While planning to have a baby can be exciting, it can also be a little daunting. This article explains how you and your partner can prepare for a pregnancy, what it involves and how long it can take.

Did You Know?

When you and your partner make love, he ejaculates up to 300 million sperm into you, but only a few hundred actually reach your ready-to-be-fertilised egg.

Planning
Allow yourselves time to get into shape (around 3-6 months), start good habits and kick any bad ones. Your partner's health in the couple of months before you conceive is particularly important because it takes 70 days for sperm to develop.

There are some things you can both do to help you be fit and healthy for pregnancy. Talk to your GP about:

• When to stop contraception.
• Having a German measles (Rubella) test, as catching Rubella when you are pregnant can harm the developing baby. This is because a previous infection or illness might not give you immunity.
• Any medical condition you have or any illnesses that run in your family, such as diabetes, so that you can take advice before stopping contraception.
• Any medicines you are taking, so you can check that it is alright to take them while you are trying for a baby.
• If you or your partner smoke, try to stop. This may be the most important thing you can do for your own and your baby's health.
• All women planning a baby should take at least 400 micrograms (0.4mg) of folic acid every day before they become pregnant and for the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. You can get folic acid from a pharmacy. Foods high in folic acid, such as breakfast cereals, have a Folic Acid Flash symbol on the package.
• Try to eat a variety of foods with as much fresh food as possible.
• Only drink small amounts of alcohol.
• Avoid mould ripened cheeses such as brie, camembert and blue veined cheeses, liver and liver products such as pâté, all uncooked meats and raw or lightly cooked eggs. This is because in a few cases these foods can cause problems such as miscarriage or stillbirth.
• Regular exercise will improve you health, but ask for advice and tell the instructor if you are pregnant.
• If you are going to have an x-ray, including dental x-rays, always say if you think you might be pregnant, or are trying to get pregnant.
• Wear gloves when changing cat litter and gardening because of the risk of toxoplasmosis that can harm a developing baby.

Timing
To get pregnant, sperm from your partner needs to meet one of your eggs. Your body releases an egg (ovulation) 12 to 16 days before your period and the egg lives for about a day. Sperm lives for around three to five days, sometimes longer. So there is only a short time in each month when you are most likely to conceive. It may take up to a year to get pregnant so don't worry if you're not pregnant after a couple of months.

If you've been having sex two or three times a week but are not pregnant after six months you might want to try to find out more about your menstrual cycle and the time when you are most fertile:

• Check the number of days in your menstrual cycle and count back 12 to 16 days from when you expect your next period to start. You can then try and pinpoint ovulation.
• Check your vaginal fluid as this changes during the month and is wetter, thinner and slippery around ovulation.
• If you are not having periods or your periods are very irregular, talk to your GP.

Pregnant
You can do a pregnancy test from the day your period is due. It's best to use the first urine passed in the morning. Many pharmacies will do a pregnancy test for a charge or will sell you a test to do at home. Free pregnancy tests are available from some GP's, family planning clinics and genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics.

It's a good idea to see your doctor as soon as you think you are pregnant. Your GP can check all is well, answer your questions and arrange antenatal care and where to have your baby.