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Alcohol

Women who are frequent drinkers are at risk of having babies with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). This only usually occurs with higher levels of drinking, but even moderate alcohol intake (more than three units per day) can lead to mental and growth retardation, behavioral problems, and facial and heart defects.

To reduce your alcohol intake:

• Try sticking to fruit juices and water
• Ask your partner not to drink in the house
• Don't keep alcohol in the house

Smoking

Smoking increases your chances of a miscarriage during the first trimester. Mothers who smoke are also more likely to go into premature labour, have a premature rupture of membranes, experience third trimester bleeding, have slower fetal growth, and deliver underweight babies.

Prospective fathers who smoke should also quit, as exposure to "passive smoking" during pregnancy is also harmful. Smoking also impairs a woman's fertility.

Smoking affects sperm and may impair male fertility too. You can't count on quitting smoking overnight, so it's best to start trying to withdraw from cigarettes well before attempting to conceive.

Caffeine

Start weaning yourself off coffee before conception. Since it has been medically proven that caffeine affects a woman’s fertility, women who are trying to conceive should avoid both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. In fact, it has been shown that caffeine can interfere with the egg’s ability to become implanted in a woman’s uterus.

Drugs

Illegal drugs are bad for your health, whether or not you are pregnant and they can only harm a baby. If you use them, it's imperative to stop before trying to conceive.

Even over-the-counter drugs can do harm when trying to conceive and can even cause miscarriages.