What Happens at a Preconception Visit?
A preconception visit is an appointment with a healthcare provider, scheduled before you try to conceive, to review your medications, vaccines, health history, and daily habits. It does not commitment any particular pregnancy outcome. It is a chance to organize your questions so you don’t miss anything important.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, such as severe pain, heavy bleeding, or trouble breathing, contact local emergency services right away instead of waiting for a scheduled visit.
What Does a Preconception Visit Usually Cover?
Clinicians structure visits differently, but preconception care generally covers a few core areas. Knowing this map ahead of time can help you feel prepared rather than overwhelmed.
- Current medicines and supplements you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter products, and vitamins
- Vaccination history and whether any vaccines are recommended before pregnancy
- Personal and family health history, including chronic conditions and past pregnancies
- Lifestyle factors such as alcohol, tobacco, other substances, and exposure to certain chemicals
- Nutrition and weight, including whether a folic acid supplement is right for you
- Mental health and emotional well-being as you plan for this transition
The sections below walk through each of these areas with specific questions you can bring to your appointment, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Our Editorial Policy describes our full sourcing process.
5 Steps to Prepare for Your Preconception Visit
- Schedule the visit early. The CDC recommends starting these conversations before you begin trying to conceive, not after, so you have time to make adjustments with your provider.
- Write down every medicine and supplement you take. Include prescriptions, over-the-counter products, vitamins, herbal products, and any cannabis or CBD products, with doses.
- Locate your vaccination records, or ask your provider to help you find them.
- Summarize your health history, including chronic conditions, past pregnancies, surgeries, and mental health history, plus what you know of your family’s health history.
- Write out your specific questions so you don’t forget them once you’re in the room. The sections below can help you build that list.
What Should I Tell My Doctor About Medicines and Supplements Before Pregnancy?
Many people take at least one medicine regularly, and you shouldn’t stop or change a medicine on your own before checking with a provider. The FDA encourages anyone planning a pregnancy to talk with a health care provider before making any changes to what they take.
Bring your written medicine list, then ask questions like these:
- Will I need to change any of my medicines if I want to get pregnant, or if I find out I am pregnant?
- How might this specific medicine affect a pregnancy?
- Are there medicines or supplements I should stop, switch, or avoid, and what should I use instead, if needed?
- Will my dose need to change once I am pregnant, since the body processes some medicines differently during pregnancy?
- Could I continue this medicine if I later choose to breastfeed?
- Should I start taking a prenatal vitamin now, and what should it contain?
Your provider may also point you to the printed label or patient information that comes with a specific medicine, which describes what is known about its use during pregnancy.
Why Does Folic Acid Come Up Before Pregnancy?
Folic acid is a B vitamin. Getting enough of it before conception and in early pregnancy is linked to a lower risk of certain birth defects of the brain and spine, called neural tube defects. The CDC recommends 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, starting at least one month before pregnancy. Ask your provider how this applies to you and whether a prenatal vitamin is the right way to get it, since some prenatal vitamins may have more or less of certain nutrients than you need.
Is Cannabis or CBD Safe to Use While Trying to Conceive?
If you use cannabis products, including CBD or THC, in any form, this is worth raising directly with your provider. The FDA notes that using cannabis during pregnancy may affect fetal brain development and has been associated with lower birth weight and premature birth, and that THC can remain in breast milk for several days after use. A product labeled “natural” is not the same as confirmed safe during pregnancy, so check with your provider before continuing or starting any supplement, herbal product, or cannabis product.
What Vaccines Should I Check on Before Trying to Conceive?
Vaccination status is a standard part of preconception care because some vaccines are recommended before pregnancy, while others are handled differently once you are already pregnant. Bring your records if you have them, and consider asking:
- Which vaccines am I up to date on, and which, if any, am I missing?
- Are there vaccines recommended to complete before I become pregnant rather than during pregnancy?
- If I need a vaccine now, is there a recommended waiting period before trying to conceive?
- Which vaccines, if any, are recommended during pregnancy itself?
Your provider is the right source for guidance specific to your vaccination history and health conditions, since recommendations can depend on individual factors.
What Health History Should I Bring to a Preconception Visit?
Your provider cannot review risks they don’t know about. Consider covering:
- Any chronic conditions you manage now, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid conditions, or autoimmune conditions
- Past pregnancies, including any complications, losses, or preterm births
- Surgeries or hospitalizations that may be relevant
- Mental health history, including anxiety, depression, or other conditions and any treatment you’re currently receiving
- Family health history on both sides, since some conditions have a genetic component
On family history specifically, the CDC notes your provider may refer you for genetic counseling based on what you share, particularly if you’ve had repeated pregnancy losses, difficulty conceiving, or a genetic condition or birth defect in a previous pregnancy. Bringing whatever family health information you have, even incomplete, gives your provider more to work with.
What Lifestyle Factors Should I Discuss Before Trying to Conceive?
The CDC includes alcohol use, smoking, and use of certain drugs in preconception planning, since these are linked to risks such as premature birth and birth defects. If you currently drink, smoke, or use drugs and are finding it hard to stop, the CDC suggests reaching out to your provider or a local treatment resource, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a local alcohol treatment center, rather than managing it alone.
Also consider asking about:
- Chemical or environmental exposures at your job or in your home, such as certain metals, pesticides, or cleaning products
- Your current weight and whether your provider has specific guidance for you, since both higher and lower body weight can carry pregnancy-related risks
- Sleep, stress, and daily routines that might affect how you’re feeling as you plan this transition
Why Does Mental Health Come Up at a Preconception Visit?
The CDC includes mental health as a standard part of preconception planning. If you have ongoing worry, sadness, or stress that doesn’t go away and is affecting your daily life, this is worth discussing with your provider, who can talk through your feelings and treatment options with you. If you’re in a stressful or unsafe living situation, healthcare professionals can also connect you with counseling and support services.
If This Applies to You, Here’s Where to Start
- If you take a daily prescription medicine, ask your provider specifically whether it needs to change before or during pregnancy — don’t stop or adjust it on your own first.
- If you smoke, drink, or use recreational drugs, ask your provider about support options now rather than waiting until you’re already pregnant.
- If you have a chronic condition like diabetes or thyroid disease, ask how it will be monitored differently once you’re trying to conceive.
- If you’ve had a previous pregnancy loss or difficulty conceiving, ask whether genetic counseling or additional testing makes sense for you.
- If you’re not currently taking a prenatal vitamin, ask when to start one and what to look for in it.
Printable Preconception Visit Checklist
Copy or print this list and fill it in before your appointment.
- List of all current medicines, including prescription, over-the-counter, and supplements, with doses
- List of any vitamins or herbal products you take, including cannabis or CBD products
- Your vaccination record, or a note that you need help locating it
- A written summary of your personal health history, including chronic conditions and past pregnancies
- Notes on your family health history from both sides, as far as you know it
- Any known chemical, workplace, or home exposures you want to ask about
- Notes on alcohol, tobacco, or other substance use you want to discuss
- A note on your current mental health and stress levels
- Your specific questions about folic acid and prenatal vitamins
- Any questions about timing, such as how far in advance of trying to conceive you should make changes
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance of trying to conceive should I schedule this visit?
There’s no single fixed timeline for everyone, and this is something to ask your own provider about directly. The CDC frames preconception planning as something to start before you begin trying, in part because folic acid intake is recommended for at least one month beforehand and some medicine adjustments may need lead time.
Do I need a preconception visit if I’m not currently on any medicine?
A preconception visit can still be useful even without medicines to review, since it also covers vaccines, family history, lifestyle factors, and mental health. Your provider can help you decide what’s most relevant to your situation.
Can my regular primary care provider do this, or do I need a specialist?
This is a question worth asking your own provider, since it can depend on your health history and local care options. Many people start this conversation with their regular primary care or OB-GYN provider.
What if I don’t know my family’s health history?
Bring whatever you do know, even if incomplete. The CDC notes that partial family health history can still help your provider decide whether genetic counseling or additional screening makes sense.
Is it too late for a preconception visit if I’m already pregnant?
A preconception visit is specifically designed for before pregnancy. If you’re already pregnant, your provider will guide you through prenatal care instead, which covers similar ground, including medicines, vaccines, and health history, at a different stage.
What This Guide Does Not Cover
This checklist is meant to help you prepare for a conversation with a qualified healthcare provider. It does not diagnose any condition, recommend starting, stopping, or changing any medicine, or predict how any individual pregnancy will go. Preconception needs vary by person, and only a provider who knows your full history can give you guidance specific to your situation.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See our full Medical Disclaimer. Always talk with a qualified healthcare provider about your own health history and any medicines, vaccines, or supplements before making decisions related to pregnancy planning.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Planning for Pregnancy; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Medicine and Pregnancy.
By ReproductiveHealthCtr.com Health Education Team. Last updated: September 2026. Learn more about Reproductive Health Center.