Eager to get pregnant, but not sure where to begin (besides the obvious)? The latest research shows that the best place to begin pregnancy is actually before the beginning — for some couples, well before. A little preconception planning and preparation can not only help you have a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby, but it can also help get that baby on board faster by improving your fertility. That's why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the March of Dimes, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and others are now routinely recommending that all couples consider adding at least three months (and in some cases, up to a year) to the nine months of pregnancy. Not three extra months being pregnant (that would be asking way too much — even for the most dedicated mom-to-be), but three extra months in which you prepare to become pregnant: getting your body, your partner's body, your lifestyle, your weight, your diet, your exercise routine, your medication regimen, and more into tip-top baby-making shape before sperm meets egg. So before you take the plunge without that protection parachute, follow this plan, keeping in mind that every couple's preconception to-do list will be a little different: Show Getting Ready to Conceive
And since it takes two healthy bodies to make a healthy baby, make sure that your partner also gets with the preconception program. He too should get a checkup, get chronic health conditions under control, change up any fertility-unfriendly meds, improve his eating habits (and take a vitamin-mineral supplement), cut out smoking and cut back on alcohol (caffeine's no problem for him), get his weight where it needs to be, start exercising (or slack off a little if he's hitting the gym a little too hard — or working out in a fertility-unfriendly way, like mountain biking), and reduce stress. Do prenatal vitamins make you more fertile?Prenate pills do not increase fertility, but they can help you experience a healthy pregnancy and prevent complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advice women on when to start taking prenatals. Women who are planning to get pregnant should take their vitamin three months before conception.
Can you take Prenatals while trying to get pregnant?When you decide to try to conceive, it's a good idea to begin taking a daily prenatal vitamin right away. Ideally you should start prenatal vitamins at least one month before pregnancy—and CERTAINLY during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy when baby's development is at its most critical point.
How long should you take Prenatals before getting pregnant?Most doctors recommend starting a prenatal at least 3 months before getting pregnant. This is a minimum. It takes 3 months for your egg to mature, so making sure you have all the nutrients you need to boost fertility and provide for a healthy, new baby is one of the best things you can do (6).
How do prenatal pills help you conceive?Prenatal vitamins contain DHA, which is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that can help your baby's health once you get pregnant. Omega-3 fatty acids also help improve cervical mucus quality (which is necessary for sperm to reach the egg), help promote an ideal balance of reproductive hormones, and help improve egg quality.
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