancy, unlike LH, which fluctuates naturally.

Tracking Progress: Watching the Line

If your test is positive, you may be tempted to test again (and again). While it’s understandable, testing multiple times a day is unnecessary. HCG levels typically only increase every 36–48 hours.