What Your Partner Should Do Before You Try To Get Pregnant, According To Experts

When you and your partner have decided that a baby might in your near future, it's common to one, get really excited, and two, start researching every little thing you can do to bring a healthy baby into the world. Of course, there's many things a woman can do to ensure her body is healthy and ready for conception, but did you know that men's health is important to take into consideration, too? Knowing what your partner should do before you try to get pregnant is just as important as charting your own fertility.

According to Fit Pregnancy, when you're checking in with your primary healthcare provider for a pre-pregnancy check up, your partner should be there, too. At this visit, your doctor can go over your general health, and take the time to go over both you and your partner's health histories and your families' health histories. This can provide your doctor with any relevant information that may affect your health during your pregnancy, and your baby's health during pregnancy and in the future.

As you're cutting the unhealthy fats out of your diet and increasing your fruit, vegetable, and vitamin intake, your partner should do the same. As Fit Pregnancy mentioned, men should get plenty of folic acid, zinc and vitamin C, which are nutrients that are vital for optimal sperm production and quality.

The Office on Women's Health also noted that "male partners can improve their own reproductive health and overall health by limiting alcohol, quitting smoking or drug use, making healthy food choices, and reducing stress." All of these factors can impact sperm health and overall fertility.

According to Risa Klein, Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) and OB-GYN Nurse Practitioner of Manhattan Midwife, your partner's health can greatly impact your ability to conceive a baby. She tells Romper that she asks male partners of her patients to avoid excessive heat in their groin area, like from hot baths, motorcycles, or laptops, because heat can have an adverse impact on sperm quality.

Klein also mentions the impact of mental health on conception. "I ask them to list life stressors, including readiness for fatherhood and financial worries," she says, "and then to think about what needs to be planned prior to conception or the child's birth."

Klein asks her patients and their partners to keep a food diary, as well. "We then review it together," she says, "and tweak to ensure that they are both consuming a high protein and well-balanced diet."

The bottom line is that your partner's health matters when it comes to conceiving a healthy pregnancy, and when it comes down to it, that's all you should have to tell him. If you are both committed about expanding your family, all the effort you put in to better yourselves and your health is for a tremendous reason.