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Getting pregnant isn't always as easy as everyone makes out. We all tend to focus on what we should do when we're actually trying. But there are some things you can do before you even start trying to conceive.

1. Ditch your vices

Most of us like a cup of coffee or an alcoholic drink and some of us smoke. If you do any of these and are thinking of trying to conceive, then the best advice is to stop... immediately.

While a couple of units of alcohol probably won't do much harm, it's difficult for lots of people to drink only one beer or glass of wine a night.

Alcohol not only piles on unwanted calories and excess weight, but also tends to make blood sugar go up and down which is very unhelpful for women. Having a stable blood sugar level is vital, because it helps hormone production.

It's also recommended that you ditch caffeine if you want to conceive. It has been proved that it increases the time it takes to conceive and has been linked to miscarriage and premature birth.

Stopping smoking is a bit of a no-brainer. Smoking increases fertility in both men and women and women who smoke are twice as likely to be infertile as women who don't. Smoking may also affect how well the fallopian tubes work, according to studies.

2. Check your weight

Being overweight or underweight will make it more difficult for you to conceive.

Lots of overweight people conceive without losing weight, but even dropping 10% of your body weight will help.

Why does weight matter? According to fertility expert Zita West, author of Zita West's Guide to Getting Pregnant, 'excess weight affects hormone production, which is critical to a woman's ability to ovulate and get pregnant.'

Fat cells release the hormone oestrogen all the time and the more oestrogen a woman has in her body, the more it cuts down the production of FSH, a hormone that is crucial for getting pregnant.

If you're underweight, you will have different problems. You're less likely to ovulate regularly and won't produce enough hormones to enable a pregnancy to continue past fertilisation.
- We have lots of exercise and diet plans that can help you lose or gain weight, or else why not join our Diet Club.

• Next: Things to do before trying for a baby: The Pill and your doctor

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