How thick are the cuttings' stems? Large enough to sustain it's life till rooted? Did you dip the cutting in any rooting hormone?
Can take a couple of weeks for roots to form, and new growth to start appearing.
IMHO, Best move: Just keep 'em moist, (no nutes) and be patient. A week or two of crowding should not harm the females. At most...they may 'feel' a little stress.
Any pix?