Anonymous wrote:No class is necessary. PPs have given you good advice. To add (this info is from The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant):

Nine months - 1 year in advance
- Learn your workplace's maternity leave policy, and plan to get pregnant around it if necessary.
- Find out what coverage your health insurance provides for prenatal, childbirth/postpartum, and well-baby care). Make changes accordingly.
- Discontinue injectable birth control (e.g. Depo-Provera).
- Make lifestyle changes to achieve a healthy BMI (18.5 to 24.9 is normal). If you're overweight, start a diet and begin exercising to reach a healthy weight before conceiving. If you're underweight with short and/or irregular cycles, gain weight to help your cycles normalize (goal BMI 20).

Six months in advance
- Discontinue oral contraceptives (if your natural cycles are irregular, or if you've been on the pill for 2+ years).
- Schedule an appointment for a preconception visit with your provider. Important things to do at this visit: get tested for infections, check your rubella immunity status, ask about how any existing health conditions or medication regimens would impact getting/staying pregnant. Make changes as necessary (get MMR booster, wean medications).
- Start charting to learn about your cycles. You can do this on paper or with an app like Clue or Fertility Friend. Taking Charge of Your Fertility (aka "The Bible" or TCOYF) is worth a read when building fertility awareness. CVS makes a reliable basal body thermometer if you want to start temping.
- If you smoke, start a program to quit.
- If you use recreational drugs, stop using them (e.g. marijuana derivatives stay in the body for several months).

Three months in advance
- Discontinue oral contraceptives, if you haven't already.
- Start charting your cycles, if you haven't already.
- Start eating a healthier diet (you are what you ate 3 months ago, so it's not too early).
- Update your immunizations (especially DTaP, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis).
- Talk your husband into making a semen analysis appointment.
- Remind your husband to protect his testicles from heat (avoid hot gadgets like laptops and tubs over 99 degrees).
- Encourage your husband to start a men's multivitamin to improve his overall health (and sperm quality, by proxy). Zinc and Vitamin C are most important.

Two months in advance
- Start taking prenatal vitamins and supplements.
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol use (applies to your husband, too).
- Start reducing caffeine intake.
- Stop taking prescription drugs that aren't safe if your trying to conceive and substitute safer alternatives, if available.
- If you engage in regular, strenuous exercise (especially running), taper down your miles and hours.

One month in advance
- Buy OPK sticks or a fertility monitor and test sticks.
- Buy several pregnancy tests. (Wirecutter has solid recommendations. Additionally, there are cheap combo OPK/pregnancy tests kits [Wondfo, Pregmate, Easy@Home] on Amazon if you want to test frequently.)
- See your dentist for a cleaning as well as any other necessary dental work, as you will NOT want to do this during the first trimester.

The cycle you start trying
- Eat as much healthy food as possible.
- Eliminate or reduce alcohol and caffeine.
- Consult your calendar to determine your most fertile days. The days of your cycle to focus on are 3 days preceding ovulation, ovulation day, and the day after ovulation. TCOYF can break this down for you, as well as tell you how to recognize these days.
- And yes, obviously have sex. Some recommend having sex every other day after your period ends to cover all the bases.

Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:Just take folic acid. That's it.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone take a class in preparation for pregnancy. I asked my ob/gyn about preparing for pregnancy but she didn't have any advice other than take prenatal vits?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No class is necessary. PPs have given you good advice. To add (this info is from The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant):

Nine months - 1 year in advance
- Learn your workplace's maternity leave policy, and plan to get pregnant around it if necessary.
- Find out what coverage your health insurance provides for prenatal, childbirth/postpartum, and well-baby care). Make changes accordingly.
- Discontinue injectable birth control (e.g. Depo-Provera).
- Make lifestyle changes to achieve a healthy BMI (18.5 to 24.9 is normal). If you're overweight, start a diet and begin exercising to reach a healthy weight before conceiving. If you're underweight with short and/or irregular cycles, gain weight to help your cycles normalize (goal BMI 20).

Six months in advance
- Discontinue oral contraceptives (if your natural cycles are irregular, or if you've been on the pill for 2+ years).
- Schedule an appointment for a preconception visit with your provider. Important things to do at this visit: get tested for infections, check your rubella immunity status, ask about how any existing health conditions or medication regimens would impact getting/staying pregnant. Make changes as necessary (get MMR booster, wean medications).
- Start charting to learn about your cycles. You can do this on paper or with an app like Clue or Fertility Friend. Taking Charge of Your Fertility (aka "The Bible" or TCOYF) is worth a read when building fertility awareness. CVS makes a reliable basal body thermometer if you want to start temping.
- If you smoke, start a program to quit.
- If you use recreational drugs, stop using them (e.g. marijuana derivatives stay in the body for several months).

Three months in advance
- Discontinue oral contraceptives, if you haven't already.
- Start charting your cycles, if you haven't already.
- Start eating a healthier diet (you are what you ate 3 months ago, so it's not too early).
- Update your immunizations (especially DTaP, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis).
- Talk your husband into making a semen analysis appointment.
- Remind your husband to protect his testicles from heat (avoid hot gadgets like laptops and tubs over 99 degrees).
- Encourage your husband to start a men's multivitamin to improve his overall health (and sperm quality, by proxy). Zinc and Vitamin C are most important.

Two months in advance
- Start taking prenatal vitamins and supplements.
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol use (applies to your husband, too).
- Start reducing caffeine intake.
- Stop taking prescription drugs that aren't safe if your trying to conceive and substitute safer alternatives, if available.
- If you engage in regular, strenuous exercise (especially running), taper down your miles and hours.

One month in advance
- Buy OPK sticks or a fertility monitor and test sticks.
- Buy several pregnancy tests. (Wirecutter has solid recommendations. Additionally, there are cheap combo OPK/pregnancy tests kits [Wondfo, Pregmate, Easy@Home] on Amazon if you want to test frequently.)
- See your dentist for a cleaning as well as any other necessary dental work, as you will NOT want to do this during the first trimester.

The cycle you start trying
- Eat as much healthy food as possible.
- Eliminate or reduce alcohol and caffeine.
- Consult your calendar to determine your most fertile days. The days of your cycle to focus on are 3 days preceding ovulation, ovulation day, and the day after ovulation. TCOYF can break this down for you, as well as tell you how to recognize these days.
- And yes, obviously have sex. Some recommend having sex every other day after your period ends to cover all the bases.

Good luck!

Out of curiosity, why is teeth cleaning mentioned? Are teeth more sensitive during pregnancy? -Lady TTC who hasn’t seen her dentist in a while

Anonymous wrote:No class is necessary. PPs have given you good advice. To add (this info is from The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant):

Nine months - 1 year in advance
- Learn your workplace's maternity leave policy, and plan to get pregnant around it if necessary.
- Find out what coverage your health insurance provides for prenatal, childbirth/postpartum, and well-baby care). Make changes accordingly.
- Discontinue injectable birth control (e.g. Depo-Provera).
- Make lifestyle changes to achieve a healthy BMI (18.5 to 24.9 is normal). If you're overweight, start a diet and begin exercising to reach a healthy weight before conceiving. If you're underweight with short and/or irregular cycles, gain weight to help your cycles normalize (goal BMI 20).

Six months in advance
- Discontinue oral contraceptives (if your natural cycles are irregular, or if you've been on the pill for 2+ years).
- Schedule an appointment for a preconception visit with your provider. Important things to do at this visit: get tested for infections, check your rubella immunity status, ask about how any existing health conditions or medication regimens would impact getting/staying pregnant. Make changes as necessary (get MMR booster, wean medications).
- Start charting to learn about your cycles. You can do this on paper or with an app like Clue or Fertility Friend. Taking Charge of Your Fertility (aka "The Bible" or TCOYF) is worth a read when building fertility awareness. CVS makes a reliable basal body thermometer if you want to start temping.
- If you smoke, start a program to quit.
- If you use recreational drugs, stop using them (e.g. marijuana derivatives stay in the body for several months).

Three months in advance
- Discontinue oral contraceptives, if you haven't already.
- Start charting your cycles, if you haven't already.
- Start eating a healthier diet (you are what you ate 3 months ago, so it's not too early).
- Update your immunizations (especially DTaP, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis).
- Talk your husband into making a semen analysis appointment.
- Remind your husband to protect his testicles from heat (avoid hot gadgets like laptops and tubs over 99 degrees).
- Encourage your husband to start a men's multivitamin to improve his overall health (and sperm quality, by proxy). Zinc and Vitamin C are most important.

Two months in advance
- Start taking prenatal vitamins and supplements.
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol use (applies to your husband, too).
- Start reducing caffeine intake.
- Stop taking prescription drugs that aren't safe if your trying to conceive and substitute safer alternatives, if available.
- If you engage in regular, strenuous exercise (especially running), taper down your miles and hours.

One month in advance
- Buy OPK sticks or a fertility monitor and test sticks.
- Buy several pregnancy tests. (Wirecutter has solid recommendations. Additionally, there are cheap combo OPK/pregnancy tests kits [Wondfo, Pregmate, Easy@Home] on Amazon if you want to test frequently.)
- See your dentist for a cleaning as well as any other necessary dental work, as you will NOT want to do this during the first trimester.

The cycle you start trying
- Eat as much healthy food as possible.
- Eliminate or reduce alcohol and caffeine.
- Consult your calendar to determine your most fertile days. The days of your cycle to focus on are 3 days preceding ovulation, ovulation day, and the day after ovulation. TCOYF can break this down for you, as well as tell you how to recognize these days.
- And yes, obviously have sex. Some recommend having sex every other day after your period ends to cover all the bases.

Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:Woah, so sex is how you get pregnant?

Anonymous wrote:Anyone take a class in preparation for pregnancy. I asked my ob/gyn about preparing for pregnancy but she didn't have any advice other than take prenatal vits?