Things not to do if you're trying to get pregnant

The latest information suggests that coronavirus will cause the opposite of a baby boom, with distance, stress and childcare worries leading to fewer couples planning to have a baby. However, there are still plenty of couples out there who are excitedly getting ready to try or have perhaps made the decision to already and may be looking for tips on how to get pregnant.

Instead of giving you some things that you should be doing to try and get pregnant, we’ve got some things not to do if you’re trying to conceive.

Lose or gain a lot of weight

Being underweight or overweight can affect your chances of getting pregnant because either can mess with your menstrual cycle and affect whether or not you ovulate (the process where an egg is released which can then be fertilised).

It’s important to try and be a healthy weight before and during pregnancy, but to do this drastically while trying to have a baby could damage your chances. This is because extreme weight changes can have a knock-on effect on your hormones and can be linked to miscarriages, gestational diabetes and even babies with ill health.

Try and eat a healthy balanced diet and do regular exercise to maintain a healthy weight. If you’re obese and have been unable to lose the weight then you may benefit from Orlistat. Orlistat is an effective weight loss medication that prevents your body from absorbing 30% of the fats you eat.

It’s important you don’t try for a baby while taking Orlistat, but you may be suitable to take it to achieve a healthy weight before trying to conceive. It’s a prescription-only medicine so your doctor will be able to advise if it’s suitable.

Smoke

Smoking is bad for your health on a number of different fronts and you should quit regardless of whether or not you’re trying to have a baby. But it’s especially important not to smoke if you’re trying to get pregnant as it can damage your chances. If you're trying to quit then you may benefit from our wide range of effective stop smoking aids.

Smoking lowers your chances of getting pregnant and can damage your ovaries so that you make fewer eggs. It also causes changes in your fallopian tubes and cervix, to increase your risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy (which is a pregnancy outside of the womb that doesn't lead to a baby).

Overdo the vitamins

There are lots of articles around to advise on things to do when trying to get pregnant and almost all of them will advise making sure you’re getting enough vitamins. However, it’s important that you don’t overdo or double up on them.

While plenty of vitamins are great for your body, it’s easy to have too much and excess of certain vitamins (like vitamin A) can lead to problems with your pregnancy. The best thing to do is to take a daily multivitamin specifically designed for conception and pregnancy. We offer the Hashmat Health Pregnancy Formula vitamins which contain folic acid and vitamin D.

Stop taking your medicines

It’s easy to assume that medications are unsafe or harmful to take if you’re pregnant but it’s important that you never stop taking prescribed medicines unless explicitly advised to. If you’re taking medications for existing conditions and you want to get pregnant then be sure to speak to your doctor about it and see if any changes to your current regime are needed.

Have sex infrequently

It may sound like a no brainer but pregnancy requires sex so don’t be stingy when it comes to trying! It’s helpful to understand your menstrual cycle and when you’re ovulating, as these are the days most likely to get pregnant. You could also try buying some ovulation tests to increase accuracy.

But it makes sense that the more sex you have, the more chance you have of getting pregnant. Couples who have sex every couple of nights are more likely than those who have sex infrequently. And once you think you might’ve sealed the deal, take a pregnancy test to find out as soon as possible!