Get ready for pregnancy

• Having a healthy baby someday starts well before pregnancy.
• You and your partner should start making healthy choices now.
• Eating right and getting fit are some ways to get healthy.

Planning your pregnancy means thinking about what it means to have a baby and making decisions with your partner about your future family. Are you ready to be parents now? Or do you want to wait a while?

Your life changes in lots of ways during pregnancy and after you bring your baby home. Planning for these changes can make things easier for you and your partner as you start your family.

Why is planning your pregnancy important?
Planning your pregnancy can help you have a healthy baby. More than half of pregnancies in the United States are unplanned. This means that lots of women may get pregnant without really being ready for it.

Babies who are planned are more likely to be born healthy than babies who are unplanned. This is because women who plan their pregnancies are more likely to get healthy before pregnancy. And they’re more likely to get early and regular prenatal care during pregnancy. Doing these things can help you have a healthy baby.

How can you plan your pregnancy?
Use these tips to help plan your pregnancy:

• Make a reproductive life plan. This means thinking about if and when you want to have a baby. Ask yourself these questions:
  • How many children do I want?
  • How far apart do I want them to be?
  • How can I get healthy before pregnancy?
  • If I’m sexually active and don’t want a baby now, how can I keep from getting pregnant?

Talk about your reproductive life plan with your partner. You may not agree on every answer, so you may need some time to figure things out. There are no right or wrong answers. And your answers may change as you get older. The important thing is to really think about your plan and your family before you get pregnant.

• Use birth control until you’re ready to get pregnant. If you’re sexually active and not ready to get pregnant right away, use birth control. There are many kinds of birth control, like the pill, the patch and condoms. Ask your health care provider about the best kind of birth control for you and your partner.
• Think about what it’s like to be a good parent. Being a parent is a big job. Talk to your partner to find out if you’re both ready to have a baby. It’s helpful if you can agree on important things, like child care and giving up some of your free time, before you get pregnant.
•  Budget for your baby. Having a baby can be expensive. Do you have enough money to pay for things, like child care and diapers? Do you have health insurance that helps pay for medical care? It’s a good idea to figure out how a baby can affect your finances before you get pregnant.

For more information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC Show Your Love Campaign

Last reviewed September 2012

See also: Are you ready emotionally?, Are you ready financially?, Getting healthy before pregnancy, Your checkup before pregnancy