This is day 5 of your menstrual cycle

Making some lifestyle changes is essential when trying to conceive, and cutting down on alcohol is a good place to start.

275 days until your due date

Although ovulation is still some days away, it's worth being as healthy as possible to boost your fertility. Cutting down on alcohol is one way to do this.

Heavy drinking can lower your chances of conceiving and, if you do conceive, harm your baby's development. There's plenty of evidence that drinking above recommended levels is harmful, but little on the effect of an occasional drink. No safe level for pregnant women is known, so many women stop drinking altogether while trying to conceive and in early pregnancy. Some find morning sickness naturally puts them off alcohol.

Alcohol affects male fertility too. It reduces the quantity and quality of sperm, and drinking a lot can cause impotence.

A drink might help you relax and get in the mood, but you may want to rethink even occasional drinking. The US Surgeon General advises women trying to get pregnant to avoid alcohol completely.

Time to think about

Medical checkups

Before trying to conceive, ask your doctor about these tests:

Rubella: a blood test checks for antibodies to rubella (German measles). Catching it for the first time in early pregnancy raises the risk of miscarriage and birth defects. Childhood vaccination may still protect you; if your antibody level is too low, you'll be offered the MMR vaccine and advised to wait three months before conceiving.
Sexually transmitted infections: get tested for infections such as chlamydia, genital warts, and herpes, and consider an HIV test. Women with HIV can still have children and may be given medicine to lower the chance of passing it on; a cesarean may be recommended.

As a matter of fact

Street drugs

Illegal drugs can harm an unborn baby, so try to stop before you conceive. If you use drugs regularly or find it hard to stop, get medical support: your doctor can help and put you in touch with a support group.

Explainer

Choose nonalcoholic drinks

If you're trying to get pregnant, opt for nonalcoholic drinks, because drinking a lot of alcohol can lower your chances of conceiving.

This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.