Women take birth control for a variety of reasons — to regulate hormones, to help with period cramps, or to prevent pregnancy. But if you're thinking about starting a family and getting off your birth control, you may not know where to start. You want to make sure you're doing what's right for your body, but you also want to make conceiving as easy as possible. So when exactly should you stop taking your birth control before trying to get pregnant?

Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a gynecologist, told POPSUGAR that women should "stop taking the pill about three months before trying to conceive," adding that it often takes that long for cycles to regulate, especially if you've been on the pill for a while. "Some women forget how irregular they were before going on the pill. Those women often return to irregular cycles."

In addition to getting off the pill, Dr. Minkin advises to start taking a multivitamin in its place, since, "Birth control pills can also delete B vitamins, which can lead to birth defects. Specifically, prenatal vitamins can help reduce the risk of neural tube defects due to the folic acid that is found within them." In other words, ovulation should naturally (and safely) commence three months after being off birth control. If you want to give your body a few extra months before trying to conceive, that's fine, too.

As always, be sure to talk to your doctor about any questions or concerns you may have prior to conception.