12 things to do when trying for a baby

These are the things you can do before pregnancy to make a difference to the health of your pregnancy and baby.

This information is for the woman or birthing person. We have information on trying for a baby for partners here.

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Having a healthy pregnancy

1. Get help to stop smoking

2. Start taking folic acid now 

3. Eat well

4. Cut down on caffeine

5. Try to maintain a healthy weight

6. Stay active

7. Stop drinking alcohol

8. Don’t take recreational drugs

9. Have a cervical screening test

10. Check you’ve had your MMR vaccinations

11. Have a sexual health check-up

12. Talk to your doctor about any pre-existing conditions, medications, or previous pregnancy complications

Having a healthy pregnancy

Your health before pregnancy will affect the lifelong health of your baby. By following the advice below you can:

• improve your fertility
• protect your baby’s future health
• reduce your risk of problems in pregnancy.

Once you start trying for a baby (have stopped contraception) you won't know you're pregnant for the first few weeks.

So, if you're trying for a baby, making healthy lifestyle changes sooner rather than later will give you peace of mind when you do get pregnant.

These are the things you can do before conceiving, to make your pregnancy and baby healthier:

• If you smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs, stop. There’s help available if you need it.
• Start taking folic acid  – for up to 3 months before getting pregnant as it needs time to build up in your body.
• Have a healthy, balanced diet. This improves fertility as well as affecting your baby’s future health.
• Cut down on caffeine if you consume a lot.
• Try to get closer to a healthy weight if you are overweight or underweight.
• Get active if you’re not already. Exercise has been shown to improve fertility and will make your pregnancy and baby healthier.
• Have a cervical screening test if you’re due one soon.
• Check that you have had at least 2 doses of the MMR vaccine.
• Check that any medication you take is safe for pregnancy. But don’t stop taking any medication without talking to your doctor first, as this could be dangerous for you.
• Get tested for STIs if you think there’s a possibility you may have one.
• Talk to your doctor about any pre-existing conditions or if you had any previous pregnancy complications.

1. Get help to stop smoking

Smoking reduces fertility in both men and women. Even being around other people who smoke can make it harder to get pregnant.

Smoking during pregnancy can also cause serious harm to your baby. It increases the risk of many health problems, including miscarriage, stillbirth, development problems and premature labour.

Quitting smoking may be hard, but it’s one of the best things you can do for your health and the health of your baby.  

Get support to stop smoking.  

2. Start taking folic acid now

Folic acid helps to protect your baby from serious spine problems known as neural tube defects. It can take time to build up in your body, so it’s ideal to start taking supplements containing folic acid 3 months before you get pregnant.

If you have already stopped contraception, don’t worry. Just start taking a 400mcg folic acid supplement daily until you are 12 weeks pregnant.

You may need to be prescribed 5mg a day of folic acid, for example if you’re overweight, have certain health conditions, or you or your partner has a family history of neural tube defects.

It’s also recommended that you take 10mcg of vitamin D a day during pregnancy, especially in winter. So you may like to start taking that now, too.

Find out more about folic acid and vitamin D.

3. Eat well

You can improve your fertility by eating a healthy, balanced diet. Aim for a low-fat diet including plenty of wholegrain and fibre-rich foods and 5 portions of fruit & veg a day.

Your diet before and during pregnancy will also affect your baby’s development in the womb and their health in the future. A healthy diet for pregnancy is the same as a healthy diet for life.

A dietitian can help if you have specific nutritional requirements, such allergies or a condition such as diabetes.  

Find out more about your diet, fertility and pregnancy.

4. Cut down on caffeine

Research shows that either parent having too much caffeine while trying to conceive can increase the risk of miscarriage. Too much caffeine in pregnancy has also been shown to be harmful to the developing baby.

If you’re planning to conceive, you and your partner should consider limiting your caffeine intake to no more than 200mg a day.

Use our caffeine calculator to check your caffeine intake.  

5. Try to maintain a healthy weight

Your BMI (Body Mass Index) is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. 

The healthy range for BMI can be different for different ethnicities. Get your BMI and read more about that here.

Being overweight

Having a high BMI can reduce your fertility for either parent. Being overweight also increases the risk of complications in pregnancy.

If you have a very high BMI (over 30) you may feel like it’s an impossible task to reach the healthy range. This may especially be the case if you’ve been struggling with your weight your whole life.

If you’re worried, bear in mind that bringing your BMI just a few points down the scale can make a big difference. Your GP can provide plenty of professional help and advice if you need it.

Find out more about being overweight and planning a pregnancy.

Being underweight

If your BMI is in the underweight range, it could affect your fertility and cause health problems during pregnancy. It may help to gain weight gradually with a healthy diet before you conceive.

There are many reasons why a person may be underweight. Your GP can give you help and advice.

Find out more about being underweight and planning a pregnancy.

6. Stay active

Being active by doing regular, moderate exercise before you conceive will help your fertility, especially if you’re overweight. Continuing during pregnancy will also benefit you and your baby in the long term. 

Getting enough exercise is also great for your mental health and general wellbeing.

The Department of Health recommends:

• at least 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activity (such as brisk walking or cycling) each week, and
• strength exercises (such as carrying heavy shopping or resistance exercises) on 2 or more days a week 

Find out more about physical activity and planning a pregnancy.

7. Stop drinking alcohol

For either parent-to-be, drinking alcohol can affect fertility and make it harder to conceive.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of complications, including miscarriage, stillbirth and development problems.  

Because you will not know when you are pregnant, the safest thing is to not drink any alcohol at all if you’re actively trying for a baby.

It can be very difficult for some people to stop drinking alcohol. Your GP can provide advice and support to help.

Find out more about alcohol and planning a pregnancy.

8. Don’t take recreational drugs

Non-prescription, recreational drugs, such as cannabis or cocaine and can contribute to fertility problems for people of any gender. Illegal drugs can also cause serious complications in pregnancy.

It can be very difficult for some people to stop taking drugs. Your GP can provide non-judgmental advice and support.

Find out more about illegal drugs and getting pregnant.

9. Have a cervical screening test

If you are aged between 25 and 49 you should have a cervical screening test (smear test) every 3 years. If you’re due to be tested soon, it’s best to do it before you get pregnant. This is because pregnancy can make the results of your test harder to interpret.

If you’re planning a pregnancy, contact your GP surgery to find out if your screening is due now or within the next year.  

Find out more about cervical screening tests.

10. Check you’ve had your MMR vaccinations

MMR stands for Measles, Mumps and Rubella. Rubella is rare in the UK, but can be very dangerous to a baby’s development, especially during the early stages of pregnancy.

The MMR vaccination will protect you and your baby. If you aren’t sure if you’ve had 2 doses of the MMR vaccine, contact your GP. They can check if there’s a record of you being vaccinated.

If there’s no record of you having both doses of the MMR vaccine, the safest thing is for you to have them again.

Find out more about MMR vaccinations and trying for a baby.

11. Have a sexual health check-up

Sexually transmitted infections can affect your fertility, as well as any future pregnancy and baby.

If there is any reason to think you or your reproductive partner may have a STI, it’s important that you both get tested. The best places to go are a GUM clinic, sexual health clinic, your own GP or a young people’s clinic.

Find out more about STIs and getting pregnant.

12. Talk to your doctor about any pre-existing conditions, medications, or previous pregnancy complications

Talk to your GP or specialist healthcare professional if you are planning to conceive and have any long-term medical conditions, such as epilepsy, diabetes, asthma or mental health conditions, or take any prescription medication.

Some conditions and the medications used to treat them may affect your ability to get pregnant. There may also be some risks associated with your condition or the medication used to treat them and pregnancy.

It is important not to stop taking medication before talking to a doctor or specialist about your plans to conceive. They will discuss the safest options for pregnancy with you.

Find out more about long term conditions and pregnancy.

More on trying for a baby 

Find out how your age affects your fertility.

Learn what to do if you’re finding it difficult to get pregnant.