Do you have a baby on the brain? Deciding to get pregnant may be one of your biggest and most exciting decisions yet! Now that you're ready to have a baby, it's time to put aside your birth control and start preparing your body and mind for what comes next. After all, the state of your health as you try to conceive will affect your fertility, your pregnancy, and even your child's long-term health. 

These eight steps can help guide you to a baby-ready body and mind.

1. Focus on a healthy starting weight

Some doctors harp on how much weight you gain during your pregnancy—sometimes to an unnecessary point.

What’s important to focus on now is having a healthy body weight when you start your pregnancy journey. This is linked to your ability to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy. 

What is your healthy weight? Technically, it's determined by your BMI—which is the ratio of your height to your weight. But much research has found flaws with the BMI system. It doesn’t distinguish between excess fat, muscle, or bone mass. Plus, the data it’s based on doesn’t account for racial, age, and gender differences. Nor does BMI factor in other measures of health, such as cardiovascular and metabolic health. 

Unfortunately, BMI is still the measure most doctors use to determine obesity. In June 2023, the American Medical Association acknowledged how widely it is used in clinical settings, but also the limitations of BMI. They recommended that healthcare teams use it in conjunction with other measurements. 

All that said, here’s how weight may affect pregnancy:

• If you are overweight: It can inhibit ovulation and make it more difficult to conceive. Additionally, an elevated BMI during pregnancy is associated with heightened risks, such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, cardiovascular issues, sleep apnea, and increased likelihood of miscarriage. 
• If you are underweight: It can also affect your fertility. Being underweight impacts your estrogen levels and may cause you to stop ovulating and getting your period. Women who are underweight during pregnancy are at increased risk of delivering their child pre-term and with low birth weight. 

Your physician can help guide you on your current BMI. They’ll also share the amount of weight they recommend you gain throughout your pregnancy for the optimum health of you and your baby.

2. Optimize your nutrition 

You may be eating for two, but what you’re eating matters. We know you’re going to want the occasional milkshake, and we’re totally on board. Overall, it’s good to keep your plate well-balanced—and there’s a specific way to eat that can help when trying to get pregnant: the Mediterranean diet.

Studies show that following the Mediterranean diet will support your fertility and fuel your physical and mental health. First, know that the Mediterranean diet, despite its name, is more a style of eating than a diet plan. It focuses on whole foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains, as well as lean proteins including legumes, seafood, poultry, low-fat dairy, and healthy fats. It emphasizes eating less red meat and avoiding refined foods.  

3. Start taking prenatal vitamins right now

Though they’re called prenatal vitamins—focus on the “pre”—many women only start them once they’re already pregnant. But most physicians recommend taking prenatal vitamins when trying to conceive, since they provide vital nutrients even in the earliest stages of pregnancy. 

Prenatal vitamins typically contain folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, and B vitamins. We want to emphasize folic acid and iron here. You need more of these two nutrients than usual when carrying a child. Why?

• Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects. These are serious abnormalities of the fetal brain and spinal cord.
• Iron helps your body make blood, which gets oxygen to the fetus and helps prevent anemia. 

It’s also key to keep taking these vitamins throughout your pregnancy and following childbirth. They’re good for baby and mom!

4. Avoid these vices

You won't be surprised that smoking and drinking alcohol are on the “stay away” list when pregnant. And you’ve likely heard about limiting caffeine. These are also important when you’re trying to conceive. 

We aren’t here to be judgmental. Just to share the facts about how these lifestyle choices affect pregnancy. When you say no to them, you are supporting your fertility, as well as reducing health risks for you and your baby. Let’s get into some specifics.

• Smoking: Nicotine is associated with lower fertility. It can lead to premature birth, and it increases the risk of slow growth and low birth weight of your baby. Smoking has also been linked to birth defects and sudden infant death syndrome. 
• Alcohol: Alcohol consumption can up your risk of ovulation disorders, which could impact your ability to conceive. Drinking also raises the chances of premature delivery and birth defects. 
• Caffeine: This one is less a “just say no” and more an “everything in moderation.” The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women limit their caffeine consumption to less than 200 mg (about two six-ounce cups) per day to reduce risks, such as slow growth or miscarriage. Remember that caffeine can be found not just in coffee, but also in tea, cocoa, chocolate bars, energy drinks, and some over-the-counter pain relievers. 
• Recreational Drugs: These are all in the “Hard Pass” category; including marijuana, cocaine, heroin, PCP and LSD, and methamphetamines. Using any of these substances can have very serious implications on you and your baby, low birth weight, preterm labor, placental abruption, miscarriage, seizures, respiratory problems, feeding difficulties, and potential death of the baby and mother. 

5. Healthy clean living is key

We get it. Being consumed with having a baby can mean your stress levels are rising along with your excitement. Sometimes this stress leads to stress eating, we get it, sometimes we need some Doritos and gummy bears to take the edge off. But too much stress, junk food, and not taking care of yourself can affect your ability to conceive. Of course, everyone’s life is different,but these four proven tips are a place to start. 

• Eat Whole Foods. And no, we don’t mean the grocery store. Limiting processed foods, things like fast foods, junk foods, processed meats, soft drinks, confectionaries, pizzas, hamburgers, candies and sweets, sweetened beverages, and cookies. Overall, foods loaded with preservatives and hidden sugars will go a long way to helping you feel better overall. A systematic review of multiple studies found a strong indication of increased risk of developing gestational diabetes and preeclampsia associated with a diet that is high in ultra-processed foods.
• Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness essentially means allowing yourself to be in the moment with any and all the emotions, and to not judge yourself. To be kind to yourself.  Yes, deep breathing can also help, particularly when make your exhales longer than your inhales. This activates the part of your nervous system that tells you to calm down.
• Keep moving. Movement is essential for managing stress. It promotes restful sleep, as well as helps to maintain energy. Whether it’s a 10-minute walk around the block or a prenatal yoga session, staying active before and during your pregnancy will pay dividends long after delivery.
• Get those Zzzzs. Easier said than done, but the first step is knowing how crucial it is to prioritize sleep. Getting seven to nine hours per night helps reduce stress and lets your body recharge. Plus, studies have shown that quality sleep has a positive impact on fertility. 

6. Boost your odds of conceiving

Who doesn’t like better odds—in poker and in pregnancy? You can increase your chances of becoming pregnant if you know when you are ovulating. Here, a few ways to do that.

• Track your menstrual cycle. You are most fertile around the time an egg is released, and this is when you should plan to have sex. Ovulation typically happens about 14 days before your period starts.  
• Pay attention to your cervical mucus. Vaginal discharge that is stretchy, translucent, and resembles egg whites can indicate you’re in the fertile zone.   
• Consider an ovulation predictor kit. Available over the counter, these ovulation test kits can help you identify when you are most fertile. They track your body's production of luteinizing hormone, a hormone that stimulates the ovaries. This hormone typically surges 24 to 48 hours before you ovulate. The tests have a 99% efficacy rate in helping to determine your fertility window.

7. Know when and how often to have sex

No, you don't have to have sex every day of the month. Your fertility window is about six days each cycle. Once you know when you’re ovulating, you can adjust sexy time accordingly.

A little get-pregnant math: Sperm can live in a woman's body for about five days + an egg can survive for up to 24 hours after ovulation = you can have sex as early as five days before ovulation and up to one day after and still conceive. 

To increase your odds of pregnancy, try to have sex every day or every other day during that six-day fertility window. 

8. Talk to your doctor

Having a baby is a significant life event. Having your physician guide you through all the steps can help ease stress and worry. And that includes before you get pregnant.

Plan a preconception visit with your ob/gyn to learn more about your pregnancy journey. Bring this list of questions to help guide your conversation:

• How soon should I stop birth control? 
• Is it safe to continue taking my current prescription medications?
• How long might it take me to get pregnant?
• Am I at a healthy weight to conceive?
• Considering my age and health history, what risks should I be aware of?
• What gaps in my nutrition and fitness do I need to look out for?
• What lifestyle changes do you recommend to support my fertility and a healthy pregnancy?