Having a baby will completely change your life. While some of it will be a blessing, some of it will be experiences that you hope will get over quickly. But regardless of this, parenthood will take you into a brand new phase of your life.

While some babies come as a surprise, other babies take quite a bit more work to get here. Before you start prepping for morning sickness, or picturing your child’s future weddings and family events, there are some things that need your attention first. So if you’re ready to have a baby and want to ensure that your body’s just as prepared as your mind and heart are, here are three things you can do if you’re wanting to get pregnant soon. 

Start Tracking Your Cycles

In order to get pregnant, your egg has to be fertilized at the right time. And in order for you to ensure that this fertilization takes place at the right time, you’re going to want to start tracking your cycles.

According to Lauren Gelman, a contributor to Parents.com, there are just a few days out of the month where you’ll be fertile enough to get pregnant. These days, typically called your ovulation period, happen at different times for different women. 

One way you can know when you’re ovulating is by keeping track of when you start and stop your period. Another way is by taking ovulation tests, which are similar to pregnancy tests. These tests tell you when a certain hormone is most present in your body, which is a sign that you’re ovulating and should try to get pregnant within the next day or two. 

Begin Taking The Right Vitamins

In order to have a healthy pregnancy, you want to be sure that you’re treating your body correctly and giving both yourself and your fetus the nutrition necessary. Because of this, it’s important that you start taking prenatal vitamins as soon as you’re thinking about becoming pregnant or find out that you are pregnant.

According to Zahra Barnes, a contributor to Self.com, prenatals vitamins have folic acid in them, which is vital for the proper development of your baby. So before you start taking a prenatal vitamin, make sure it all this all-important element to it. 

Cut Back On Bad Habits and Begin The Good

There are quite a few things that many women do when they’re not pregnant that they shouldn’t do while they are pregnant. According to Cari Nierenberg, a contributor to LiveScience.com, this primarily includes things like smoking and drinking alcohol. If you currently do these things, try to quit before getting pregnant.

Not only should you stop these bad habits, but you should also start some healthy habits to keep yourself and your little one in tip-top shape while pregnant. Some of these habits include exercising, eating well, and drinking enough water. 

If you’re wanting to get pregnant soon, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you prepare yourself physically.