Top tips for improved fertility and a healthy pregnancy include:

1. quit smoking
2. be a healthy weight (BMI less than 25), to find out your BMI use the NHS healthy weight calculator
3. eat a healthy balanced diet
4. be active (at least 150 minutes each week)
5. reduce alcohol consumption
6. quick win: use contraception for family spacing NHS your contraception guide
7. quick win: take vitamin D (10mcg each day) and folic acid (400mcg each day) NHS vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy
8. quick win: be up to date with all vaccinations (whooping cough, flu and at least 1 month before getting pregnant MMR)
9. quick win: be up to date with sexual health checks NHS know your stuff and cervical screening

Top tips for improved fertility and a healthier pregnancy include:

1. quit smoking (stronger faster sperm)
2. be a healthy weight (BMI less than 25), to find out your BMI use the NHS healthy weight calculator
3. eat a healthy balanced diet (stronger faster sperm)
4. be active (at least 150 minutes each week)
5. reduce alcohol consumption (stronger faster sperm) 
6. quick win: use contraception for family spacing NHS your contraception guide
7. quick win: avoid illegal drugs and anabolic steroids

Find out your individual top tips for pregnancy planning here:

• Tommy's Together, for everybody - Planning a pregnancy

Contact your GP or community midwife as soon as you think you are pregnant. They will help you to plan your care and decide where you would like your baby to be born. 

• NHS Worcestershire Acute Hospitals - Maternity Services

Tip: Book as early as you can with you community midwife. If you can before you have been pregnant for 12 weeks. There is lots of evidence that shows that you and your baby will be fitter and happier if you have your first appointment early. Your community midwife will have lots of information to help you, can answer your questions and arrange your scans etc.

There are also midwife drop in sessions in some children's centres or health clinics which you can go along to, and you can always go and see your GP if you have any concerns.

You are likely to find lots of parents-to-be classes across the county, some of which are in children's centres.

Healthy eating:  take a look at the NHS Choices - Have a healthy diet in pregnancy site for advice and information.

NCT 1st 1000 days - New Parent Support: When you find out you're pregnant, one of the first things you'll probably want to know is when your baby might arrive. The NCT 1st 1000 days website has a handy pregnancy calculator to estimate your due date.  You can also find out about what antenatal screening and testing you will be offered during pregnancy as well as how you.

DadPad app - support for local dads: Dads in Herefordshire and Worcestershire can prepare for parenthood with an online resource called DadPad. DadPad is an information pack developed by dads for dads is helping fathers in Herefordshire and Worcestershire prepare for family life and tackles the mental health issues which can affect new parents. It covers a range of issues, such as the support dads can give while mums are breastfeeding, being aware of perinatal mental illness and the anxiety and frustrations that come with parenthood, as well as hands-on advice on issues like nappy changing. Its aim is to provide new fathers across Herefordshire and Worcestershire with guidance on how to develop the mind-set, confidence and practical skills needed to meet their baby’s physical and emotional needs

Healthy Start is a Government Scheme that provides weekly vouchers to eligible parents and can help you if you’re pregnant or have a young child under four. These vouchers can be spent on milk, fruit and vegetables and infant formula milk at your local shops and supermarkets, as well as offering coupons for free vitamins too.

For more information about the scheme, visit Healthy Start website

Do I qualify for Healthy Start and how do I apply?

Please see the How to apply page on the Healthy Start website

Where can I get my Healthy Start vitamins from?

For more information please visit Starting Well Partnership Worcestershire (NHS) website.