Once a woman becomes pregnant, she will encounter plenty of questions, on topics ranging from pre-natal vitamins to gestational diabetes. But even before you become pregnant there is a lot to learn. Talking with your doctor will let you see how your health, medical history, diet and lifestyle can affect not only your ability to get pregnant, but your odds of delivering a healthy baby. And because many things, such as starting a daily folate regimen, should be understood months before you "officially" start trying to get pregnant, the sooner you can start asking the right questions, the better. Am I healthy enough to carry a baby to term? There's no doubt that the healthier the mother is, the more likely she is to have a healthy pregnancy. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notes that "Experts agree that women need to be healthier before becoming pregnant. By taking action on health issues and risks before pregnancy, you can prevent problems that might affect you or your baby later." The HSS further reports that conditions such as diabetes may affect your pregnancy, so it's especially important to talk openly with your doctor about your current health and your medical history (previous abortions or miscarriages, drug use, diseases you or a relative may have had), as well as any questions or concerns that come to mind. Should my age be a consideration? While the number of new moms in their 40s continues to rise, thanks in large part to improvements in fertility medicine, the risks of complications and birth defects increase with age. The March of Dimes reports that the odds of having a baby with Down Syndrome at age 25 is one in 1,250, while the odds at age 40 drop to one in 100. While those odds shouldn't preclude you from considering pregnancy, it's worth having the discussion with your doctor to be better informed about how your age can affect your pregnancy. Should I start taking supplements? Research shows that taking folic acid (also knowns as folate) for as much as a year before conception can reduce the odds of premature birth by up to 50 percent. The National Institutes of Health reports that women taking folate before and during pregnancy, can significantly reduce the risk of a fetus developing a neural tube defect, a condition that either limits brain development and can be fatal or leads to spinal problems, often leading to partial paralysis of the legs. A multi-vitamin that includes folate, iron, calcium and other nutrients is recommended during pregnancy to make up for deficiencies in the mother's diet. When should I stop using birth control? It's best to stop using the pill, patch or ring at the end of a cycle to avoid mid-cycle bleeding, according to Baystate Health's Birthing Services. And then figure on a few months before your periods are regular again and you start ovulating again. However, you can become pregnant the first month after you stop taking the pill, so be ready for the chance of conception once you stop whatever birth control method you currently use.