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Planning for Pregnancy

Home Health and Wellness PregnancyPlanning for Pregnancy

A baby begins to develop before a woman knows she is pregnant. This means the best time to prepare for your baby's health is before you get pregnant. There are many things women and men can do to get ready for a pregnancy.

The best time to start planning is three months before you and your partner start trying to get pregnant. This is a great time to think about making a reproductive life plan with your partner.

What should you consider before getting pregnant?

Are we ready for a baby?
Why do we want a baby?
How will a baby affect our current lifestyle?
Will having a child affect our work or career goals?
Can we afford a family?

Talk to your health care provider about:

Checking your immunization status.
Being tested for diseases and infections that can affect getting pregnant or can hurt your baby.
Medications you (or your partner) are taking.
Any medical concerns.

Other things you should do if you are trying to get pregnant

Eat healthy
There are many benefits for you and your partner to eat healthy. It may help you become pregnant sooner. Other benefits include feeling good and having a healthy weight.

Take a daily prenatal vitamin that includes folic acid.
A woman's need for folic acid increases during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Folic acid helps protect your baby from birth defects of the spinal cord and brain.

Be physically active
Physical activity is good for both you and your partner. Being physically active before you get pregnant will make it easier to stay active during pregnancy. It can also help you be active after your baby is born. There are many ways to add physical activity into your daily routine.

Avoid alcohol, drugs and tobacco
All of these substances put you, your partner and your growing baby at risk.

Limit being around environmental hazards.
Hazardous substances may affect if you can get pregnant or not. It can also affect the health of your baby.

Take care of yourself
Stress can affect your chances of becoming pregnant. High levels of stress can change a woman's menstrual cycle and the timing of the release of her egg. High levels of stress may reduce the amount of sperm a man can produce.

Prepare for Parenthood
This is the perfect time to starting learning about your pregnancy. You should also learn about how to care for and feed your baby.

Not ready to get pregnant yet?

Learn more about your sexual health