Planning your pregnancy

Why is planning your pregnancy important?

More than half of pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, meaning many people become pregnant without being fully prepared..

Planning for pregnancy can help you have a healthy pregnancy and baby. Parents who plan their pregnancies are more likely to start prenatal care early and have healthy habits like taking a multivitamin with folic acid, an important nutrient that helps prevent neural tube defects (NTDs). Early and regular prenatal care helps support the best outcomes for both you and your baby.

How do you plan your pregnancy?

Make a reproductive life plan. This means thinking about if and when you want to have a baby. Ask yourself these questions:

• How many children do I want?
• How far apart do I want them to be?
• How can I improve my health before pregnancy?
• How is my partner’s health?

Talk to your partner about your reproductive life plan before you get pregnant. You and your partner may not agree on every answer, so it’s important to take some time to figure things out together. Here are some other things for you to think about:

• Birth control (also called contraception or family planning). There are many types of birth control, so be sure to ask your health care provider about the best kind of birth control based on your reproductive life plan.
• Hiring a doula for pregnancy support. A doula is a trained professional who can provide emotional, physical, and informational support before, during, and after pregnancy. Together you can create a birth plan that matches your needs and values, and work through challenges after birth, such as breastfeeding and recovery.

Are you ready to be a parent?

Life changes when you become a parent. Talk to your partner to make sure you’re both ready for your lives to be different. If you don’t have a partner, ask yourselves these questions to see if you’re ready to be a parent on your own.

Some questions to consider include:

• Why do you want to have a baby? Do you feel pressure to have a baby?
• How will your relationship with your partner (if you have one) change when you have a baby? Are you and your partner ready for these changes?
• How might having a baby affect your work or school?
• What will you do for childcare? Will you or your partner stay home, or do you need to find day care for your baby?
• Do you have specific traditions that you want to share with your child? Do you and your partner agree on these traditions?

Are you physically ready to get pregnant?

Getting your body ready can help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. A great way to get started is to get a preconception checkup. This is a medical checkup you get before you get pregnant. At this checkup, your provider makes sure you’re as healthy as possible so your body’s ready when you do get pregnant. This includes going over your family history and your own health history.

Are you financially ready for a baby?

Here’s what you can do to help you think about how a baby may affect your finances:

• Make a budget. You may need to cut back on spending to have money to pay for things your baby needs.
• Start saving. It’s not too early to start saving for your baby. Think about how much childcare and baby items cost and try to save that amount of money each month.
• Shop smart. Some baby items may need to be new, but you can buy some used or borrow from friends and family. Make sure things like car seats and cribs meet current safety standards.  Visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to learn about product safety standards and product recalls. 

What is parental leave?

Parental leave is time off from work after birth or adoption. This includes maternity leave for birthing parents and paternity leave for partners.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees who have worked at least one year for a company with 50 or more employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for parental care.

What about health insurance?

Health insurance (also called insurance plan, health coverage or health plan) helps you pay for medical care. Health insurance is important if you’re planning to have a baby.

Find out what your health insurance covers before and during pregnancy. For example, health plans have to cover preventive care services, like birth control to prevent pregnancy and vaccinations to protect you from certain diseases. If you’re choosing an insurance plan, think about what medical services and care you need now and what you’ll need if you get pregnant or have a baby.

What do you need to know about life insurance?

Life insurance pays money to certain people (for example, your partner or your children) when you die. You can buy life insurance on your own, or sometimes you can get it from your employer. There are different kinds of life insurance and lots of different companies that sell it. Talk with your partner about what kind of and how much life insurance you need.  

What is long-term disability insurance?

This kind of insurance gives money to you and your family if you get hurt or sick and can’t work. It’s important to have long-term disability to help take care of you and your family if you have to stop working because of a health condition. You can buy long-term disability insurance on your own, or sometimes you can get it from your employer. Talk with your partner about what kind of long-term disability insurance you need.

Do you need a will?

A will is a legal document that gives directions for what you want to happen when you die. In your will, you list your beneficiaries and what money or things you want each of them to get. You also say whom you want to take care of your children. You may want to hire a lawyer to help you write your will, or you can look online for information about how to do it yourself.

For more information

American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology: Getting Pregnant

NIH: Pre-Pregnancy Care and Prenatal Care Resources

CDC About Planning for Pregnancy

Last reviewed February 2025