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20 Things All Couples Should Do Before Getting Pregnant

So you're thinking about trying to get pregnant? Congrats! Here's what to do now to get healthy, have fun, and feel prepared to start trying to conceive.
birth control pills Go off the pill

Stop your birth control a couple of months before you plan to start trying, says Robert A. Greene, MD, co-author of Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility. This gives you a bit of time to see what your natural menstrual cycle is like -- 27 days? 32? -- so you can figure out when you're ovulating, the time of the month when you're most fertile. If you've been taking the pill for a while, your cycle could be different from what it was before you started. It can take a while for hormone levels to get back on track after you ditch the pill, but if your period's still MIA after three months, you should see your doctor.