Evidence-based advice to maximise your chances of conceiving before you even start trying.
Laying good foundations for conception and a healthy pregnancy starts in the family planning stage, ideally at least three months before you actively start trying to conceive. For men and those assigned male at birth, preconception care can improve your sperm health. For women and individuals with a uterus, the preconception stage involves preparing your body for conception and pregnancy.
Many aspects of your health before conception can influence fertility, embryo development, pregnancy outcomes, and the long-term health of your future child.
For women and those with a uterus, preconception care focuses on supporting ovulation, hormone balance, reducing inflammation, and facilitating a healthy pregnancy environment. For men and those assigned male at birth, it aims to optimise sperm health, which can be influenced by lifestyle, medical conditions, age, and environmental exposures.
Preconception care may support:
For some people, preconception care may be relatively simple and focus on lifestyle optimisation. Others may benefit from more detailed assessment and management of known medical or fertility concerns.
Female fertility is influenced by factors such as age, ovulation, hormone balance, body weight, and general health. Intentionally preparing for pregnancy before conception may help improve fertility and support a healthy pregnancy.
A balanced diet plays an important role in reproductive health. Women planning pregnancy are generally advised to begin taking folic acid ideally three months before trying to conceive, as this helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects in a developing baby.
Depending on your health, diet, and medical history, Dr Anna may also recommend supplements such as iodine, vitamin D, or iron.
Both underweight and overweight women may experience changes in ovulation and hormone function that can affect fertility. Regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight may improve your reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes.
Conditions such as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (formerly polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS), endometriosis, thyroid disorders, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions can affect fertility and pregnancy. Optimising these conditions before conception may help reduce complications and support a healthier pregnancy.
Some prescription and over-the-counter medications may not be suitable during pregnancy or while trying to conceive. A preconception consultation provides an opportunity to review your medications and discuss safer alternatives if needed.
Smoking, excessive alcohol intake, and recreational drug use can negatively affect fertility and increase the risk of pregnancy complications. Avoiding these substances before pregnancy is strongly recommended. NHMRC guidelines recommend no alcohol consumption in pregnancy.
Preconception care may include blood tests or screening to check immunity to infections such as rubella and chickenpox, as well as screening for sexually transmitted infections or genetic conditions where appropriate.
Male fertility contributes to around half of all fertility challenges experienced by couples. Healthy sperm production is influenced by overall health, lifestyle, age, and environmental factors.
Because sperm take around three months to develop, making positive lifestyle changes before you and your partner start trying to conceive may improve fertility outcomes.
Healthy sperm need to be present in adequate numbers, move effectively, have normal structure, and contain healthy DNA to improve the chances of fertilisation. Positive lifestyle changes may help improve sperm quality and reproductive health.
A balanced diet, regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight may support hormone function and sperm production as obesity can affect testosterone levels and sperm quality.
Smoking, alcohol use, vaping, anabolic steroids, testosterone supplements, and recreational drugs may all reduce sperm quality, sexual function, and general fertility. Though not all studies concur on the impact of these behaviours, it’s best to reduce or avoid these substances altogether before trying to conceive.
Frequent exposure to high temperatures, radiation, and toxins found in common everyday objects (such as plastic bottles, cans) may affect sperm production. This can include regular sauna or spa use, long distance cycling, chemicals including pesticides and herbicides, or occupational radiation exposure.
Conditions such as diabetes, hormone disorders, infections, and previous surgery involving the reproductive organs may affect fertility. Preconception assessment can help identify any issues that may benefit from treatment or further investigation.
You may benefit from preconception care if you:
Even if you are not planning pregnancy in the near future, a preconception consultation can help you make informed decisions about your future fertility and family planning goals.
