Upping the Odds of Pregnancy

Lifestyle Changes

Some of the changes you may make prior to conceiving a child can be difficult to maintain. "Giving up artificial sweetener was tough, because now I have no alternatives," says Hooper. "I can't have too much fruit—it has a lot of sugar in it too, after all—so it's difficult to maintain dietary discipline without artificial sweeteners. We're born with a taste for sweet (ever try breast milk?) so it's hard to live without."

Peterson found family reactions to the preconception changes in her life difficult to take. "I knew for a while that we were going to start trying to conceive in the late fall, so I cut out caffeine and then eventually tried to drink mostly water," she says. "I kept up with my exercise routine—I've been walking 3 miles a day for the past two years. I also stopped being around cigarette smoke. Both of my parents smoke. That was the hardest, because they really don't understand."

It can be hardest to maintain preconception changes when months pass with no pregnancy in sight. "I gave up alcohol and caffeine entirely for May through July, and then I'll admit I became pessimistic enough that I went back to the occasional caffeine dose, and I would allow myself the occasional drink in the early part of my cycle until ovulation," says Myers. "I wouldn't have had any problem being totally caffeine- and alcohol-free if I had gotten pregnant within a few months, but as time dragged on, it became difficult to keep motivated. Kind of like, 'If I'm not getting pregnant anyway while being so conscientious, why not enjoy myself a little?'"

TTC Safeguards

Dr. Barrere recommends discontinuing oral contraceptives (birth control pills) at least one month prior to attempting to conceive. "In this case, cycle length can be ascertained," he says. "This may be helpful in cases of infertility."

He also recommends immunization for Rubella, if you are not immune, and Hepatitis B. "Since this is a live virus vaccine, a period of three months should be allowed prior to conception." Although he also recommends immunization for Hepatitis B, this does not require a delay in trying to conceive. It's worth reviewing with your practitioner your immune status with regard to Varicella (chicken pox) and Pertussis (whooping cough).

Prenatal vitamins are often one of the easiest—and most important—changes you can make when planning to conceive. Adding a prenatal vitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid to your daily routine greatly reduces the incidence of open neural tube defects such as anencephaly and spina bifida, Dr. Barrere says. "The vitamin should also contain 30 milligrams of ferrous iron supplementation to support the increase in blood volume that occurs with pregnancy."

Seeking out preconception counseling and making lifestyle changes can help you get ready for the challenges of becoming pregnant and carry that new life for the following nine months. According to Andrea Miller, who's been trying to conceive for nearly two years, "It was hard [to give up caffeine] but it will be worth it in the end!"

* Name changed to protect privacy.