Trying To Get Pregnant

Health checks to have before pregnancy

Before you start trying for a baby, it's recommended you:

have the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine (if you have not already) to protect your baby during pregnancy
check if your cervical screening (smear test) is due - if it is, book an appointment with your GP surgery
get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) if you think you or your partner may have one

If you have any worries about getting pregnant - for example, if you've had treatment for cancer or you have a health condition - talk to your GP about planning a pregnancy.

Find out about health conditions and planning a pregnancy on the Tommy's website

Preparing for pregnancy

There are things you can do before you start and while you're trying to get pregnant.

Things that can help improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby include:

taking vitamins and supplements, including vitamin D and folic acid
getting support to help you stop smoking
not drinking alcohol - if you need help, a GP can get you the right support
not using illegal drugs - if you need help, a GP can get you the right support
having a healthy diet to help you stay well in pregnancy
trying to keep to a healthy weight - if your weight is too low or too high it can make it harder to get pregnant, talk to your GP for advice on managing your weight

Being overweight in pregnancy can increase the risk of complications like high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and blood clots. It's possible to reduce these risks, and your maternity team will support you throughout your pregnancy to help keep you and your baby as healthy as possible.

Important

Do not stop taking any prescribed medicine until you've talked to your GP or specialist. They'll be able to discuss the safest treatment option for you while you're trying to get pregnant.

Speak to a GP if you want to get pregnant and:

you or your partner (if you have one) live with a condition - for example epilepsy, diabetes, sickle cell disease or HIV
you or your partner take prescribed or over-the-counter medicine, or any herbal remedies
you or your partner have a fertility issue, such as endometriosis or low sperm count
you cannot have sex or find it difficult to have sex - for example, because of a disability
you've been trying to get pregnant for 1 year or more through having sex
you need help to stop smoking, drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs

Getting pregnant

The time it takes to get pregnant is different for everyone. Different things can affect your chance of getting pregnant, such as:

your age
your general health
any fertility issues
how often you have sex
how you're getting pregnant - for example, by having sex or through artificial insemination like intrauterine insemination (IUI)

If you're aged 39 or under and have sex without contraception every 2 to 3 days, it's likely you'll get pregnant within a year.

If you're aged 39 or under and using artificial insemination (where sperm is put directly in the womb), it may take 6 to 12 rounds of treatment to get pregnant.

You're more likely to get pregnant around the time you ovulate (release an egg). This is usually about 14 days before the start of your next period but depends on how long your menstrual cycle is.

Find out more about periods and fertility in the menstrual cycle

Having a baby if you're LGBT+

Get support and advice on starting a family if you're lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or non-binary:

If you're finding it difficult to get pregnant

If it's taking longer than expected to get pregnant, talk to your GP. They may refer you and your partner (if you have one) for tests.

If tests find a fertility issue, you may be offered medicine, surgery, IVF (in vitro fertilisation) or intrauterine insemination (IUI) depending on the cause.

Find out more about infertility

Further information

Sexual Health Advice

Throughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The topics covered in this series include:

	This item was in brought to you association with NHS website. Follow the links above for more information and don't forget to check out OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health which features items on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. This week our topic is: L - Lung Cancer.
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