What to Expect Before You're Expecting

recurrent urinary tract infections

Chicken pox (varicella). If testing shows that you don’t have antibodies or if you’ve never had chicken pox (most women of childbearing age have either had it or been vaccinated against it), it’s recommended that you be immunized against it prepregnancy, at least 1 month before you conceive. But once again, don’t worry if you get pregnant before the waiting period is up.

■ HPV (human papillomavirus). If you’re younger than 26, you should be vaccinated against HPV, but you’ll need to finish the full series of 3 shots before trying to conceive. If you become pregnant before completing the full series, you’ll have to resume the shots postpartum.