How to prepare for pregnancy

You’ve thought about names and how you’ll decorate the baby’s room, but have you thought about how to prepare your body for pregnancy? Although you can’t control some fertility factors, such as age and genetics, there’s a lot you can do to make sure your body is ready for a healthy pregnancy.  

Begin by leading a healthy lifestyle at least six months before trying to get pregnant, says M. Max Ezzati, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist with Sutter Health.

“Egg development usually starts three to five months before an egg is released, so your lifestyle during that time can impact egg health and fertilization once you’re ready to conceive,” he says. “The longer you’ve been living healthily, the better.”

Consider these eight important areas to make improvements.

1. Step up exercise

“Aerobic exercise increases your body’s antioxidant capacity,” Ezzati says. This is important because everyday metabolism generates free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can delay egg production. Antioxidants can combat this effect and improve egg quality. He suggests strength training, too.

2. Talk to your doctor about your weight

When you’re thinking about what to do before trying to get pregnant, it’s important to recognize that carrying excess pounds could make it hard to get pregnant. “Women who are overweight are less likely to ovulate on a regular basis,” Ezzati says. “Obesity can also cause an abnormal hormonal profile, such as increased estrogen and decreased release of hormones from the pituitary gland, which may suppress fertility.”

Weight can impact insulin sensitivity, further disrupting egg development, and “increases the risk of miscarriage and pregnancy-related complications like preeclampsia, high blood pressure, diabetes and cesarean section,” Ezzati adds.

Women who are under a healthy weight face many of the same challenges. “Women who are underweight during pregnancy may suffer from intrauterine growth restrictions and go into labor before their due dates,” he says. “Your body assumes that if there’s not enough energy to sustain you, it’s not a good time to reproduce.”

Because it can take several months to lose or gain weight the healthy way — through proper diet and exercise — Ezzati suggests starting new habits more than six months before you try to get pregnant.

3. Avoid cigarette smoke

Looking for more ways to prepare your body for pregnancy? If you smoke, now’s the perfect time to quit. Among the other known health risks, smoking speeds up reproductive aging, so your fertility window narrows. And if you become pregnant, smoking decreases the oxygen and blood flow to the baby through the placenta, which can lead to low birth weight and even miscarriage or stillbirth. Secondhand smoke can be harmful as well, so do your best to avoid being around others who are smoking.

4. Stay away from alcohol

Skipping alcohol should be on your list of things to do before getting pregnant for a number of reasons. First, alcohol increases free radicals, which may interfere with egg production.  

Once you’re pregnant, it doesn’t take much booze to harm the baby. Fetal alcohol syndrome can happen even if you drink lightly during pregnancy. “Alcohol has a detrimental impact on the development of the embryo and fetus in the early stages,” Ezzati says. “Because one woman may metabolize alcohol more slowly than another, there is no known safe level.”

Those risks make it important to stay away from beer, wine and hard liquor completely once you start trying to get pregnant. That’s because you could be pregnant for weeks or even months without knowing it, he says.

5. Limit caffeine

The jury’s still out over whether caffeine affects your ability to get pregnant, but  some studies link high caffeine doses to greater miscarriage risk. “I don’t recommend complete avoidance, but minimize your intake,” Ezzati says. “It’s fine to drink one 8-ounce cup of coffee a day, but giant lattés from coffee shops often have too much caffeine.” 

6. Reduce stress

Trying to conceive, especially when undergoing fertility treatment, can be emotionally and physically stressful, and it’s completely normal to feel anxious, frustrated or overwhelmed during this time. While everyday stress alone is unlikely to prevent you from getting pregnant, high levels of ongoing stress can affect your overall well-being, sleep and relationships, all of which matter during this journey. Finding healthy ways to manage stress,  such as gentle exercise, mindfulness or relaxation techniques, talking with a counselor or support group, and leaning on loved ones, can help you feel more in control and improve your quality of life throughout the process.

7. Prioritize nutrients

When thinking about how to prepare for pregnancy, your nutrition matters. Eat lots of antioxidant-rich, colorful fruits and vegetables to zap free radicals that can make it harder to get pregnant, Ezzati says. And at least four months before trying to get pregnant, start taking a daily prenatal multivitamin. It should have folic acid, which reduces the risk of birth defects.

8. Make time for sex

To get pregnant, you have to have sex, of course. Yet many couples struggle to make time for it. Prioritize sex and talk to your healthcare provider about the best times of month and how often. “We educate women about the ideal frequency and how to know when they’re ovulating so they can increase their chances of getting pregnant sooner,” Ezzati says. Certain lubricants aren’t sperm friendly, so discuss that with your doctor, too.