Getting your body ready
The three months before matter most
Why start early?
A lot happens before you even know you are pregnant. A baby\u2019s major organs form in the first 8 weeks \u2014 around the time you first notice a late period.
So the right moment is not \u201conce I\u2019m pregnant\u201d. It is now.
Folic acid, one a day from today
This is the single most reliable thing you can do. From at least 1 month before pregnancy through week 12, take at least 400 micrograms (\u00b5g) a day.
If you have had a child with a neural tube defect, 10 times that amount \u2014 4 milligrams (mg) a day \u2014 is advised from 3 months before, as a separate supplement. Talk to your doctor about this.
A healthy weight is enough
Being underweight or overweight can both make pregnancy harder. Rather than chasing a number, ask your doctor whether your weight is something to work on.
Aim for about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus strength work on 2 or more days. Thirty minutes, five days a week, works fine.
What to stop
Tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and any medicine taken without a prescription are best stopped before pregnancy.
This is not only your job. Your partner is advised to stop too.
Never stop your medicine on your own
If you take medicine for a long-term condition, do not stop on your own \u2014 talk to your doctor first. Stopping can be the more dangerous choice.
Mention any supplements and herbal remedies as well.
Book a prepregnancy checkup
There is a visit made for exactly this. Its purpose is to find, in advance, anything that could affect a pregnancy.
What is usually reviewed
How LunaCat can help
Set Current situation to \u201cTrying to conceive\u201d and the app shifts to your fertile window and ovulation day.
Settings \u203a Current situation
This article is for reference. Decisions about your body belong with your doctor.
Your vaccinations
Long-term conditions and current medicines
Testing for sexually transmitted infections
What happened in any past pregnancy
Sources
- Good Health Before Pregnancy: Prepregnancy Care — ACOG, 2025
- Optimizing natural fertility: a committee opinion — ASRM, 2022