This is day 6 of your menstrual cycle

Eating well is an essential part of conception and pregnancy, so you and your partner should start good habits now.

274 days until your due date

Use these first two weeks of your cycle, before you ovulate, to look at what you eat every day. Small changes to your diet, and your partner's, might improve your chances of conceiving.

Also check your Body Mass Index (BMI). A BMI under 19 or over 24 could affect your fertility.

Excess body fat can affect your metabolism and hormones, so you may ovulate irregularly or not at all. Fertility treatment is also less likely to succeed if you're overweight, because you may respond less well to ovulation drugs. Once pregnant, being overweight raises the risk of complications and lowers the chance of carrying to full term.

Being too thin isn't healthy either. Pregnancy draws on a woman's reserves, so a little stored fat is good for mother and baby. Being seriously underweight can disrupt ovulation, make periods irregular or stop them, and make conception unlikely.

Your BMI at conception is also a good guide to how much weight you should gain in pregnancy, so it's worth checking now.

Focus on

Nutrition: Vital B vitamins

Include foods containing B vitamins in your diet, and take a pregnancy multivitamin if needed:

B1 deficiency has been linked to failed ovulation and implantation.
B2 deficiency has been linked to infertility and miscarriage.
B5 is important for conception and fetal development.
B6 is essential for making sex hormones and helping them work.
B12, together with folate, is essential for the baby's development.

Good to know

Get fit and fertile!

Regular exercise helps your body work at its best and can raise your chances of conceiving. Being fit and healthy reduces toxins and stress, making conception easier, and exercise helps regulate energy and blood sugar, which supports the hormonal cycle. Overexercising, however, can disrupt ovulation and make conception harder.

Aim for 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, running, or aerobics, five times a week at moderate intensity. Listen to your body: moderate means working hard enough to feel the benefit but staying within a comfortable range.

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.