Preparing for pregnancy

Things to know before getting pregnant

Healthy habits now can help you have a healthy pregnancy later. Here are some pre-pregnancy tips to get your body in shape for the journey of a lifetime:

• Eat well.
• Exercise.
• Don’t smoke — and if you do smoke, quit.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs.
• Limit coffee and other caffeinated drinks to 1 to 2 cups a day.
• Get your flu shot and make sure your immunizations are up to date.
• Take a multivitamin with 0.4 milligrams of folic acid.
• Get tested for sexually transmitted infections.
• If you have a condition like asthma or diabetes, work with us to keep it under control.

Things to do before getting pregnant

They say timing is everything. When it comes to getting pregnant, they’re right. Some people plan ahead, some let nature take its course, and others need a little help to conceive. Getting pregnant takes time and depends on many factors. Try to be patient with yourself and the process. You’re most likely to get pregnant by having intercourse every other day in the 5 days leading up to ovulation day.  If you’re ready to get pregnant now, here are some ways to predict when your chances of getting pregnant are highest.

1. Use our fertility calculator. It can help you figure out when you’re most likely to get pregnant.
2. Monitor your hormones. You can use a home ovulation kit (available at most drugstores) to test your urine.
3. Take your temperature. Your temperature drops 1 or 2 days before you ovulate, then rises 1 or 2 days afterward. Using a basal thermometer, take your temperature every morning and record it on a tracking chart. Do this for a few months and you’ll be able to spot the day you’ll ovulate.

Am I pregnant?

Some people know right away. Others are very surprised! If you missed your period, the easiest way to find out if you’re expecting is by taking a home pregnancy test. 

You can buy a pregnancy test at your local drugstore without a prescription. They’re easy to use and very accurate when you follow the instructions. If your test is positive, call us to schedule a prenatal appointment right away. If it’s negative and your period doesn’t start soon, take another test in 1 week. 

If you prefer, we can also do a pregnancy test for you at one of our medical offices. Just contact your personal clinician or ob-gyn.

If you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a while and nothing’s happening, talk to us about it. Your care team can help you figure out why, and work with you to increase your chances for success.