Start taking at least 400 micrograms of folic acid daily and book a preconception check-up for both partners about three months before trying. Use that time to stop smoking and alcohol, check your rubella immunity, and bring any health condition under control. Sperm take about three months to develop. You do not need to wait 90 days to start trying.
Table 1: Your 90-day preconception plan at a glance
The seven questions couples ask most often before they start trying, each answered in one line. Every answer is explained in detail further down this page.
Question
Short answer
When should I start folic acid?
Ideally three months before trying, at least one month before, or today if you are already trying.
How much folic acid?
At least 400 micrograms a day. A higher dose only if your doctor prescribes it.
Do I have to wait 90 days before trying?
No. The only fixed wait is four weeks after a rubella or chickenpox vaccine.
Is any alcohol safe when trying to conceive?
No amount is known to be safe.
Which vaccines matter before pregnancy?
Rubella and chickenpox if you are not immune, then wait four weeks. The whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) is given during pregnancy, not before.
What weight range should Indian women aim for?
A BMI of about 18.5 to 22.9. Under Indian guidance, overweight starts at 23.
Does my partner need to prepare?
Yes. Sperm take about three months to develop.
What should I do 3 months before trying to get pregnant?
See a doctor together, start folic acid, update your vaccines, and change the habits that take longest to show an effect.
Why three months? Not because your body needs to "reset". Sperm take about two to three months to form and mature, so changes a man makes today show up in sperm roughly three months from now. A woman's eggs are all present from before she is born; what takes roughly three months is the final growth of the follicle (the small fluid-filled sac in the ovary that carries each egg) before ovulation. Three months of healthier habits will not create new eggs.
Three months is also enough time for folic acid to build up, for a four-week gap after certain vaccines, and for your doctor to adjust any condition or medicine. The plan is split into three months, but the order matters more than the calendar.
Table 2: The 90-day plan, month by month
A quick map of the three months for both partners. Each month is explained in the sections that follow, and you can move faster if you are ready.
Stop smoking and alcohol, regular activity, moderate caffeine, sleep
Cut down alcohol, avoid heat on the testes, stop hormone-based bodybuilding products
Sperm made from now on are the ones that count
Month 3
Learn your cycle, plan stopping contraception, finish vaccines, complete the checklist
Keep going with the changes
Allows the four-week gap after a live vaccine
Month 1: a preconception check-up and folic acid
Book a preconception check-up for both of you. It usually covers your medical, family and pregnancy history, and a review of every medicine you take regularly, including those for epilepsy, thyroid disease, blood pressure, acne and mental health. Do not stop any medicine on your own. Some need to be changed before pregnancy, and your doctor will plan that safely. If you have diabetes, thyroid disease or high blood pressure, the aim is good control before you try.
Tests usually offered include a blood count to check for anaemia (a low red blood cell level), your blood group, thyroid function, blood sugar, rubella immunity, and screening for hepatitis B, HIV and syphilis. Thalassaemia carrier screening matters particularly in India: if both partners carry the trait, each pregnancy has a one in four chance of the severe form, thalassaemia major. Your doctor adds other tests only if your history calls for them. Indicative costs are in Table 5 below.
A preconception consultation at Cloudnine Fertility can cover both partners' check-ups, tests and vaccines in one visit.
Month 2: habits, weight and your partner's health
Both partners should stop smoking now. She should stop alcohol completely, and he should cut down; the alcohol section below explains why. Aim for moderate activity such as brisk walking, yoga, swimming or cycling on most days, and keep caffeine moderate. Protect your sleep and find ways to manage stress; stress can make the months of trying harder, but it is not a proven cause of infertility on its own. Check your workplace for exposure to chemicals, radiation, or high heat, and ask about safer arrangements if needed.
If your weight is well outside the healthy range, talk to your doctor about gentle changes; the weight section below explains the Indian guidance. For him, the main things to change are heat (saunas, very hot baths, a laptop resting on the lap), smoking, alcohol, and any hormone-based bodybuilding products, all covered in the partner section.
Month 3: learn your cycle and finish the checklist
Start noticing your cycle: the date each period starts, how long your cycles usually are, and the body signs around ovulation, such as the clear, stretchy discharge described in our guide to fertile cervical mucus. A notebook works as well as an app. Plan when to stop contraception, since cycles return faster after some methods than others. If you still need a rubella or chickenpox vaccine, have it now and allow the four-week gap. Then go through the checklist in Table 3 with your partner and tick off what is done.
If you feel ready before the three months are up, you can start trying. The section on starting now explains why.
When should I start taking folic acid before conceiving?
Ideally, three months before you start trying, and at least one month before. Take at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day until you are 12 weeks pregnant, as advised by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Folic acid lowers the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida (a gap in the developing spine), which form in the first four weeks of pregnancy, often before a missed period.
In India, the permitted level of folic acid in fortified flour and rice is too low to rely on, so daily supplements matter. An Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) trial found fewer repeat neural tube defects with folic acid-containing vitamins, consistent with international evidence, though that trial alone was not statistically significant. Higher doses are only for specific groups, such as after an affected pregnancy, and are available only by prescription.
Folic acid does not help you get pregnant faster. It protects your baby's development, not your chance of conceiving. A prenatal multivitamin is fine if it contains at least 400 micrograms.
What's a complete preconception checklist for Indian couples?
A complete checklist covers both partners: a check-up and medicines review, folic acid for her, blood tests including thalassaemia carrier status, vaccines where needed, no smoking, no alcohol for her, iodised salt, and a clear idea of when to see a specialist sooner. Here it is in one place.
Table 3: The preconception checklist for Indian couples
Twelve steps for both partners, in roughly the order to do them. Print it, share it with your partner, and tick it off together.
Can I get pregnant if I just started folic acid this month?
Yes, and you do not have to wait 90 days before trying. The only fixed wait in this plan is four weeks after a rubella or chickenpox vaccine, the interval advised by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the CDC.
Folic acid gives the most protection when it has been in your body for at least a month before conception. But starting it now and trying now is better than delaying, and taking it from today still covers much of the time when the neural tube forms. If you are 35 or older, or already trying, don't postpone trying to complete a checklist; our guide to getting pregnant after 35 explains what changes with age.
If you conceive sooner than planned, keep taking folic acid and tell your doctor. Missing a step before pregnancy is common and rarely a cause for alarm.
Which vitamins should I take before pregnancy in India?
Not a long list. Folic acid is the only supplement every woman planning pregnancy needs. The others are tested for, or covered by diet and iodised salt, and supplemented only if you are low.
What vaccines should I get before trying to conceive?
Check that you are immune to rubella (German measles) and chickenpox. If you are not, get vaccinated and wait four weeks before trying. Both are live vaccines not given during pregnancy, and ASRM's 2024 committee opinion and the CDC both recommend this four-week gap.
Table 4: Vaccines to review before pregnancy
Bring your vaccination records to the check-up. This table shows which vaccines to consider before you try, and whether you need to wait afterwards.
Vaccine
Before pregnancy?
Wait before trying
Notes
Rubella (given as MMR)
If not immune
4 weeks
Live vaccine; not given during pregnancy
Chickenpox (varicella)
If not immune
4 weeks
Live vaccine; not given during pregnancy
Hepatitis B
If not immune
No wait
The course can usually be continued if you conceive
Flu (influenza)
Yes
No wait
Also recommended during pregnancy
COVID-19
As advised by your doctor
No wait
Recommended for those planning pregnancy
Whooping cough (Tdap)
No
Not applicable
Given during each pregnancy, ideally at 27 to 36 weeks
The whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) is not a preconception vaccine. The CDC, ACOG and ASRM all advise giving it during each pregnancy, ideally between 27 and 36 weeks, so that the antibodies pass to the baby. A tetanus and diphtheria booster can be updated before pregnancy if it is due, and can also be given during pregnancy.
If your records are missing, a blood test can confirm rubella immunity. If you had a rubella vaccine and then found you were pregnant sooner than planned, this is not a reason to end the pregnancy, but do tell your doctor.
Do I need to lose weight before getting pregnant?
Not necessarily, and you should not put off trying to reach a target weight, especially if you are 35 or over.
Indian guidance uses lower BMI (body mass index) cut-offs than international ones. Under Indian consensus guidance, a healthy BMI is about 18.5 to 22.9, and overweight starts at 23 rather than the international 25. Being underweight matters too, because it can stop ovulation.
If you are above the healthy range, even a modest, steady change through food and regular activity can help ovulation become more regular, particularly with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). Our guide to PCOS and pregnancy covers this in more detail. Talk to your doctor before making any big change to how you eat, and avoid crash diets.
Should I quit alcohol or just reduce before trying to conceive?
Quit. No amount of alcohol is known to be safe when you are trying to get pregnant, because you may be pregnant for several weeks before you know. ACOG states that any amount is risky for women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, and the CDC says there is no known safe amount at any time in pregnancy.
If you had a drink before you knew you were pregnant, serious harm is unlikely. Stop now and tell your doctor. For him, the advice is to cut down, because heavy drinking can lower sperm quality.
Smoking is different: both partners should stop completely, and second-hand smoke counts too. Our article on how smoking affects the ovaries and fertility explains the effects. If quitting feels hard, say so at your check-up; support is available.
Should both partners prepare before trying to conceive?
Yes. Sperm take about two to three months to develop, so the changes a man makes now show up in the sperm that will fertilise the egg.
His list is short: a health check and a review of any regular medicines; stop smoking; cut down on alcohol; avoid overheating the testes with saunas, very hot baths or a laptop on the lap; move towards a healthy weight; and stop any hormone-based bodybuilding or muscle-building products, which can switch off sperm production.
How long before trying should he quit smoking? As soon as possible, and ideally at least three months before you start trying, so that the sperm made after he stops are the ones that count. A semen test is not needed before trying unless there is a known risk, such as past testicular surgery or injury. If there is, our page on male infertility explains what the test looks at.
Indian diet pregnancy: what matters and what doesn't
A normal, balanced Indian diet does most of the work. No single food makes you more fertile. Four things are worth attention:
Folate-rich foods: dal, rajma, chana and green leafy vegetables help, but you still need the folic acid supplement.
Iron with vitamin C: eat iron-rich foods with lemon, amla or other vitamin C sources, and have less tea or coffee with meals.
B12 for vegetarians: milk, curd and paneer, plus a blood test if your level is unknown.
Most preconception tests are simple blood tests, and many couples will not need every test listed. The total depends on how many tests your history calls for, whether they are ordered as a bundled panel or separately, whether you add an ultrasound, and whether both partners are tested at the same visit.
Table 5: Indicative cost of preconception tests in India
Prices vary by city, laboratory and whether tests are bundled into one panel. Many couples will not need every test listed; your doctor will advise which ones apply to you.
Find clear, trusted answers to the most common questions about IVF—designed to guide and support you every step of the way.
What should I do 3 months before trying to get pregnant?
See a doctor together for a preconception check-up, start taking at least 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, check your rubella and chickenpox immunity, stop smoking and alcohol, and bring any long-term condition under control. Your partner should stop smoking and cut down on alcohol, because sperm take about three months to develop.
When should I start taking folic acid before conceiving?
Ideally three months before trying, and at least one month before. Take at least 400 micrograms every day and continue until 12 weeks of pregnancy. Some women need a higher dose, such as those who have had a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect, but only on a doctor's prescription.
Can I get pregnant if I just started folic acid this month?
Yes, and you do not have to wait 90 days before trying. Folic acid works best when started at least a month before conception, but starting today is better than delaying. The only fixed wait is four weeks after a rubella or chickenpox vaccine.
Should I quit alcohol or just reduce before trying to conceive?
Quit. No amount of alcohol is known to be safe when you are trying to get pregnant, because you may be pregnant for weeks before you know. If you drank before you knew, serious harm is unlikely; stop from now. Your partner should cut down too.
How long before trying to conceive should my husband quit smoking?
As soon as possible, and ideally at least three months before you start trying. Sperm take about two to three months to develop, so the benefit shows in sperm made after he stops. Second-hand smoke also affects the woman trying to conceive.
What vaccines should I get before trying to conceive?
Check that you are immune to rubella and chickenpox. If you are not, get vaccinated and wait four weeks before trying. Hepatitis B, flu and COVID-19 vaccines can also be updated. The whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) is given during each pregnancy, not before.
Do I need to lose weight before getting pregnant?
Not necessarily, and you should not delay trying to reach a target weight. Under Indian guidance, a healthy BMI is about 18.5 to 22.9, lower than the international range. If you are above it, a gradual change through food and activity can help, and your doctor can advise.
Does folic acid help you get pregnant faster?
No. Folic acid does not improve your chance of conceiving. It lowers the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida, which form in the first weeks of pregnancy, which is why it should be started before you conceive.
