Ready to start trying to get pregnant? Preparing the body is the first step in the process. Making every woman’s health a priority should always be the rule, whether she’s trying to conceive or not. However, when a woman is planning and preparing for pregnancy, it is important to be in the best possible health to improve her chances of conceiving and reduce the risks to the pregnancy itself. When planning a pregnancy, preparation should begin at least three months before active attempts. This is because it takes about 90 days for eggs to mature and ovulate. Here are a few things every woman can do to prepare her body for conception: 1. Track your menstrual cycle It is very important for every woman to start tracking her menstrual cycle and any symptoms she experiences over a period of several months to to be able to identify her fertile window and know when the chance of conceiving is greatest. When using certain forms of hormonal contraception, it may take some time for cycles to return to normal and ovulation to resume. 2. Check Your Hormones Hormones regulate the menstrual cycle, fertility and also play a large role in important body functions such as metabolism, sleep, development and overall mood. When preparing for pregnancy, it is crucial that hormones work in harmony to give the best possible chance of conception. Hormonal imbalances such as those affecting thyroid hormones or testosterone levels can negatively affect the menstrual cycle. This can lead to disruption of the ovulation process, which is the key event for getting pregnant. 3. Regular physical activity Being physically active while preparing for and during pregnancy itself can reap benefits for pregnancy and may even make labor easier. But it should not be overdone. Excessive exercise can disrupt the menstrual cycle or stop it completely (this is called hypothalamic amenorrhea) and can inevitably make trying to conceive more difficult. Moderate exercise can help reduce the risk of certain health conditions that can cause pregnancy-related problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. 4. Start taking prenatal vitamins If you are planning a pregnancy, you should consider taking folic acid at least three months before you start trying. Folic acid, or folate, the natural form of folic acid found in food, is one of the B vitamins – vitamin B9. Folic acid reduces the risk of a fetus being born with a neural tube defect, a condition in which a baby’s brain and spinal cord do not form normally, which is seen in cases of spina bifida. It is an essential daily prenatal vitamin supplement,which every pregnant woman should take. The recommended dose is 400 micrograms every day before you become pregnant and every day after, until the 12th week of pregnancy. References: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/trying-for-a-baby/planning-your-pregnancy/ https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/good-health-before- pregnancy-prepregnancy-care https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/getting-ready-for-pregnancy-preconception-health.aspx