You may not be thinking about starting a family today, but if you are like most young women, you want to keep your options open. But how you take care of yourself now could have a big impact on whether you’ll be able to have children in the future. For the healthiest advance planning, start with the steps below.

Protect yourself against Cervical Cancer.
Cervical Cancer is the third most common gynecological cancer in the U.S. today, but when found and treated early Cervical Cancer can most often be cured. However, the treatment for Cervical Cancer often reduces fertility and may even result in a hysterectomy.

Get tested for STIs.
It’s a good idea to test a new partner and yourself for a range of problems before you have sex. Treating an infection and its symptoms as soon as possible can be critical to preventing long-term damage to your body. Get a Pap test, pelvic exam and testing for STIs every year.

Monitor changes in your period.
If you are bleeding or spotting between periods or after intercourse or begin having very painful or heavy periods—soaking through a pad or tampon every hour for more than six hours—tell your doctor. These could be signs of an STI or a disorder like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a serious STI complication that could lead to fertility problems down the road.

You should also talk with your doctor if your periods stop. That’s a signal that you may be too stressed, excessively underweight or suffering from a hormone imbalance.

Watch your weight.
Women who are either obese or very underweight may have problems getting pregnant. And overweight moms have a greater risk of problems during pregnancy, like high blood pressure, pregnancy-related diabetes or needing a C-section.

Having a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25 is considered ideal. A BMI of 25 to 30 is considered overweight and greater than 30 is considered obese, though your healthcare provider may include other diagnostic tools in determining if you need to gain or lose weight. If you think you may have a weight problem or an eating disorder, talk with your healthcare provider.

Manage your stress.
Do you often feel anxious and irritable, with a pounding heart and shortness of breath? Relentless stress upsets the balance of your body’s hormones, weakening your immune system and making you more vulnerable to invading germs. If you already have a chronic sexually transmitted infection, stress can also bring on an outbreak of symptoms, which makes any kind of sex more risky.

If you feel overly stressed, consider remedies like trying to get enough sleep, avoiding stimulants like caffeine and doing a stress-reducing activity like yoga or meditation.

Quit smoking.
If there is one thing you can do for your reproductive fitness, as well as for your health in general, it is to stop smoking now. Lighting up may impact fertility and it increases your risk of heart disease, as well as lung, mouth and Cervical Cancer.

Avoid environmental toxins.
Some man-made chemicals, including components of some plastics, disrupt hormones once they are in our bodies, throwing our systems out of whack and contributing to infertility and other reproductive problems.

To cut down your exposure to pesticides, eat organic fruits and vegetables whenever you can. And because some plastics shed harmful chemicals when they come into contact with heat, be on the safe side and never place hot food or liquids in contact with any kind of plastic, especially in the microwave.

Some drinking water contaminants—particularly lead, nitrates and pesticides—have also been linked to reproductive problems. Have your water tested every year, especially if you have your own well.

Start family planning early.
Women are most fertile between the ages of 20 and 24. Fertility starts dropping sharply after that, with the biggest drop-off after the age of 35. Your risk of pregnancy problems also increases after age 35. There’s no reason to have a baby before you’re ready, but you may want to consider all the factors when making plans for your future.

You don’t want to have anything impact your decision to have a family. That’s why you should take care to do all you can to prevent any issues that might contribute to infertility early on, to give yourself time for treatment. This includes making sure you have regular ob/gyn appointments and pap smears. Don’t wait to protect your chances of having kids—start protecting yourself today for your future.