Step 1 of 6 · 3+ months before trying
Step 1: Prepare for pregnancy
Three months before you start trying is the best time to set things up: a prenatal with folate, a checkup, and a head start for sperm and eggs.
Start a daily supplement with 400 mcg of folic acid at least one month before you try, book a preconception checkup to review medications and vaccines, and give your partner a 3-month head start: sperm take about two and a half months to develop.
Nutrients
Choline Before Pregnancy: The Nutrient Most Prenatals Miss
Choline before pregnancy: the 450 mg adequate intake, why most prenatals contain little or none, egg and food sources, brain-development evidence and safety.
CoQ10 for Fertility: Does It Help Egg or Sperm Quality?
What studies show about CoQ10 for fertility in women and men: IVF trials, egg and sperm quality, Cochrane reviews, doses used in trials, safety and evidence grades.
DHA for Fertility: Does Omega-3 Help You Conceive?
DHA and omega-3 for fertility: what studies show for conception, the 200 mg pregnancy target, fish and mercury advice, preterm birth data and evidence grades.
Methylfolate vs Folic Acid: Which Should You Take?
Methylfolate vs folic acid before pregnancy: CDC and USPSTF doses, what MTHFR variants really mean, ACMG advice on MTHFR testing, and how to read a prenatal label.
Myo-Inositol for Fertility: Does It Help With PCOS?
Myo-inositol for fertility and PCOS: what the 2023 PCOS guideline and Cochrane say, evidence grades for ovulation and pregnancy, doses and safety.
NAC for Fertility: What N-Acetylcysteine Can and Can’t Do
NAC (N-acetylcysteine) for fertility: PCOS ovulation and pregnancy trials, sperm studies, Cochrane evidence grades, doses used, safety and FDA status.
Vitamin D and Fertility: Does Your Level Matter?
Vitamin D and fertility: what studies show for conception, IVF and miscarriage, the 600 IU RDA, Endocrine Society pregnancy advice and whether to test.
Zinc and Selenium for Sperm Health: Do They Work?
Zinc and selenium for sperm: the FAZST trial of 2,370 couples, the MOXI antioxidant trial, Cochrane reviews, supplement doses and evidence grades.
Planning
The Fertility Diet: What to Eat When Trying to Conceive
The fertility diet explained: the Nurses’ Health Study II pattern, Mediterranean diet and IVF data, caffeine and alcohol limits, fish and what ASRM concludes.
How Long Does It Take to Get Pregnant?
How long it takes to get pregnant, month by month: cumulative pregnancy rates from a German cohort, how age changes the odds, and when to see a doctor.
The Preconception Checklist: What to Do Before You Try
A preconception checklist built on CDC, ACOG and ASRM guidance: folic acid, a prepregnancy visit, vaccines, medicines, alcohol, caffeine and partner health.
When to Stop Birth Control to Get Pregnant
When to stop birth control before trying to conceive: how fast fertility returns after the pill, IUD, implant, ring, patch and Depo shot, method by method.
Tools
Calculators for this step
Why three months?
Two reasons. Folic acid protects against neural tube defects in the first weeks of pregnancy, often before you know you are pregnant, so the CDC advises 400 mcg every day for anyone who could become pregnant.1 And sperm take roughly 64–74 days to develop from start to finish,3 so changes your partner makes today show up in about three months.
What to do first
- Start a prenatal. Pick one with at least 400 mcg folate, iodine and vitamin D; choline and DHA are often missing. Prenatal nutrient doses lists the ACOG and NIH amounts to check against, and third-party testing is worth looking for.
- See a clinician. A preconception visit reviews medications, vaccines (such as rubella and chickenpox), and conditions like thyroid disease or diabetes. Our preconception checklist lists what to ask.
- Look after the basics. ASRM's guidance for people trying naturally: don't smoke, keep alcohol and caffeine moderate, and aim for a healthy weight.2 See fertility diet for what the evidence does and doesn't support.
- Plan your timing. Fertility returns quickly after most methods; the shot can take longer. Read when to stop birth control and how long it takes to get pregnant.
Supplements: what the evidence says
Supplements are not FDA-approved and are not reviewed before they are sold. A few ingredients have real evidence for specific situations (folic acid for everyone; myo-inositol in PCOS); most "fertility blends" have limited evidence. Our ingredient guides grade each one: CoQ10, myo-inositol, methylfolate vs folic acid, DHA, vitamin D, choline, NAC and zinc and selenium for sperm.
For your partner
Half of the picture is sperm. Start the 90-day sperm health plan, and if he takes testosterone, read TRT and fertility first: testosterone therapy suppresses sperm production.
This page is educational and is not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own situation, and seek urgent care for heavy bleeding, severe pain or fainting.
Sources
- 1About folic acid. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 400 mcg of folic acid every day for anyone who could become pregnant
- 2Optimizing natural fertility: a committee opinion. American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Practice Committee, Fertil Steril 2022;117:53–63
- 3Spermatogenesis in man: an estimate of its duration. Science. Heller CG, Clermont Y, 1963