If you are considering pregnancy, visit your doctor for a pre-conception consultation. They will provide you with expert advice on planning pregnancy.

The pre-conception period (3-6 months before conception) is the time to make life changes that can help increase fertility, reduce problems during pregnancy, and aid in recovery from childbirth.

Folic acid

If you and your partner are planning to become pregnant, you should start taking folic and iodine supplements before conception. Folic acid helps provide the best health outcomes for your child as he or she grows. Taking folic acid daily before and during pregnancy also prevents neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, in your baby. Iodine is important for a baby’s brain development.

You can buy a dietary supplement at most drugstores. Make sure it contains at least 500 mcg of folic acid and 150 mcg of iodine.

Watch what you eat

If you and your partner are preparing for pregnancy, you should look at your diet and know where you can make healthy food choices. Eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables will help you increase your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy.

alcohol

There is no safe amount of alcohol to drink during pregnancy; Therefore, for women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, not drinking is the safest option. Alcohol can affect the health and development of a fetus for life.

smoking

Quitting smoking before pregnancy is the most effective way to protect your baby and yourself from dangerous complications during pregnancy. By quitting smoking, you are more likely to get pregnant naturally and without delay, less likely to have a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, and less likely to give birth prematurely.

Pre-pregnancy check up

It is a good idea to have a conversation with your doctor if you are planning to become pregnant. There may be some investigations to consider as well as a discussion of your general and family health history. This could also include consideration of vaccinations, pre-pregnancy medical exams such as a Pap smear, STI examination and dental check-up, and a discussion of lifestyle changes. There is also an option to consider carrier screening for certain genetic conditions that you may be at risk of passing on to your child that you weren’t aware of. Discuss this with your doctor.

Best time to get pregnant

Menstrual cycle for women

Ovulation occurs each month when an egg is released from one of the ovaries.

Occasionally, more than one egg is released, usually within 24 hours of the first egg. At the same time, the lining of the uterus begins to thicken and the mucus in the cervix becomes thinner so that sperm can swim through it more easily.

The egg begins to slowly move down the fallopian tube. If a man and a woman have had sex recently, the egg here may be fertilized by the man’s sperm.

The lining of the uterus is now thick enough for an egg to implant in it after fertilization.

If the egg is not fertilized, it exits the body during a woman’s menstrual cycle, with the uterine lining shedding as well. The egg is too small to be seen.

falling pregnant

You’re more likely to get pregnant if you have sex within a day or so of ovulation (releasing an egg from an ovary). Ovulation occurs 14 days before the first day of your next period (not after). The average cycle takes 28 days, but shorter or longer cycles are normal. So a woman with a menstrual cycle of 28 days will start ovulating on day 14 but a woman with a menstrual cycle of 30 days will start ovulating on day 16.

The egg lives for 12 to 24 hours after it is released. For pregnancy to occur, the egg must be fertilized by a sperm during this time. If you want to get pregnant, having sex every other day means there are always sperm waiting in the fallopian tubes to meet the egg when it is released.

Sperm can live about 5 days inside a woman’s body. So, if you have sex in the days before ovulation, the sperm will have time to travel through the fallopian tubes to “wait” for the egg to be released. It’s hard to know exactly when ovulation will occur, unless you’re practicing natural family planning or fertility awareness.