Planning a Pregnancy? Do These Things First.

The Part of Pregnancy Planning Nobody Talks About

Most pregnancy advice starts the moment you get a positive test. But the truth is, the weeks and months before you conceive may be just as important for your baby’s health as anything you do after.

The first 8 weeks of pregnancy — when most major organs are forming — often pass before a woman even knows she’s pregnant. By the time you’re taking that test, your baby’s neural tube has already closed. That’s why what you do before conception genuinely matters.

Here’s what I tell every patient who comes in asking how to prepare.

Start Folic Acid Now — Not After a Positive Test

This is the most important single piece of advice I give. Folic acid (400–800 mcg daily) dramatically reduces the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida. But it needs to be on board for at least 1–3 months before conception to be effective.

If you’re thinking about pregnancy in the next 6 months, start now. It’s available at any chemist, it’s inexpensive, and the evidence for it is overwhelming.

Get a Preconception Blood Panel Done

Before trying, it’s worth checking:

Thyroid (TSH): Hypothyroidism is extremely common in Indian women and increases miscarriage risk significantly if untreated. Easy to fix once found.
Blood sugar: Uncontrolled diabetes — even undiagnosed — increases the risk of birth defects and miscarriage in early pregnancy.
Haemoglobin: Anaemia is very common in Indian women and affects both fertility and early pregnancy.
Rubella immunity: If you’re not immune, vaccination now (not during pregnancy) protects your baby.
Vitamin D: Severe Vitamin D deficiency is linked to PCOS and ovulation problems. Supplementation is easy.

Address Existing Conditions Before Trying

If you have PCOS, thyroid disease, diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, or depression — don’t just start trying and hope for the best. Some medications are unsafe in pregnancy and need to be swapped in advance. Some conditions need to be better controlled before conception for the best outcome.

Come in for a preconceptional counselling appointment and we’ll go through this together.

For Your Partner: Sperm Health Takes 3 Months to Improve

Sperm take about 72 days to mature. That means lifestyle changes your husband makes today will affect sperm quality in about 3 months. Worth knowing if you’re planning ahead:

Stop smoking — it damages sperm DNA
Reduce alcohol
Avoid prolonged heat exposure (hot baths, tight underwear, laptop on lap)
Get to a healthy weight if overweight

Lifestyle Basics (I’ll Keep This Brief)

Stop smoking. Reduce alcohol to minimal or zero. Move your body regularly — you don’t need a gym, brisk walking works. Get to a healthy weight if possible, because both underweight and overweight affect ovulation and pregnancy outcomes.