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So you think you want a baby

By Sarah Clark

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If you've decided that the time is right for starting a family, or adding to an existing one, you'll want to get your body into top form before you start making any definite baby plans.

Speak to your GP about having a pre-pregnancy check-up, before you start trying. Your doctor can check your blood pressure and carry out any tests you might need. They will also be able to review any regular prescriptions to make sure they are appropriate for pregnancy. It goes without saying, but you also have to stop taking the pill, ideally at least three months before you intend to conceive as it may take a few months after you stop taking it for ovulation to resume and for your periods to become regular.

Top tips for pre-pregnancy

If you're a smoker, give up straight away, and encourage your partner to do the same. Smoking is a huge risk to your health and that of any developing baby. Research shows that both men's and women's levels of fertility tend to drop when you smoke. It's also true that smoking can cause premature birth, and may affect a child's long-term health.

Cut down on alcohol, if not cutting it out completely. There are new warnings every week about how much it's safe to drink in pregnancy, and as scientists don't really know how much is safe, it's best to avoid it altogether. Drinking alcohol is also said to affect men's sperm count.

Get some exercise. Being in good physical shape can reduce stress, which will improve your chance of conception, and may make any resulting pregnancy easier.

Eat as healthily as possible. Your body needs a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals to provide it with the all of the chemicals it needs to produce the lining in the womb. If you have been on the pill for some time you could find that levels of some vitamins need to be topped up, especially vitamin B complexes. You also need to start making sure that your diet contains enough folic acid before you conceive, to help prevent spina bifida and other neural tube defects.

The best dietary sources of the B vitamins, especially B12, are:

• animal products (meat, poultry)
• yeast extracts (brewers' yeast, Marmite)

Other good sources include:

• asparagus, broccoli, spinach, bananas, potatoes
• dried apricots, dates and figs
• milk, eggs, cheese, yoghurt
• nuts and pulses
• fish
• brown rice, wheat germ, wholegrain cereals

Change your man's underwear! Apparently, one common reason for a low sperm count is that their testes get overheated, so buy in some nice loose boxers for your man and ban him from having hot baths and showers.

Take a multivitamin - did we mention folic acid? There are several different tailored multivitamins for conception and pregnancy care, so just make sure that when you choose one, it contains the recommended amount of folic acid. Folic acid is found naturally in black beans, spinach, broccoli, lentils, and orange juice, but because it's so important, it's recommended that women who want to get pregnant take a supplement just to be sure. The Department of Health recommends that all women who could become pregnant or who are planning a pregnancy should take a multivitamin which includes 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.¹

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