Getting ready for pregnancy

General health

You should consider the following while trying to get pregnant:

• have you had your vaccinations like flu and Covid-19
• reduce alcohol consumption
• give up smoking
• contraception, family spacing and sexual health

The Tommy's - planning a pregnancy website gives you simple steps on how to make sure that your body is in the best condition for getting pregnant. 

Getting the right vitamins and minerals

Eating a healthy, varied diet will help you get most of the vitamins and minerals you need, but it can be difficult to get the recommended amount of folic acid and vitamin D from food alone. You may need to take a folic acid supplement and a daily vitamin D supplement, particularly in the winter months (from October to the end of March) when we don't get vitamin D from sunlight.

You can ask your doctor, midwife or pharmacist about supplements. Your doctor may be able to prescribe them for you.

Find out more about vitamins and supplements in pregnancy on the Start4Life (vitamins and supplements) website.

Physical fitness and healthy weight

If you are thinking about having a baby, this is a really great time to start thinking about what you eat and how it benefits your body. Making some simple changes can help to make sure your body is best prepared for pregnancy.

During pregnancy your body will go through a lot of changes, by making sure you have a good balance of  muscular strength and flexibility, you can cope more easily with its demands.

Read our easy ways to move more and our guide to healthy weight for practical tips and advice, as well as things you can do locally or online to be more active.

Mental Health

Whether it is your first child, or you are adding to your family, having a baby can be a very emotional time for everyone involved. Our Family Hubs offer lots of emotional wellbeing support and advice to help prepare you emotionally for having a baby and to support your mental health once baby arrives.

Baby Buddy

Baby Buddy is the multi-award winning free app that guides you through pregnancy, birth, parenting and beyond. The app has been designed with parents and professionals to help you give your baby the best start in life and support your health and wellbeing.