Before you even think of conceiving, you and your partner ought to examine your diet and supplements. After all, an amazing amount of development occurs in the first 2 weeks of a baby's existence!

One key supplement you need is folic acid. Folic acid is a B-vitamin (B9, if you're wondering), and it is naturally found in whole grains, nuts, beans and leafy green vegetables. We have known for years that it is crucial for neural tube development in a fetus, which occurs by day 28 of pregnancy. The neural tube is the precursor to the spinal cord, and if it doesn't develop properly, the result is neural tube defects like spina bifida.

Supplementing your diet with at least 800 mcg of folic acid will minimize your chances of your baby being affected with a neural tube defect. There are still about 2000 babies born each year in the US with neural tube defects. The daily maximum for follic acid is 1 mg, and there is no reason to take more than this. Most prenatal vitamins contain 1 mg.

Preventing neural tube defects is one of the major reasons why bread and flour in many countries, including the US, are now fortified with folic acid. This has been somewhat controversial because there is concern that excess consumption of folic acid will mask a B12 deficiency or contribute to an increase in bowel cancer. I won't jump into that debate here.

Now, it is interesting to know that folic acid may also help with conception. In one study from the Nurses Health Study, the women who took folic acid had a lower risk of ovulatory failure than women who did not. This study group is huge--over 18,000 nurses participated in this study--and it has yielded great data in many other health conditions. Obviously, if ovulatory problems are corrected, then a woman has a greater chance of conceiving. For some women, that may be the only roadblock to conception.

It may also help men who have sperm chromosomal abnormalities. This would not only impair conception, but it could result in higher risk of miscarriages or even genetic disorders.

So take your supplements and cross your fingers that this month is YOUR month!