Making the most of fertility: What to do

Follow these tips:

• Have sex daily or every other day. The highest pregnancy rates happen in couples who do this.
• Have sex near the time of ovulation. If you can't or don't want to have sex every day, have sex every 2 to 3 days a week starting soon after the end of your period. This can help ensure that you have sex when you are most fertile.
• Be at a healthy weight. Being overweight or underweight raises the risk of ovulation problems.

Also, think about talking with your healthcare professional before you try to get pregnant. Your care professional can check your overall health and help you make changes that might improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy.

Your care professional also might suggest you start taking a prenatal vitamin with folic acid a few months before you conceive. This can reduce the risk of your baby having a condition in which the spine and spinal cord don't form well, called spina bifida.