Hi, I am currently using an othro vera birth control patch and I currently get my menstrual cycle for a week, but my partner and I are wanting to conceive a child in December, but I have some questions.

1. how early would I have to be off the birth control to be able to get pregnant

2. before this I have already had irregular menstrual cycles, so would I be able to tell my ovulation days

3. what tests or appointments would I need before I try to get pregnant

4. Is there anything else that would increase my chances of becoming pregnant

You can get pregnant as soon as you stop your birth control, though if you stop it mid cycle there's a possibility you might not ovulate. The best thing you can do to help yourself get pregnant is be healthy; don't drink or smoke, drink lots of water, eat healthy, and take prenatal vitamins.

There are a few ways to predict your ovulation. One is the at home ovulation tests, which you can buy at the store and I've heard Amazon sells some for cheap. What they do is measure your LH hormone (luteinizing hormone) which is what causes the follicle that holds and nurtures the egg to burst so it can be released into your fallopian tube. After you have the surge you have 36 hours of fertility. The problem with this though is the surge is very brief so you would have to catch it at the right time, which is difficult. I think I read that mid-afternoon is the best time to test.

Then there is the BBT method (basal body temperature). It doesn't tell you when you're ovulating but after. Right after you're done ovulating your progesterone will spike, causing a body temperature raise of .4 to .6. When you take your temperature you want to take it in the morning right after you wake up, before you eat or drink. To use this method you need to chart your temperature everyday, and after a few months you should be able to figure out what time of the month you usually ovulate.

Another way is to watch your vaginal mucus. When you near ovulation you should start getting a lot of mucus, which tends to be stringy and sticky. Directly before ovulation it will increase and take the consistency of raw egg whites.

A great site for more information is Ovulation Calculator: Free Ovulation Calendar, Online Pregnancy Test, and Fertility Charting (http://www.ovulation-calculator.com) . Also the trying to conceive boards on BabyCenter | Homepage - Pregnancy, Baby, Toddler, Kids (http://www.babycenter.com) are very nice and helpful. Hope this helps, good luck!

I wanted to add to the first thin I said. You technically can get pregnant as soon as you stop your because, however for a lot of people it takes time for your body to get back in its natural rhythm of making their own hormones for you to be fertile right away. Especially if you've been on it for a long time.