Kick Butt (Cigarettes, That Is)
As if you needed another reason to quit smoking: Cigarette toxins not only damage a woman's eggs, interfering with the fertilization and implantation process, but also cause the ovaries to age. That means that the ovaries of a 35-year-old smoker function as if they belong to a 42-year-old and are therefore less fertile, says Robert Barbieri, MD, head of obstetrics and gynecology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston, and coauthor of 6 Steps to Increased Fertility (Simon & Schuster). "Smoking does permanent damage to your fertility, but when you cut out cigarettes, you get some ovarian function back."

Know Your Cycle
A normal menstrual cycle lasts about 25 to 35 days (start counting on the first day of your period). If your cycle is noticeably longer -- say, 42 days -- you can assume you're ovulating less often and may want to see your ob-gyn or midwife, says Michael Soules, MD, past president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and managing partner of Seattle Reproductive Medicine, a fertility clinic in Seattle, Washington. When you're ready to conceive, find your "fertile window," during which you should have intercourse regularly. A woman's fertile days are usually the day of ovulation and the four of five days before, not after. But don't assume that you automatically ovulate on day 14 of your cycle: A study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found that ovulation varies dramatically from woman to woman, occurring as early as day 6 and as late as day 21 of a cycle. How can you determine when you're ovulating? You can try an ovulation test kit, which checks for certain hormones in your urine, or note daily changes in your basal body temperature and cervical mucus.

Seek Serenity
Stress and depression may hamper your fertility. A Danish study, which followed 393 couples who were trying to get pregnant, found that women were less likely to conceive during months when they reported psychological distress. Experts suspect that stress, like heavy exercise, may throw off your body's hormone production, making your menstrual cycle less reliable. But learning to manage stress through relaxation techniques (such as mindfulness meditation or yoga) or support from a counselor or a group, can get your hormones back on track, Dr. Barbieri says.

Think Before Drinking
A growing body of research has linked alcohol consumption with a decreased ability to get pregnant (not to mention the harm it can cause to a developing fetus). Alcohol alters estrogen levels, which may interfere with egg implantation, although pouring an occasional glass of Pinot with your dinner is unlikely to harm fertility. You should also consider cutting back on caffeine while you try to conceive and during your pregnancy. A recent study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that women who drank the equivalent found in two cups of coffee were twice as likely to miscarry as those who didn't consume any. The bottom line: If you're thinking about getting pregnant, be a teetotaler and limit your daily java fix.

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