The essence of preconception care is this: Treat your body as though you are already pregnant.
Conception takes place about 2 weeks before a menstrual period, when you ovulate (release an egg from the ovaries). You may not know that you’re pregnant until 3 weeks after conception, or later in the pregnancy. The baby is most sensitive to harm from 2-8 weeks, when the organs are being formed, (e.g. heart, lungs, and kidneys). Anything you eat, drink, smoke or are exposed to can have ill effects on your baby.
Ideally, any woman should take care of her body regularly, especially with well-woman care, such as pelvic and breast exams. One reason is that about half of pregnancies are unplanned, which has greater risks of preterm birth, and low-weight babies. By taking action on health issues and risks, you can prevent problems that could affect you or your baby for a lifetime.
Both women and men should prepare for pregnancy before becoming sexually active (remember: 50 % of pregnancies are unplanned) or at least 3 months before getting pregnant. Some health issues will take longer than three months to improve or stabilize, such as reaching a healthy weight, adjusting medications, quitting smoking, alcohol and illicit drug use.
The 5 most important things to do for preconception health
1. Take 400-800 micrograms (400-800 mcg or 0.4-0.8 mg) of folic acid (also called folate) every day. Many physicians advise ALL women of childbearing age, even women who have no intention of becoming pregnant, to take folate because it lowers the risk of brain and spinal cord
defects. The protective effects occur at the time of conception and the first few weeks of pregnancy. An unplanned pregnancy may not be apparent until after the folate’s protective effects have passed. Some doctors prescribe prenatal vitamins with greater amounts of folic acid.

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