6 things to do BEFORE trying to get pregnant

Getting yourself healthy, staying relaxed, and knowing when you are at your most fertile can really help boost your chances!

When you and your partner make the exciting decision to try for a baby, there are a few things you should definitely think about doing to not only increase your chances of conception, but to also get your pregnancy journey off to the healthiest of start.

And while you don't want to end up feeling like you are on some mega-strict routine that curtails all your fun and means you can only nibble on lettuce leaves and never sip a glass of wine again, it IS a good idea to make some little tweaks to your lifestyle to max out your chances of getting the result you want (a big fat positive!) – not to mention leaving you feeling in peak condition and full of energy for all the – ahem –extra bedroom aerobics you'll be doing!

1. Chat to your GP about reviewing any meds you are on...

… As well as any personal and family medical history for both partners prior to TTC. We recommend checking in with your GP before you start your TTC journey, especially if you are on regular medication. The NHS say you should talk to your GP before you start trying for a baby, or as soon as you find out you are pregnant.

They add that this goes for all meds, be they prescribed by your doctor, or ones you have bought yourself, (for example if you have been taking supplements or herbal treatments).

This is because some medications are not safe to take during pregnancy, so it's an important one to sort out before you start getting jiggy!

2. Take folic acid

If you've been flicking through pregnancy books you've probs seen a ton of mentions of folic acid, and how you should be taking it before you become pregnant. But what exactly is it? And why is it so important?

Well, we've got literally everything you need to know about folic acid in this mega informative explainer here, but in a nutshell, folic acid is the synthetic version of the vitamin folate, also known as vitamin B9, and it's really important for your baby's neural tube development (which later becomes their brain and spine) in your first trimester.

The NHS recommend you start taking it ideally 3 months before you conceive, or as soon as you start trying, and continue with it for the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy.

3. Use an ovulation predictor kit

Ovulation predictor kits are a brilliant way to really identify the times of the month you are most fertile to help to increase your chances of getting pregnant.

It can be a bit weird when you've spent years trying not to conceive to get your head around the fact there are only a few days a month that you actually can, so using a product like the Clearblue® Advanced Digital Ovulation Test can be really useful in helping to boost your chances of getting pregnant. It does this by tracking 2 key fertility hormones, estrogen and luteinising hormone (LH), to typically identify 4 or more fertile days* in your cycle.

*In a study of 87 women, 4 or more fertile days were identified in 80% of cycles using actual cycle length.

4. Stop smoking

There are of course many reasons why it's a good idea to stop smoking, but when you are trying for a baby, it can, according to baby charity, Tommy's, help increase your chances of conceiving – they reckon that women who smoke are 'twice as likely to be infertile as non-smokers' and that 'this is true if you are trying to become pregnant for the first time and if you have been pregnant before'.

They go on to suggest that quitting can improve your chances of conception, and that 'women who stop smoking don’t take any longer to get pregnant than people who have never smoked.'

The NHS website also has lots of info about smoking and pregnancy, and how you can get help to stop, as well as advice on nicotine replacement therapy.

5. Eat healthily

The British Nutrition Foundation advises aiming for a healthy weight when trying for a baby, and says that being underweight or overweight could affect your chances of becoming pregnant.

They suggest eating a 'healthy, varied diet including plenty of fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals, and some low-fat dairy products, legumes, lean meat and fish', while cutting back on foods high in fat and/or sugar.

And going forward, we have lots of info on what to eat once you are pregnant in this helpful article – including the lowdown on why you might suddenly go off the taste or smell of some of your usual faves!

6. Have FUN!

When you are really keen to start a family, and doing all you can to make it happen, it can sometimes feel like a bit of the spontaneity and fun has gone out of your love life.

And while it's a fab idea to maximise your most fertile days of the month (and that’s where those ovulation predictor kits come in again!) it’s also really important to go with the flow too, and make sure you are enjoying yourself.

The NHS actually say that in severe cases, stress may affect ovulation and sperm production, so having more of a 'Netflix and chill' approach to your baby making adventure, rather than approaching it like a military exercise, could really pay dividends!

Related stories

Get baby name inspo with our brilliant A to Z guide

CHAT: get support and advice from other mums-to-be on our friendly forums

The early signs that could mean you are pregnant