Trying to conceive
Preconception Readiness Checklist
Planning to try for a baby? This private checklist turns CDC preconception-care guidance into a personalized to-do list — folic acid, vaccines, STI screening, medication review, and more. Tick what's done, see what's left, and nothing you enter leaves your device.
Much of what makes a pregnancy healthy happens before you know you're pregnant — this is how to get a head start.
Preconception checklist
Based on CDC preconception-care guidance. This is general information, not medical advice — a preconception visit with a clinician is the best way to personalize it.
Why it matters
The head start that counts
A pregnancy's foundations are laid in the first few weeks — often before a test turns positive. That's why folic acid, vaccine immunity, well-managed health conditions, a medication review, and stopping smoking or alcohol all work best when they're in place before you conceive.
None of this needs to be perfect before you start, and much of it you can begin on your own. Use the list to see what's worth raising, then have one focused preconception conversation with a clinician rather than worrying piecemeal.
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Sources
Where this comes from
The checklist items follow the CDC's preconception-health recommendations and ACOG patient guidance — folic acid, vaccination, chronic-condition and medication review, STI screening, healthy lifestyle, and more. It's a way to organize what's worth doing before trying; a preconception visit personalizes it.
Medically Reviewed & Fact-Checked · Updated
Reviewed by EasySTD Editorial Team
Compiled and checked by EasySTD's editorial team against CDC and public-health sources. This is educational information, not a substitute for advice from a licensed clinician. Our editorial guidelines →
3 Sources
Data & references
- CDC: Planning for Pregnancy (preconception health)https://www.cdc.gov/preconception/planning.html
- CDC: Folic Acid recommendationshttps://www.cdc.gov/folic-acid/about/index.html
- ACOG: Preparing for Pregnancy (FAQ)https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/preparing-for-pregnancy
EasySTD is an information and comparison directory, not a healthcare provider. This tool is general information based on CDC guidance: it is not medical advice, and it does not create a doctor-patient relationship. A clinician can tailor preconception care to you.
Good to Know
Preconception care: frequently asked questions
Why it matters, when to start folic acid, which vaccines, what both partners can do, and whether to see a doctor first.
Why does preconception care matter?
Because a lot of what shapes a healthy pregnancy happens before you even know you're pregnant — often in the first few weeks, when the baby's neural tube and organs are forming. Taking folic acid, being up to date on vaccines, getting chronic conditions under control, reviewing medications, and stopping smoking or alcohol all work best when they're in place before conception, not after. Preconception care is simply getting those things sorted while you have time, to give a future pregnancy the best possible start.
When should I start taking folic acid?
Ideally at least one month before you start trying to conceive, and then through at least the first trimester. The CDC recommends 400 micrograms of folic acid daily for anyone who could become pregnant, because it substantially reduces the risk of neural-tube defects like spina bifida — and these form very early, often before a pregnancy is confirmed. Some people (for example those with a history of a neural-tube defect) need a higher dose, which a clinician can advise. A daily prenatal vitamin usually contains enough.
Which vaccines should I have before pregnancy?
It's worth checking that you're immune to rubella (measles-mumps-rubella, MMR) and chickenpox (varicella), because both infections can harm a pregnancy and both vaccines are 'live' — meaning they can't be given during pregnancy, so any catch-up needs to happen beforehand (with a short wait before trying). It's also good to be current on Tdap (whooping cough) and the flu shot. A clinician can check your records and titers and recommend what you need before conceiving.
Should both partners do anything?
Yes. While the pregnancy-carrying partner's health gets most of the focus, the other partner's health matters too — smoking, heavy drinking, some medications, and certain exposures can affect sperm and fertility, and a supportive, healthy household helps. Reviewing family and genetic history together is useful for carrier screening, and both partners benefit from getting any STIs checked and treated. Preconception is genuinely a two-person project.
Do I need to see a doctor first?
A preconception visit is a great idea if you can, but you don't have to have everything perfect before you start. Many items — folic acid, quitting smoking, a dental check — you can begin on your own, while others (medication reviews, managing chronic conditions, checking vaccine immunity, STI testing) are best done with a clinician. Use this checklist to see what's worth raising, then have one focused conversation rather than worrying piecemeal.
Is what I enter private?
Yes. This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are used on your own device and are never sent to a server, saved, or shared — close the tab and they're gone. In a post-Dobbs world we treat reproductive data as sensitive by default. It's general educational information based on CDC guidance; it isn't medical advice.
Have a different question? Browse the full pregnancy FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.