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    Improve your diet . The better your nutrition, the healthier your sperm and the more likely you’ll conceive. Your diet should be a balanced, healthy one that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. To be sure you get adequate amounts of the most important nutrients (especially vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D, zinc, and calcium, all of which appear to affect fertility or the health of sperm), take a vitamin-mineral supplement while you are attempting to conceive. The supplement should contain folic acid; a low intake of this nutrient in fathers-to-be has been linked to decreased fertility as well as to birth defects.
    Look at your lifestyle. All the answers are not yet in, but research is beginning to show that the use of drugs—including excessive amounts of alcohol—by the male partner prior to conception could prevent pregnancy or lead to a poor pregnancy outcome. The mechanisms aren’t clear, but drug use and daily heavy drinking can apparently damage sperm as well as reduce their number and can alter testicular function and reduce testosterone levels (not a good scenario when you’re trying to conceive). Heavy drinking (equivalent to two drinks a day or five on any one day) during the month before conception could also affect your baby’s birth-weight. Keep in mind, too, that if you cut down on or cut out alcohol, it will be much easier for your partner to do likewise. If you are unable to quit drugs or reduce your alcohol intake, seek help now.
    Get your weight on track . Men with a very high BMI (or body mass index, a measure of body fat based on height and weight. are more likely to be infertile than normal-weight men. Even a 20-pound increase in your weight may increase the chance of infertility by 10 percent, according to researchers. So get your weight in check before trying to conceive.
    Stop smoking. No ifs, ands, or butts: Smoking reduces the number of sperm and makes conceiving more difficult. In addition, quitting now will improve the health of everyone in your family, since secondhand smoke is nearly as dangerous to them as firsthand smoke is to you. In fact, it can increase your baby-to-be’s risk of dying of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
    Don’t get zapped. High lead levels, as well as some organic solvents (such as those found in paints, glues, varnishes, and metal degreasers), pesticides, or other chemicals can interfere with a male’s fertility, so avoid these or limit your exposure as much as possible in preparation for conception.
    Keep ’em cool . Sperm production is impaired when the testicles become overheated. In fact, they prefer to be a couple of degrees cooler than the rest of you, which is why they hang away from your body. So avoid hot tubs and hot baths, saunas, electric blankets, and snug clothing, such as tight jeans. Also avoid synthetic pants and underwear, which can overheat you in hot weather. And keep your laptop off your lap, since the heat from the device can raise your scrotal temperature and reduce your sperm count. Until you conceive, treat it like a desktop.
    Keep ’em safe. If you play any rough sports (including football, soccer, basketball, hockey, baseball, or horseback riding), wear protective gear to prevent injury to the genitals, which can damage fertility. Even too much bicycling has the potential to cause problems. According to some experts, the constant pressure on the genitals by a bicycle seat may interfere with conception by damaging arteries and nerves. If you experience genital numbness and/or tingling, and changing seats or lifting yourself off the seat periodically as you ride doesn’t help, it would be a good idea to cut down on bicycling during the conception-attempting period. Numb genitals don’t perform as well as they should. If the numbness (and/or tingling) doesn’t go away, see your doctor.
    Relax. Sure, you’ve got a lot on your mind as you contemplate bringing a baby into your