Are you planning to get pregnant in 2026? Don’t take conception for granted. It’s best to prepare your body for pregnancy in every way you can.

7 Tips to Help You Get Pregnant This Coming Year

Here are seven tips to increase your chances of getting pregnant in 2026.

1. Schedule a preconception appointment with your OB/GYN

Most women visit their OB/GYNs annually, answer a few cursory questions, and then have their pelvic exam. Every three to five years, you get your pap smear, and you may spend some time discussing birth control options or having a question, or two answered. Now, it’s time to go beyond that and schedule an appointment dedicated to your goal.

Preconception appointments take a closer and more intimate look at your body and your reproductive system to make sure nothing was missed in the past.

• Have you skipped your period more often than you’ve let your GYN know?
• Do your periods seem more intense, heavier, or last longer than you’d expect?
• Have you had an abortion in the past?
• Have you ever been pregnant and/or miscarried?

The more accurate and transparent you are about your reproductive health (past and present), the better able your OB/GYN is at scheduling the proper diagnostic tests if necessary and creating a personalized pregnancy plan.

2. Start tracking your periods and ovulation windows

If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to get familiar your menstrual cycle so you can predict when you’re ovulating. Many patients like using free versions of fertility apps such as Flo, Clue, Ovia, and Fertility Friend, which offer features like period and ovulation tracking, cycle prediction, and symptom logging.

3. Time sex for conception

When you’re “doing it right,” you’re having sex at least two or three times in the days leading up to ovulation as well as the day you ovulate. While eggs “live” for about 12 to 24 hours before being absorbed by the body, healthy sperm live for an average of three to five days. The more sperm there are before your egg emerges from the mature follicle, the higher its chances of fertilization.

4. Consider switching to an anti-inflammatory diet

We’re learning more every day about how intricately connected your reproductive system is with every other aspect of your physical self. For example, any issues affecting blood sugar levels and insulin production can negatively impact fertility. Underlying inflammation also affects the reproductive tract.

By switching to an anti-inflammatory diet, you focus on foods that nourish and support the body and eliminate foods and ingredients that trigger inflammation. Plus, eating right for pregnancy reduces inflammation in the body also helps to relieve the symptoms of PMS, endometriosis, and PCOS.

5. Partner up on weight management

There is a direct correlation between weight and fertility for women and men.  If you’re in a heterosexual relationship, get your partner on board if you need to lose (or gain) a few pounds. Being underweight or overweight equally challenges fertility. It affects ovulation as well as male fertility factors and sperm count. Making weight management a priority, with the goal of achieving a preconception BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, supports your fertility goals together.

6. Manage your stress

Studies are inconclusive around stress and infertility. While many studies said there was no correlation between stress and infertility, others have pointed out that women with higher stress hormone levels in their saliva take longer to get pregnant. Also, we know that stress leads to and/or exacerbates other health conditions that affect fertility, including inflammation and compromised immunity.

Finding healthy ways to manage your stress and take care of emotional health supports overall physical, mental, and emotional well-being, promoting fertility on all fronts.

7. Establish healthy sleep habits

Could you benefit from more sleep? Or better sleep? If so, make a resolution to establish healthy sleep habits and a balanced circadian rhythm

Recommendations for healthy sleep habits include:

• Creating a soothing bedtime ritual
• Stop using screens for at least 30 minutes before going to bed
• Avoid ingesting stimulants (sugar, caffeine, alcohol) for an hour or two before sleep time
• Minimize light sources in your bedroom by using blackout shades

Have you tried to get pregnant for 12 consecutive months without conceiving? Schedule an appointment with GIVF Fertility. Fertility testing and accurate diagnosis are essential to creating a personalized fertility plan.