In improving fertility you must take into account things that should be avoided. You should treat your body as if you are already pregnant.

This is because there's only about a 2 week window each month where you are considered safe. (Things like drinking alcohol, taking medications, strenuous exercise, etc.) It's always best to err on the side of caution and go ahead and act as if you are pregnant.

Here's a list of the things that I've been asked through the years about safety and preconception / pregnancy and in improving fertility:

Things to Avoid While Trying To Conceive

Alcohol

Alcohol should not be drunk once ovulation occurs. If you must drink, make sure you do so before you ovulate and abstain from it once ovulation has been confirmed. Alcohol does cause birth defects.

Amusement Park Rides

I would err on the side of caution and only ride the slow calm rides. Avoid the ones that jerk you around or throw you upside down.

Cigarettes

Smoking isn't good for anyone. Plenty of women do smoke cigarettes and get pregnant, but their babies tend to have lower birth weight.

Diet

Dieting is okay however it really depends on which diet you are on. Diets like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig are safe for early pregnancy. Be sure to check with your physician about continuing on these diets once pregnancy is established.

Drugs

Drugs or medications are generally not good for a pregnancy. Certainly illegal drugs should be stopped. If you are on prescriptions or over-the-counter meds, please ask your physician about taking them.

Exercise

Exercise in moderation. Trying to get pregnant is not the time to train for a triathlon.

Flying

Flying is safe while trying to conceive.

Hiking

Hiking is okay in moderation. Drink plenty of water and don't over-exert yourself.

Hot Tub Hot tubs are okay if the water isn't too hot. Make sure the water is warm - this goes for baths and showers too.

Swimming

Swimming in moderation is okay.

Now to talk about another big thing to avoid - and this is one area that will certainly help in improving fertility.

Improving Fertility - Do Not Douche!

Don't be taken in by the commercials of "freshness anytime". They make it sound as if all women should just hop down to their local store and purchase a box. Because if you don't, then you are dirty and smelly.

Who wants to be dirty and smelly? But relax, because this is far from true! The truth is - if you bathe daily with soap and water - and if you don't have an infection, there is no reason for you to be dirty or smelly.

You don't need to douche unless your physician prescribes one for you. The vagina is self-cleaning. Just simple daily bathing with soap and warm water will clean it right up and keep it fresh.

Douching is very detrimental to conception.  Douching washes away all the good cervical fluid leaving you with a dried-out vagina. Penetration is much more difficult as a result. If you already have problems producing enough fertile quality cervical fluid, douching could be devastating. And if you are inclined to douche after intercourse, then you are washing away the sperm and completely counteracting your chance of conception.

Douching introduces bacteria to the vagina. This leads to infections which can lead to infertility and miscarriage. Douching is linked to PID - pelvic inflammatory disease. It alters the acidity in the vagina making it susceptible for infection and impossible for sperm to live. The same holds true for scented tampons and vaginal sprays.

Here's the biggest negative with douching - it has possibly been linked with causing cervical cancer. The thought is that if you douche on a weekly basis you are more likely to contract cervical cancer. That's enough for me to never douche again.

Douching has also been linked to infertility. If you've been trying to conceive for a while and douche regularly, then you might want to stop. It's also thought to add to the ectopic pregnancy rate. Ectopic pregnancies cannot survive. Hope I've convinced you that douching is bad.

When improving fertility you have to let go of certain things - habits and such that can be bad for you and for a pregnancy. It's best to start off on the right foot and give your baby the best and most healthy chance possible.