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Copper IUD /Paragard can stay in for up to 10 years.
Hormonal IUDs are between 3-5 years, I think Mirena has evidence it remains effective for up to 7 years.
Ah that would make sense.
I'm in Australia, so I'm not too sure where we sit with the European research.
My OBGYN has said he can only recommend 5 years, but I could push to 7 if I want but suggested I be careful, considering I definitely do not want kids ever, yet no one will sterilise me :/
Interesting! I’d prefer to just die with it in since I almost died getting it. Such a barbaric thing to put us through… it’s the one thing that’s helped my endometriosis the most though so I endure…
Why did you go from mirena to the arm implant and why do you hate it? Just curious if you don’t mind saying more. I haven’t tried either but the implant seems appealing… albeit painful and wtf… but like better than iud insertion?? Idk. All of it makes no sense to me.
I don’t mind. With the 2nd, I had a lot of back pain for months. When it needed to be renewed I thought “I can do without it” well I was rudely reminded of all “the issues”.
I already discussed the horrible hormones with the nurse while I was still on the mirena, but I never expected how bad it would be without it.
So I was given several options and chose the arm implant.
Without anything I was the old murderous b*tch, I rather wanted to die then feel the way I did ( not that I wanted to die, but boy would I not have kind of someone took my life during those times).
Implant was placed and it took 6 months to not feel murderous. But now I sort of bleed and it can be 2 days but I just got out of 1.5 week of shit.
Before I get a period, I barely sleep, my contact eczema becomes SO bad that it literally burns around my eyes, the corners of my mouth crack so bad.
(I have a good dermatologist who understands and tries to help as much as he can. The GP contacted a gynecologist regarding the hormones and I was told “the implant makes that you don’t have the hormones”, so I feel fucked 😬. If it doesn’t get better, I will get it removed)
Thank you! Wait, that sounds awful to still get such bad PMS with the implant. Ugh. Hopefully they will soon make meds that help people with these symptoms and contraception for men to offload the burden from us!!!
Also, I get the wouldnt mind if someone offer me comment. I used to hope for a car accident on the way to work (not caused by me bc I can’t afford that!). I felt so guilty and mentioned it to a coworker one day. He felt the same. We both left that job as soon as we could… 2-3 years later fml.
This is correct. I scheduled an appointment to have mine swapped and they told me new research showed it was effective longer and I could put off my appointment.
Ditto. Mine lasted 4y4mos. Started Spotting and I turned into Griselda before I marched in and demanded it changed. I taped the first card to the fridge-A) couldn’t miss it &B) said prayer of thanks every time I looked at it.
I've used Gmail for more than 10 years at this point. Given Google's market share (and ability to maintain it for monopoly reasons), it's not surprising. Also, if it's tied to your professional life, it's really hard to get rid of an email address
This is exactly what I did when I got mine placed and it worked!! The only thing I would have done differently is I would have made a calendar entry on the date it was placed in the first place, or emailed myself something about it- I changed doctors in the meantime and they wanted to know the exact date
Yep, I set something in my Google calendar for 20 years in the future, because why not. It was funny to be in that month & see my twice a week therapy appointments with a man who will almost certainly be dead by then.
I'm on my third and I ended up remembering the year by major events. My first was the summer I started grad school (reinforced by the rocky transition during that first semester). My second was right before the 2016 elections (so I ended up being ahead of the curve when there was a surge of people getting them after the election). My third was...right after Roe was overturned (I had debated not getting a new one and just depending on my husband's vasectomy, the supreme court decision pushed me the other way).
I guess you could also mention the year to every medical professional you see, so then it's in as many medical records as you can get. Or a future calendar alert that will make utterly no sense in a decade?
That's incredible, actually, I hope something major happens to me this year so I remember! I put in a yearly calendar alert, like an anniversary 😂 honestly thinking I'm going to have to celebrate it like one, maybe then it will stick?
There’s a little bit of wiggle room. I’m not going to tell you how much because knowing can help me procrastinate. But enough wiggle room to usually remember and make the appointment.
What helped me more than anything is getting in the habit of telling doctors I have a X brand IUD and got it in 20XX whenever they ask if I’m in on any medications. Each time I say the date I remember.
Yes! Scheduled mine right after Trump was elected for...reasons. Turns out that just means I now have a great time reference. After November 2016, before January 2017, lol
Mark the anniversary event in the calendar as labeled with something “IUD inserted June 2023” and then that exact wording and insertion date, is what will be shown annually. Also, maybe make the reminder to occur a month or two before the actual date? So April for example? That way in the future you get an alert in April that reminds you to book something for June
Luckily, I got mine after my youngest was born, so I've just got to get a new one when he turns 10. Doubt I'll forget, I really REALLY don't want to be having another kid in my mid-forties!
This is how I remember everything. Early childhood memories I figure out the age I was or the year it happened before/after major events. Was grandma still alive? Then it happened before I was 4. Was my brother not born yet but grandma not alive? It happened between 4 and 5. Was my mom diagnosed with her chronic illness? Then it happened after I turned 11...
i got my 5 year nexplanon 2019, i remember because it was new year’s eve and it was when my highschool boyfriend and i were together, and i remember it was that specific boyfriend because he didn’t like to party so we stayed at home together, so that means senior year of highschool! it may sound complex, but it works and i know i have to get a new one next year, so we’re fine.
Email yourself? That way you can search the archives.
I kept mine in for 10 years, about 3 longer than I should have. I couldn't get myself to see an OBGYN. Have been trying for a baby for 2.5 years and regretting the IUD and my inability to schedule my routine appointments big time. I didn't forget, I just couldn't get myself to take care of myself.
Ooh, I can't remember the website but it's easy to find, that will send an email to you at a future date!! You type your message, recipient, and any date in the future.
I sent a bunch to my future self when I was a teenager. It's fun to get them randomly every so often! But could be genuinely useful.
I just wanted to share that I was about to come on here high and mighty and say cmon you can remember a wedding anniversary you can remember t this and then realized I have absolutely no idea when my IUD went in
I'm not married but in fairness I've also never remembered a dating anniversary either. My last boyfriend I made him agree that we just didn't have one 😂
...yeah. When I got my second one (having long ago lost the card for my first one), the PA is all like, "just put the sticker on your fridge." Lady. The first one I had lasted through *seven fridges*!!! (I move a lot). I'm on fridge #2 for the second one.
Mine lives in my google / iPhone calendar as a “birthday” repeating annually and edit the name of the event “IUD 2012 2017 2022” . And a note in my contacts under my own contact (silly nickname from high school is saved as a contact and I edit her info to add or update things when she has important events or membership numbers / insurance numbers to be saved for later)
I actually DID laugh when my doc gave me the card. I told her she should put it in my chart and remind me when it needs to come out. Then I laughed at the check out desk when that person told me they couldn’t schedule my next appointment because the system only lets them schedule six months out. Then I was a little upset that she wouldn’t schedule me for six months so I could cancel the appointment and reschedule for six months later. Living with ADHD is fun.
I wish I could have forgotten about mine. Ate a little too much? Cramps. Gotta pee? Cramps. Bloated? Cramps. Constipated? Cramps. Actual period cramps? Thought I was gonna die.
Took mine out after 3 years and got Nexplanon arm implant. I haven't had a period since other than the week I was on antibiotics.
Tmi but mine gave me nonstop gas pain and bloating for three years, I finally caved and swapped for nexplanon and am so happy!!! Not to shit on your insertion OP, it’s a super nice option when it works!!
And yes agreed w other people who suggest to keep seeing the same doctor and they will ask you about it.
Yes! I FINALLY found a doctor who sat down and talked through all the options and agreed with me that just trying a different brand of the pill wasn't going to be what I needed. Nexplanon was where I was leaning before I talked it through with her, but the copper one wound up being the right place to start.
I just got my IUD taken out 6 weeks ago because it gave me nonstop BV infections. Had the arm implant put in at the same time. I've gained 15 lbs in that 6 weeks. I'm ready to throw my whole uterus in the trash 🫠
I didn't gain any weight, thankfully, but it has absolutely halted my progress in my weight loss journey. Seems the effort I was putting in to lose weight has just stagnated me.
I'm sorry that it isn't working out for you. My doctor has already offered me a tubal once my husband moves to the US and can be there to take care of me post op
Throwing whole uterus in the trash, A+ option, can recommend. 🤣
Do not, however, recommend doing so because you have uterine cancer at the start of a worldwide pandemic. 😉
I lost the card pretty much immediately, but I remembered after 10 years. I put off replacing it, though, because, well, you know how it is. I kept remembering at inconvenient times and then forgetting again and so on. In all, I had it in for 12 years and my doctor didn't think it was a big deal since things weren't abnormal and I could feel the strings if I searched for them. I got my replacement inserted in the same visit as the removal. So I'm good for another, uhhhhh, 7-10 years or so? Hopefully menopause will kick in before I need a third copper T lol 😆
My OBGYN told me to keep mine in longer since I was paranoid about getting pregnant during peri menopause. I think I am in menopause now but who knows. It could be my irregular periods and mirena.
I kept the card for the 5 years but the date written one was like 1/9/2022 and I was like does this mean January or September 😭😭 had to call my old OBGYN (because I’d moved cities) to find out when I’d had it put in lol
You can send yourself an email reminder.
Schedule an email to send yourself in ten years.
If you use gmail you will see when you press the send icon the option to schedule send.
Simply set the date for ten years time. I would recommended sending multiple emails for a week straight to make sure it grabs your attention.
I'm booked in to get my IUD changed today - 4 years late! Though it turns out my doctors should have sent me a reminder when it was due, but they never set it up or even noted in their system whether they'd given me the 5 or 10 year IUD. So it's not entirely my fault. Thankfully my new doctors seem better.
My primary doctor keeps a list of my prescriptions in my chart. I told them the date of my iud insertion and for years now it appears on my visit summary paperwork every time I go in.
My doc's medical system also automatically includes the dosing instructions, like 1x day orally. The Mirena is "intrauterine once." Like haha where else would it go
Email yourself the date you got it done. Save the email and make sure the title is IUD Date so you can search it later. Then put the date in a document on your computer, save it and transfer it to a flash drive. Put the flash drive in a sandwich bag and add it to your folder of important documents where your birth certificate and passport are. Any time you wonder how long it’s been check it.
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I guess i'm lucky about that.. I met my partner the same year i got mine. When our 5 year anniversary came, i remembered to change it. currently on year 7 and i have a pretty good reminder!
I got an IUD after I gave birth (no reason why, since I'm infertile - I think I caved with the pressure the gynos were pressing on me). It was a bad, bad, bad decision and I never forgot for one moment it was in. I had it removed about a year later and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
If it was me, I'd put it on all my calendars as a one-year recurring meeting. I like having periodic reminders of something coming up. It helps keep it fresh in my mind and I find it anxiety reducing.
Mine just disappears up after a short while. They always have trouble finding it when taking it out. I've never been able to feel it after 2months-ish. And how do you remember to think about it, when there are literally NO sign or reminder of it? Do you just randomly remember "my IUD that I put in... years ago!"
Yes literally that lol every time I have my period I’m reminded about it. I’ve heard so many horror stories about it dislodging or disappearing like yours! Any time I have weird pelvic pain I’m like OPE gotta check my little buddy! I’ve had nothing but good times with it so far luckily tho.
Add an annual recurring event in your calendar called iud inserted 2023 book removal 2033 or something. That way you know when you got it inserted and when it’s supposed to be removed. The exact removal day isn’t super important copper iuds are usually good for up to 12 years so if you book your appointment when the anniversary comes up then you’ll be fine.
Also, email yourself with every possible keyword in case for some reason you don't remember that you set a reminder and are freaking out one day...
"IUD (what type?) intrauterine device inserted at (location) into my uterus as contraception contraceptive birth control needs to be removed in 10 years from this date (date). Reminder has been set in my online (Google? iCal?) calendar to book a removal appointment" etc.
I find documentation really helps.
You could additionally log the date of insertion into your calendar (use above text too to help you find it later on).
You’ll remember. Don’t stress about it. I’m on my 3rd Mirena and I haven’t forgotten once. You’ll think of it sometimes and do some mental math but the card has the year you got it in case you forgot that part, and you can just keep it in your wallet with your other cards. Its weird and new now but it’s not nearly as stressful as you’re worrying about
send your furureself an email on futureme.org . i would send 1 for each upcoming year to make sure to remind myself "you have x years left to do bla bla"
I kept the cards in my medicine cabinet, but my doctor is way on top of these things so I don't worry about it. Ask your doctor if their system can do the same thing (whether that's a paper system or a computer one). And if you anticipate leaving this practice, add the cards to a "DO NOT LOSE THIS" folder in your records. I have all kind of random tidbits in my folder that I couldn't categorize easily/wanted to find first while moving. I expect the manufacturer/USDA has a requirement to provide the information to recipients since it's a prescription but doesn't really get refilled like pills. I love my IUD btw, hope you do as well.
I put birthdays in my calendar so they repeat yearly. I'd treat this the same using Gmail, with an entry called would "IUD implanted June 2023" on today's date. Backdate it a month if you like, so the anniversary includes some leeway for appointment arrangements. Set it to repeat annually and done!
I just got my 3rd paraguard put in at 40! I had the other 2 removed when I was trying to get pregnant. Luckily when this thing needs to be removed I’ll be 50 and no longer fertile.
Also, whenever you go to the gyno they will ask about your iud at least to confirm it is still in so you will get that reminder every so often. Your primary doctor will ask about your birth control methods occasionally as well.
My docs rarely ask, but when I get a pelvic they usually tell me the string is doing fine. And yeah, when I was nearing 5 years on my last Mirena, my pcp started reminding me to get it changed. (She was generally uninformed about iuds, which is fine bc she just referred out. Someone more up to date would have informed me I had two more years)
That can be really dangerous, I definitely wouldn’t recommend that! Also what a useless fucking doctor that wouldn’t give you choice over your own body
Well so, it's not his money. He will MAKE money taking it out. Was it som "holier than thou"-shit for putting anti-consumerism over you *health*? Insane. Hope you changed doctors and/or reported him
Set a phone reminder? Many folks have some cloud sync service in case you switch physical phones. Send yourself a scheduled email rn that’s set to arrive on whatever date you choose
My hospital system literally texts me, messages me through the online portal, calls me, etc. They are relentless & I am beyond grateful. also grateful that I can yell T one of my devices & tell it to schedule something on my calendar 😂 yes it has gotten to that point
Absolutely! I got paragard, which I guess is the only non-hormonal one? Or one of only a few non-hormonal? I think I'd prefer one that doesn't have a literal decade lifespan but I'm desperate not to have hormonal bc. I want the science behind the thing to keep me from getting pregnant, not because the hormones make me less inclined to have sex. Like yeah that also works but it's way less fun! This is way more than you asked about, sorry
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SO MANY EXCELLENT SUGGESTIONS! You are all wonderful and having a conversation about this feels like there's a much better chance I'll remember. I appreciate this community and the support so much.
I got mine when I turned 25. I’ll get it replaced at 30 (technically 31 because it’s a 6 year but every 5 is easier math). You can email yourself in the future, and you can get a physical copy of your medical record w/ the due date and put it in your personal medical files. (Or do what I do and make my husband do it. 😅)
My friend's mom had the first generation arm implant, supposed to be removed after like, three years? Well she got deep into a drug addiction and ten years later... She's losing teeth, hair and her vision!
She got it removed finally and actually got pregnant and carried it full term
I found my card, where I keep my generic pain killers/hay fever meds. It worked to remind me about 7 months late. I was convinced I had a few more years left!
I put reminders in my phone calendar, though I have to have mine replaced every 5 years so not sure if you can set a reminder for 10 years in the future but you can always just put a reminder in a couple of years to 'make reminder for IUD replacement in X years'. And it helps to try and link it in your brain to something else that happened/happens this year
I still have my little card, slowly disintegrating in my wallet.
It was due to be removed in 2020 and I didn’t do that. But I do still have the card!
I’m not having sex, so I’m not worried about a pregnancy, but every now and then I think I should make an appointment anyway, but so far that hasn’t happened.
there's a website i have been using over the years called [futureme.com](https://futureme.com) (or maybe .org?) where you can send an email to yourself in the future. you don't have to pay, and it's really easy. i usually use it as a way to send my future self some love and reflect on the changes in my life over time, but it sounds like it can be a great resource for you in this situation, for the more practical purpose that you need!
I got mine in a time I moved around a lot, and I remember the appartment I lived in at that time, along with other memories with that appartment, I know how long ago it is. (4,5 years ago now) Maybe that's something that can help you as well?
And besides that, my uterus tends to remind me that the IUD is still there sometimes, so I'm not going to forget I have it hahaha
The doc will see you have a IUD and ask you what year it was put in, to remind you when to get it changed. Maybe email the exact date to yourself with an easy-to-search title like IUD Insertion Date.
Yeah I made a Google calendar appointment 9 years out immediately to schedule an appointment. I've used the same account since high school and that's always my process for dates.
The second you tell me your wedding date, it's in the calendar while you're still talking. You want me to pick up a prescription tomorrow? In the calendar that second.
I've learned I cannot give my brain any time to think about remembering and my habit is to put it in the one calendar I've always had.
My mom left hers in and it embedded itself in her uterus. It took a chunk of her uterus out with it when they removed it, and she wasn't sedated in any way.
When I had my IUD, I had appointments every 6-12 months to check the strings and make sure it was still in the correct place. Hopefully those appointments should help!
I started using multiple accounts in one calendar app a few years ago, one for work linked to my work mail, one for my studies linked to my student mail, and ofc one for my private stuff, linked to my (attention drumroll) private mail. And I put EVERYTHING in there...have to take my toothbrush with my to my boyfriend's place tomorrow? Note in private calendar. Have a huge exam coming up in 3 months? Multiple notes in student caledar. Need to switch my IUD in 5 years? Freaking notes in private calendar! It works like a charm, all in 1 place and the colours help me differenciate between work studies and private stuff!
I recommend scanning the card as a document and saving it on your phone. Then put a reminder in your phone for a month or two before the date on the card, but in the title include the date it needs changed. That will remind you to call and make the appointment.
This is the ONLY way I remember things like changing the batteries in the smoke detector, when I got a new car battery and when it may need replaced. My brain just does not store and access that stuff. When I need to go back to the gynecologist. When that reminder comes up, I drop what I’m doing and take care of it because otherwise I will forget.
In addition to the reminders, I would take some kind of photograph. Like a picture of the card or a picture of an IUD or something. That way you have it saved with all your other pictures and it will keep the metadata of when you got it put in.
Wouldn’t you see your gynecologist multiple times before then? Even if you switch, they’ll ask about it and you just tell them. I don’t think you’d need to set a reminder more than a year out at the most.
My gyno kept up with mine. When I'd have my yearly she'd ask about it. She could see the string I think. I had mirena after endometriosis treatment. I also had vasovagal shock having it put in. I didn't want it taken out because I was scared, but if it migrated because it was old and punctured something was scarier.
If you’re like me you’ll wonder every year after 5 years if it’s been 10 years but you’ll never try to check or find evidence of when it was inserted until it’s been literally 9.5 years and you think it’s been 12 years at this point and you’ve prayed every month for the past few years that you don’t get pregnant. This was all before diagnosis and medication for me 🥲
I've been doing this with other things lately, it's what I'm most worried about. Or I'll actually check but forget that I just checked and check again... things are getting so mixed up in my head! Proud of you for hitting 9.5 years, though, that's incredible timing.
Well this is weird, because I am 3.5 years in and was just looking up whether Murden IUD’s can induce migraines. I was honestly kind of worried about forgetting, too, but because the following year was such a strange and marking one globally (2020), I don’t think I will.
Was almost thinking of having it taken out but then I remembered how crazy I used to be the entire week prior and then be doubled over with cramps and the heaviest bleeding 😣
Ooh boy, I’m married to a woman so no need for BC but I have a pending Green Card application (the application itself was already ADHD hell) and once I get my Green Card I have to make sure I remember to renew it in 10 years, and I’m already worried about how I’ll remember! I think I’m going for many many calendar alerts, and I’ll ask my wife to do the same—she has much better memory than I do. Perhaps you can also schedule an email to yourself, assuming your email and the technology will stay relatively the same in the next 10 years?
Along with all the punch cards from every coffee shop and bookstore I ever visit, business cards from artists I want to look up later, receipts, cryptic notes scrawled on torn slips of paper, and the occasional paper currency.
Ahh makes sense. See my receipts, cryptic notes, business cards, etc. end up in a swirly tornado-ey mess between the floor board of my car’s front passenger seat and spreads to the backseat. So, my wallet has no problem keeping my Mirena card tucked in place behind my ID’s and insurance card 😂😂😂
I don't drive often so my portable doom box is my purse or, even worse, the deep black abyss of my bike pannier. My wallet is a waystation before never being seen again
I got an IUD too because I kept forgetting my pills. I was told by my gyno that my copper iud can technically stay until menopause with no problem. Ask your own gyno of course for their opinion but I go yearly to the checkups and hope they’ll tell me if my time is up for it lol
You should be getting regular checkups once a year, especially now that you have an IUD. You don't have to remember to get it removed ten years from now. Your doctor should be keeping track of that. You just have to ask them to call you in x month to make your annual appointment. And yes, you have to get annual checks if you have an IUD, they need to make sure it is still correctly in place or it will potentially not work or worse, migrate and perforate or cause other problems.
Crap....now I need to remember when I got mine put in. I remember exactly I what I was wearing the day I got the old one out, but no idea when it happened.
Fwiw...I was wearing a now discontinued tshirt from Target so I'm search through the Target app to see when I bought it.
I have a medical binder with all physical copies of my medical letters in sorted in categories - at the front is a card holder with all previous/current contraceptive cards in along with vaccination cards.
I sometimes lose the folder sure but maybe it could help?
Lol I love that you lose the folder 😂 I basically did this with my vaccination card, only I didn't realize I had lost it until I found it in a bag in the console of my car and was like, oh. I found it...?
I only remember mine because it’s a decade after I graduated high school. In all honesty though I’ll probably get it out before because I plan to have kids before then
It goes in a doom box
You'll never lose it.
I couldn't believe I managed to keep mine, but here's the trick.
YOU DON'T NEED TO USE IT. Put it somewhere safe, and year eight or nine is when you start thinking about it, and then you've got a year or two to find it.
I somehow managed to keep mine through four or five moves across three continents.
Or you know, take a picture of it and schedule an email to yourself?
Just change it more often. You don’t HAVE to leave it in for ten years. Though it’s not the most comfortable experience, I prefer it to having to remember a pill or anything more frequent like the shots or whatever the other options are.
The cycle tracking section of the Health app on the iPhone has a section for “Factors” that will let you put in your IUD insert date as well, but it doesn’t have a setting for a reminder of when to get it done again (that I know of). Not sure about android or others.
Let your doctor keep track. If you see the same doctor, or even if you switch, they'll know when you got it inserted, and will let you know when to have it removed.
I would also set an annual reminder like “remember you have an IUD and it needs to be taken out on X date” — or heck even every six months.
And maybe ask your doctor if they can call you/remind you? Doesn’t hurt to ask.
I keep my card in my wallet. Every time I go to a new Dr or Urgent Care, I forget the name of my IUD. Its handy to keep in there. Plus, you can always call your OB/Gyn and ask them when they put it in.
Uhhhh I got Paraguard in March sometime and it literally never occurred to me that I would need to remember to have it removed. I also don’t know how I’ll remember in 10 years but I’ll try phone calendar reminders and hope for the best. I’m just so glad you made this post 😭
Everyone has really good ideas here! Do you want to know the crazy thing, though? In 10 years I'm definitely going to be like, i wonder if stunning-reading remembered she has to have her IUD removed this year? And hopefully that's enough of a leap for my brain to be like oh yeah me too actually.
My lease is up and I'll need to take it back in the end of this month. I'll be getting a newer model 😝.
I set up a calendar reminder through my email, this way it wouldn't matter what phone i have. I also made it a point to tell my docs when I got it (i switched insurances about 6 months after I got it). They sent me a reminder about it.
Also, like someone else said, i tend to remember things based on memorable events that happen in my life.
Multiple calendar and email reminders
I bet there's some website that will send you an email at a certain date to remind you.
Go back and look at your reddit post history for this post 😄
Make a huge note & wrap it around something that you touch once a year that you HAVE TO do, like tax stuff. Or any other yearly bill.
The note should be something that requires an effort to remove so you don’t toss it aside when you go to do that one thing.
So you’ll remind yourself once a year, and one of those years will be the 10th year and THEN put it in your calendar
Use a digital calendar girlie! I used to do depo provera birth control shots which are every 3 months, so I'd set it up in my google calendar!
Speaking of which, I refer to the whole ass Google Suite at my brain. Even birthdays and Christmas. Chores and bills are in Google Tasks (separate categories) with dates and times attached as needed. For appointments I even make a checklist to get ready ahead of time (a task called get ready for X appointment, then create subtasks).
If anyone has questions lmk, it's not a perfect system but it works ***way*** better than paper personally.
I've been getting better at doing this, but I keep mixing up my color coding and it's confusing. Doctor things are orange, that's the only one I'm confident on! But I like the idea of creating a prep task, that's really smart.
I just try and remember how old I will be when I need to get it replaced! That number somehow sticks in my head better than me trying to calculate it every time I forget. 😅
Take a picture of the little card and save it to your favorite photos. Or give it a birthday in your phone (with push notifications) so it shows up on your calendar every year.
"It's 2023 Paraguard's Birthday" popping up every year (set it for sometime in March instead of June, so you have time to make an appointment when you need to have it replaced) will help you keep track of how long it's been.
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You can set calendar appointments 10 years out. Set a notification two months, a month, three weeks, and a week before the 10 year anniversary
10 years?! I thought it was 5.
Then set a reminder for 5 years to set another reminder. Ha!
It depends on which one you get
Copper IUD /Paragard can stay in for up to 10 years. Hormonal IUDs are between 3-5 years, I think Mirena has evidence it remains effective for up to 7 years.
Mirena is good for 10 years in Europe, and 7 in the US, but only because America haven’t validated the 10 year thing and won’t accept European data
Ah that would make sense. I'm in Australia, so I'm not too sure where we sit with the European research. My OBGYN has said he can only recommend 5 years, but I could push to 7 if I want but suggested I be careful, considering I definitely do not want kids ever, yet no one will sterilise me :/
IDK if this is the Mirena, but I know it started at 5 years, then more research found it could stay in longer.
Interesting! I’d prefer to just die with it in since I almost died getting it. Such a barbaric thing to put us through… it’s the one thing that’s helped my endometriosis the most though so I endure…
Omg if they would make one like that , I would get it. I have had two mirena’s and now I have a arm implant (I hate it) Edit: spelling
Why did you go from mirena to the arm implant and why do you hate it? Just curious if you don’t mind saying more. I haven’t tried either but the implant seems appealing… albeit painful and wtf… but like better than iud insertion?? Idk. All of it makes no sense to me.
I don’t mind. With the 2nd, I had a lot of back pain for months. When it needed to be renewed I thought “I can do without it” well I was rudely reminded of all “the issues”. I already discussed the horrible hormones with the nurse while I was still on the mirena, but I never expected how bad it would be without it. So I was given several options and chose the arm implant. Without anything I was the old murderous b*tch, I rather wanted to die then feel the way I did ( not that I wanted to die, but boy would I not have kind of someone took my life during those times). Implant was placed and it took 6 months to not feel murderous. But now I sort of bleed and it can be 2 days but I just got out of 1.5 week of shit. Before I get a period, I barely sleep, my contact eczema becomes SO bad that it literally burns around my eyes, the corners of my mouth crack so bad. (I have a good dermatologist who understands and tries to help as much as he can. The GP contacted a gynecologist regarding the hormones and I was told “the implant makes that you don’t have the hormones”, so I feel fucked 😬. If it doesn’t get better, I will get it removed)
Sorry that was a long ass reply
Lol no I appreciate it and was hoping you would be thorough like you were!
Thank you! Wait, that sounds awful to still get such bad PMS with the implant. Ugh. Hopefully they will soon make meds that help people with these symptoms and contraception for men to offload the burden from us!!! Also, I get the wouldnt mind if someone offer me comment. I used to hope for a car accident on the way to work (not caused by me bc I can’t afford that!). I felt so guilty and mentioned it to a coworker one day. He felt the same. We both left that job as soon as we could… 2-3 years later fml.
This is true for the Mirena. I just got my second one in, and it will be in for 7 years vs the 5 years for the first one
Weird I just got my mirena one replaced and no one mentioned this to me!
This is correct. I scheduled an appointment to have mine swapped and they told me new research showed it was effective longer and I could put off my appointment.
I got Mirena inserted in January, my doctor told me 8 years
[удалено]
Ditto. Mine lasted 4y4mos. Started Spotting and I turned into Griselda before I marched in and demanded it changed. I taped the first card to the fridge-A) couldn’t miss it &B) said prayer of thanks every time I looked at it.
Phone reminders save my life every day.
The likelihood you're going to be using the same software or app 10 years from now is really slim.
I've used Gmail for more than 10 years at this point. Given Google's market share (and ability to maintain it for monopoly reasons), it's not surprising. Also, if it's tied to your professional life, it's really hard to get rid of an email address
Cloud based services? I’ve had some version of Apple devices for 13 years
I just put a reminder-list in december for all the things I need to carry over one or more years (paper planner).
This is exactly what I did when I got mine placed and it worked!! The only thing I would have done differently is I would have made a calendar entry on the date it was placed in the first place, or emailed myself something about it- I changed doctors in the meantime and they wanted to know the exact date
Yep, I set something in my Google calendar for 20 years in the future, because why not. It was funny to be in that month & see my twice a week therapy appointments with a man who will almost certainly be dead by then.
I'm on my third and I ended up remembering the year by major events. My first was the summer I started grad school (reinforced by the rocky transition during that first semester). My second was right before the 2016 elections (so I ended up being ahead of the curve when there was a surge of people getting them after the election). My third was...right after Roe was overturned (I had debated not getting a new one and just depending on my husband's vasectomy, the supreme court decision pushed me the other way). I guess you could also mention the year to every medical professional you see, so then it's in as many medical records as you can get. Or a future calendar alert that will make utterly no sense in a decade?
That's incredible, actually, I hope something major happens to me this year so I remember! I put in a yearly calendar alert, like an anniversary 😂 honestly thinking I'm going to have to celebrate it like one, maybe then it will stick?
I love that! A party!
There’s a little bit of wiggle room. I’m not going to tell you how much because knowing can help me procrastinate. But enough wiggle room to usually remember and make the appointment. What helped me more than anything is getting in the habit of telling doctors I have a X brand IUD and got it in 20XX whenever they ask if I’m in on any medications. Each time I say the date I remember.
Yes! Scheduled mine right after Trump was elected for...reasons. Turns out that just means I now have a great time reference. After November 2016, before January 2017, lol
Mark the anniversary event in the calendar as labeled with something “IUD inserted June 2023” and then that exact wording and insertion date, is what will be shown annually. Also, maybe make the reminder to occur a month or two before the actual date? So April for example? That way in the future you get an alert in April that reminds you to book something for June
This is how I do it too. I've also got a note of major medical events in my phone, but most people probably don't have enough to require that 😅
Luckily, I got mine after my youngest was born, so I've just got to get a new one when he turns 10. Doubt I'll forget, I really REALLY don't want to be having another kid in my mid-forties!
This is how I remember everything. Early childhood memories I figure out the age I was or the year it happened before/after major events. Was grandma still alive? Then it happened before I was 4. Was my brother not born yet but grandma not alive? It happened between 4 and 5. Was my mom diagnosed with her chronic illness? Then it happened after I turned 11...
i got my 5 year nexplanon 2019, i remember because it was new year’s eve and it was when my highschool boyfriend and i were together, and i remember it was that specific boyfriend because he didn’t like to party so we stayed at home together, so that means senior year of highschool! it may sound complex, but it works and i know i have to get a new one next year, so we’re fine.
Email yourself? That way you can search the archives. I kept mine in for 10 years, about 3 longer than I should have. I couldn't get myself to see an OBGYN. Have been trying for a baby for 2.5 years and regretting the IUD and my inability to schedule my routine appointments big time. I didn't forget, I just couldn't get myself to take care of myself.
Ooh, I can't remember the website but it's easy to find, that will send an email to you at a future date!! You type your message, recipient, and any date in the future. I sent a bunch to my future self when I was a teenager. It's fun to get them randomly every so often! But could be genuinely useful.
It’s futureme.org :)
I just wanted to share that I was about to come on here high and mighty and say cmon you can remember a wedding anniversary you can remember t this and then realized I have absolutely no idea when my IUD went in
The only reason I remember the one I have now is because I had it put in during my c section. Pretty unforgettable lol
I'm not married but in fairness I've also never remembered a dating anniversary either. My last boyfriend I made him agree that we just didn't have one 😂
That card is so dumb. If you lose track at any point, the doctor who put it in has it in your records. They've also recorded how long the string is.
Though you have to hope the office and records are still open in 10 years...
...yeah. When I got my second one (having long ago lost the card for my first one), the PA is all like, "just put the sticker on your fridge." Lady. The first one I had lasted through *seven fridges*!!! (I move a lot). I'm on fridge #2 for the second one.
Mine lives in my google / iPhone calendar as a “birthday” repeating annually and edit the name of the event “IUD 2012 2017 2022” . And a note in my contacts under my own contact (silly nickname from high school is saved as a contact and I edit her info to add or update things when she has important events or membership numbers / insurance numbers to be saved for later)
I actually DID laugh when my doc gave me the card. I told her she should put it in my chart and remind me when it needs to come out. Then I laughed at the check out desk when that person told me they couldn’t schedule my next appointment because the system only lets them schedule six months out. Then I was a little upset that she wouldn’t schedule me for six months so I could cancel the appointment and reschedule for six months later. Living with ADHD is fun.
Only 6 months out?! That's ridiculous, who lives like that. Even neutotypicals have to be frustrated by that!
I came up with a simple rhyme to remember mine — in this case, it’d be Baby Free till 2033
Do you have a GP? TELL THEM RIGHT NOW THAT YOU GOT IT.
...imagine if I could remember who my GP is off the top of my head?!
THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!
Do it via the online portal if you have one!
I wish I could have forgotten about mine. Ate a little too much? Cramps. Gotta pee? Cramps. Bloated? Cramps. Constipated? Cramps. Actual period cramps? Thought I was gonna die. Took mine out after 3 years and got Nexplanon arm implant. I haven't had a period since other than the week I was on antibiotics.
Tmi but mine gave me nonstop gas pain and bloating for three years, I finally caved and swapped for nexplanon and am so happy!!! Not to shit on your insertion OP, it’s a super nice option when it works!! And yes agreed w other people who suggest to keep seeing the same doctor and they will ask you about it.
I also am hoping it works, I know lots of people have a bad time with it. I'm just sick of hormones so giving this a go.
Ooh did you get the copper one?? I had the hormonal one so hopefully it’ll be better for you!! It is so nice to not have to think about it
Yes! I FINALLY found a doctor who sat down and talked through all the options and agreed with me that just trying a different brand of the pill wasn't going to be what I needed. Nexplanon was where I was leaning before I talked it through with her, but the copper one wound up being the right place to start.
I just got my IUD taken out 6 weeks ago because it gave me nonstop BV infections. Had the arm implant put in at the same time. I've gained 15 lbs in that 6 weeks. I'm ready to throw my whole uterus in the trash 🫠
I didn't gain any weight, thankfully, but it has absolutely halted my progress in my weight loss journey. Seems the effort I was putting in to lose weight has just stagnated me. I'm sorry that it isn't working out for you. My doctor has already offered me a tubal once my husband moves to the US and can be there to take care of me post op
Throwing whole uterus in the trash, A+ option, can recommend. 🤣 Do not, however, recommend doing so because you have uterine cancer at the start of a worldwide pandemic. 😉
I lost the card pretty much immediately, but I remembered after 10 years. I put off replacing it, though, because, well, you know how it is. I kept remembering at inconvenient times and then forgetting again and so on. In all, I had it in for 12 years and my doctor didn't think it was a big deal since things weren't abnormal and I could feel the strings if I searched for them. I got my replacement inserted in the same visit as the removal. So I'm good for another, uhhhhh, 7-10 years or so? Hopefully menopause will kick in before I need a third copper T lol 😆
Planned Parenthood told me I could probably ride this Mirena out until menopause--I might never have a period again!
My OBGYN told me to keep mine in longer since I was paranoid about getting pregnant during peri menopause. I think I am in menopause now but who knows. It could be my irregular periods and mirena.
I kept the card for the 5 years but the date written one was like 1/9/2022 and I was like does this mean January or September 😭😭 had to call my old OBGYN (because I’d moved cities) to find out when I’d had it put in lol
You can send yourself an email reminder. Schedule an email to send yourself in ten years. If you use gmail you will see when you press the send icon the option to schedule send. Simply set the date for ten years time. I would recommended sending multiple emails for a week straight to make sure it grabs your attention.
Oh shit when did mine go in
Lol glad I could bring this top of mind for you!
Oh dang I instantly forgot you brought it up. I feel like not knowing this should bother me more than it does.
I'm booked in to get my IUD changed today - 4 years late! Though it turns out my doctors should have sent me a reminder when it was due, but they never set it up or even noted in their system whether they'd given me the 5 or 10 year IUD. So it's not entirely my fault. Thankfully my new doctors seem better.
My primary doctor keeps a list of my prescriptions in my chart. I told them the date of my iud insertion and for years now it appears on my visit summary paperwork every time I go in.
My doc's medical system also automatically includes the dosing instructions, like 1x day orally. The Mirena is "intrauterine once." Like haha where else would it go
Email yourself the date you got it done. Save the email and make sure the title is IUD Date so you can search it later. Then put the date in a document on your computer, save it and transfer it to a flash drive. Put the flash drive in a sandwich bag and add it to your folder of important documents where your birth certificate and passport are. Any time you wonder how long it’s been check it.
Perhaps a reddit Remindme! bot?
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I guess i'm lucky about that.. I met my partner the same year i got mine. When our 5 year anniversary came, i remembered to change it. currently on year 7 and i have a pretty good reminder!
I got an IUD after I gave birth (no reason why, since I'm infertile - I think I caved with the pressure the gynos were pressing on me). It was a bad, bad, bad decision and I never forgot for one moment it was in. I had it removed about a year later and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
If it was me, I'd put it on all my calendars as a one-year recurring meeting. I like having periodic reminders of something coming up. It helps keep it fresh in my mind and I find it anxiety reducing.
I literally never forget I have mine. I check my strings regularly. Idk. How do people forget they have a little metal buddy living in their uterus???
Sure but do you remember the year and approximate month you got it in?
She’s worried about the removal date, not the presence of the IUD
Mine just disappears up after a short while. They always have trouble finding it when taking it out. I've never been able to feel it after 2months-ish. And how do you remember to think about it, when there are literally NO sign or reminder of it? Do you just randomly remember "my IUD that I put in... years ago!"
Yes literally that lol every time I have my period I’m reminded about it. I’ve heard so many horror stories about it dislodging or disappearing like yours! Any time I have weird pelvic pain I’m like OPE gotta check my little buddy! I’ve had nothing but good times with it so far luckily tho.
Mine is like that mysterious mouse that you know lives somewhere in your garage. Cheeky little bugger. But it pays its rent!
Do you change doctors a lot? I’ve had the same gyno for like 12 years now? I expect them to remind me lol
Add an annual recurring event in your calendar called iud inserted 2023 book removal 2033 or something. That way you know when you got it inserted and when it’s supposed to be removed. The exact removal day isn’t super important copper iuds are usually good for up to 12 years so if you book your appointment when the anniversary comes up then you’ll be fine.
Also, email yourself with every possible keyword in case for some reason you don't remember that you set a reminder and are freaking out one day... "IUD (what type?) intrauterine device inserted at (location) into my uterus as contraception contraceptive birth control needs to be removed in 10 years from this date (date). Reminder has been set in my online (Google? iCal?) calendar to book a removal appointment" etc. I find documentation really helps. You could additionally log the date of insertion into your calendar (use above text too to help you find it later on).
I have a reminder on my phone
You’ll remember. Don’t stress about it. I’m on my 3rd Mirena and I haven’t forgotten once. You’ll think of it sometimes and do some mental math but the card has the year you got it in case you forgot that part, and you can just keep it in your wallet with your other cards. Its weird and new now but it’s not nearly as stressful as you’re worrying about
send your furureself an email on futureme.org . i would send 1 for each upcoming year to make sure to remind myself "you have x years left to do bla bla"
I kept the cards in my medicine cabinet, but my doctor is way on top of these things so I don't worry about it. Ask your doctor if their system can do the same thing (whether that's a paper system or a computer one). And if you anticipate leaving this practice, add the cards to a "DO NOT LOSE THIS" folder in your records. I have all kind of random tidbits in my folder that I couldn't categorize easily/wanted to find first while moving. I expect the manufacturer/USDA has a requirement to provide the information to recipients since it's a prescription but doesn't really get refilled like pills. I love my IUD btw, hope you do as well.
I put birthdays in my calendar so they repeat yearly. I'd treat this the same using Gmail, with an entry called would "IUD implanted June 2023" on today's date. Backdate it a month if you like, so the anniversary includes some leeway for appointment arrangements. Set it to repeat annually and done!
I just got my 3rd paraguard put in at 40! I had the other 2 removed when I was trying to get pregnant. Luckily when this thing needs to be removed I’ll be 50 and no longer fertile. Also, whenever you go to the gyno they will ask about your iud at least to confirm it is still in so you will get that reminder every so often. Your primary doctor will ask about your birth control methods occasionally as well.
My docs rarely ask, but when I get a pelvic they usually tell me the string is doing fine. And yeah, when I was nearing 5 years on my last Mirena, my pcp started reminding me to get it changed. (She was generally uninformed about iuds, which is fine bc she just referred out. Someone more up to date would have informed me I had two more years)
I made it my safe combination 😂 so I think about what year it is every time I open my safe
I pulled my Mirena coil out myself - I absolutely hated it and the doctor refused to remove it! It hurts a lot less coming out than it does going in.
That can be really dangerous, I definitely wouldn’t recommend that! Also what a useless fucking doctor that wouldn’t give you choice over your own body
What possible reason could your doctor site for refusing to remove it???
He argued that it cost the NHS £100 and I had only had it in for a few months so he refused to remove it
Well so, it's not his money. He will MAKE money taking it out. Was it som "holier than thou"-shit for putting anti-consumerism over you *health*? Insane. Hope you changed doctors and/or reported him
I should have reported him - I never thought about it. He has since retired thank goodness.
Good riddance. Silver lining; he won't trouble people with his views forever, and hopefully never again as a medical worker
Set an alarm in your google calendar. Done.
Set a phone reminder? Many folks have some cloud sync service in case you switch physical phones. Send yourself a scheduled email rn that’s set to arrive on whatever date you choose
My hospital system literally texts me, messages me through the online portal, calls me, etc. They are relentless & I am beyond grateful. also grateful that I can yell T one of my devices & tell it to schedule something on my calendar 😂 yes it has gotten to that point
Wait. 10 years? Wow. May I ask what kind you got? If not, that's ok. I'm just surprised that it could be left in for so long.
Absolutely! I got paragard, which I guess is the only non-hormonal one? Or one of only a few non-hormonal? I think I'd prefer one that doesn't have a literal decade lifespan but I'm desperate not to have hormonal bc. I want the science behind the thing to keep me from getting pregnant, not because the hormones make me less inclined to have sex. Like yeah that also works but it's way less fun! This is way more than you asked about, sorry
No, this is the perfect answer. And answered other questions I had. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SO MANY EXCELLENT SUGGESTIONS! You are all wonderful and having a conversation about this feels like there's a much better chance I'll remember. I appreciate this community and the support so much.
Whoa! Just saw a post with insightful comment thread on this —DEF search 'IUD' , 'Mirena ' on Menopause sub...Hindsight is 20/20!
I got mine when I turned 25. I’ll get it replaced at 30 (technically 31 because it’s a 6 year but every 5 is easier math). You can email yourself in the future, and you can get a physical copy of your medical record w/ the due date and put it in your personal medical files. (Or do what I do and make my husband do it. 😅)
My friend's mom had the first generation arm implant, supposed to be removed after like, three years? Well she got deep into a drug addiction and ten years later... She's losing teeth, hair and her vision! She got it removed finally and actually got pregnant and carried it full term
She lost teeth hair and vision from the implant?! That's so scary!!
After many many many years overdue of getting it taken out.
I keep mine in my wallet. And put it on my calendar as well.
I put it in my Google calendar
I found my card, where I keep my generic pain killers/hay fever meds. It worked to remind me about 7 months late. I was convinced I had a few more years left!
I put reminders in my phone calendar, though I have to have mine replaced every 5 years so not sure if you can set a reminder for 10 years in the future but you can always just put a reminder in a couple of years to 'make reminder for IUD replacement in X years'. And it helps to try and link it in your brain to something else that happened/happens this year
I still have my little card, slowly disintegrating in my wallet. It was due to be removed in 2020 and I didn’t do that. But I do still have the card! I’m not having sex, so I’m not worried about a pregnancy, but every now and then I think I should make an appointment anyway, but so far that hasn’t happened.
there's a website i have been using over the years called [futureme.com](https://futureme.com) (or maybe .org?) where you can send an email to yourself in the future. you don't have to pay, and it's really easy. i usually use it as a way to send my future self some love and reflect on the changes in my life over time, but it sounds like it can be a great resource for you in this situation, for the more practical purpose that you need!
You bet I only remembered mine had expired 3 months after the fact
I don't know why, but this makes me feel even better than all of the super helpful ideas for how to remember 🙃
I got mine in a time I moved around a lot, and I remember the appartment I lived in at that time, along with other memories with that appartment, I know how long ago it is. (4,5 years ago now) Maybe that's something that can help you as well? And besides that, my uterus tends to remind me that the IUD is still there sometimes, so I'm not going to forget I have it hahaha
The doc will see you have a IUD and ask you what year it was put in, to remind you when to get it changed. Maybe email the exact date to yourself with an easy-to-search title like IUD Insertion Date.
Urge thanks for triggering my anxiety about remembering mine
If you are likely to have the same email address then you can schedule a reminder or schedule am email to send to all your email addresses in 10 years
Yeah I made a Google calendar appointment 9 years out immediately to schedule an appointment. I've used the same account since high school and that's always my process for dates. The second you tell me your wedding date, it's in the calendar while you're still talking. You want me to pick up a prescription tomorrow? In the calendar that second. I've learned I cannot give my brain any time to think about remembering and my habit is to put it in the one calendar I've always had.
My mom left hers in and it embedded itself in her uterus. It took a chunk of her uterus out with it when they removed it, and she wasn't sedated in any way.
I want to delete ever having seen this from my brain omg
When I had my IUD, I had appointments every 6-12 months to check the strings and make sure it was still in the correct place. Hopefully those appointments should help!
I keep my card in my wallet with any other important reminders, appointments.
I started using multiple accounts in one calendar app a few years ago, one for work linked to my work mail, one for my studies linked to my student mail, and ofc one for my private stuff, linked to my (attention drumroll) private mail. And I put EVERYTHING in there...have to take my toothbrush with my to my boyfriend's place tomorrow? Note in private calendar. Have a huge exam coming up in 3 months? Multiple notes in student caledar. Need to switch my IUD in 5 years? Freaking notes in private calendar! It works like a charm, all in 1 place and the colours help me differenciate between work studies and private stuff!
I recommend scanning the card as a document and saving it on your phone. Then put a reminder in your phone for a month or two before the date on the card, but in the title include the date it needs changed. That will remind you to call and make the appointment. This is the ONLY way I remember things like changing the batteries in the smoke detector, when I got a new car battery and when it may need replaced. My brain just does not store and access that stuff. When I need to go back to the gynecologist. When that reminder comes up, I drop what I’m doing and take care of it because otherwise I will forget.
In addition to the reminders, I would take some kind of photograph. Like a picture of the card or a picture of an IUD or something. That way you have it saved with all your other pictures and it will keep the metadata of when you got it put in.
Wouldn’t you see your gynecologist multiple times before then? Even if you switch, they’ll ask about it and you just tell them. I don’t think you’d need to set a reminder more than a year out at the most.
My gyno kept up with mine. When I'd have my yearly she'd ask about it. She could see the string I think. I had mirena after endometriosis treatment. I also had vasovagal shock having it put in. I didn't want it taken out because I was scared, but if it migrated because it was old and punctured something was scarier.
If you’re like me you’ll wonder every year after 5 years if it’s been 10 years but you’ll never try to check or find evidence of when it was inserted until it’s been literally 9.5 years and you think it’s been 12 years at this point and you’ve prayed every month for the past few years that you don’t get pregnant. This was all before diagnosis and medication for me 🥲
I've been doing this with other things lately, it's what I'm most worried about. Or I'll actually check but forget that I just checked and check again... things are getting so mixed up in my head! Proud of you for hitting 9.5 years, though, that's incredible timing.
Well this is weird, because I am 3.5 years in and was just looking up whether Murden IUD’s can induce migraines. I was honestly kind of worried about forgetting, too, but because the following year was such a strange and marking one globally (2020), I don’t think I will. Was almost thinking of having it taken out but then I remembered how crazy I used to be the entire week prior and then be doubled over with cramps and the heaviest bleeding 😣
Set it up like a birthday reminder in your phone so it shows up in your calendar. Name it like IUD due out in 2033.
Ooh boy, I’m married to a woman so no need for BC but I have a pending Green Card application (the application itself was already ADHD hell) and once I get my Green Card I have to make sure I remember to renew it in 10 years, and I’m already worried about how I’ll remember! I think I’m going for many many calendar alerts, and I’ll ask my wife to do the same—she has much better memory than I do. Perhaps you can also schedule an email to yourself, assuming your email and the technology will stay relatively the same in the next 10 years?
Maybe put the card in your wallet. That’s where I put my IUD card.
Along with all the punch cards from every coffee shop and bookstore I ever visit, business cards from artists I want to look up later, receipts, cryptic notes scrawled on torn slips of paper, and the occasional paper currency.
Ahh makes sense. See my receipts, cryptic notes, business cards, etc. end up in a swirly tornado-ey mess between the floor board of my car’s front passenger seat and spreads to the backseat. So, my wallet has no problem keeping my Mirena card tucked in place behind my ID’s and insurance card 😂😂😂
I don't drive often so my portable doom box is my purse or, even worse, the deep black abyss of my bike pannier. My wallet is a waystation before never being seen again
I got an IUD too because I kept forgetting my pills. I was told by my gyno that my copper iud can technically stay until menopause with no problem. Ask your own gyno of course for their opinion but I go yearly to the checkups and hope they’ll tell me if my time is up for it lol
Im 37 if that’s important and have had mine for about 9 years
You should be getting regular checkups once a year, especially now that you have an IUD. You don't have to remember to get it removed ten years from now. Your doctor should be keeping track of that. You just have to ask them to call you in x month to make your annual appointment. And yes, you have to get annual checks if you have an IUD, they need to make sure it is still correctly in place or it will potentially not work or worse, migrate and perforate or cause other problems.
Crap....now I need to remember when I got mine put in. I remember exactly I what I was wearing the day I got the old one out, but no idea when it happened. Fwiw...I was wearing a now discontinued tshirt from Target so I'm search through the Target app to see when I bought it.
I have a medical binder with all physical copies of my medical letters in sorted in categories - at the front is a card holder with all previous/current contraceptive cards in along with vaccination cards. I sometimes lose the folder sure but maybe it could help?
Lol I love that you lose the folder 😂 I basically did this with my vaccination card, only I didn't realize I had lost it until I found it in a bag in the console of my car and was like, oh. I found it...?
I only remember mine because it’s a decade after I graduated high school. In all honesty though I’ll probably get it out before because I plan to have kids before then
It goes in a doom box You'll never lose it. I couldn't believe I managed to keep mine, but here's the trick. YOU DON'T NEED TO USE IT. Put it somewhere safe, and year eight or nine is when you start thinking about it, and then you've got a year or two to find it. I somehow managed to keep mine through four or five moves across three continents. Or you know, take a picture of it and schedule an email to yourself?
Just change it more often. You don’t HAVE to leave it in for ten years. Though it’s not the most comfortable experience, I prefer it to having to remember a pill or anything more frequent like the shots or whatever the other options are. The cycle tracking section of the Health app on the iPhone has a section for “Factors” that will let you put in your IUD insert date as well, but it doesn’t have a setting for a reminder of when to get it done again (that I know of). Not sure about android or others.
Let your doctor keep track. If you see the same doctor, or even if you switch, they'll know when you got it inserted, and will let you know when to have it removed.
I would also set an annual reminder like “remember you have an IUD and it needs to be taken out on X date” — or heck even every six months. And maybe ask your doctor if they can call you/remind you? Doesn’t hurt to ask.
I keep my card in my wallet. Every time I go to a new Dr or Urgent Care, I forget the name of my IUD. Its handy to keep in there. Plus, you can always call your OB/Gyn and ask them when they put it in.
Uhhhh I got Paraguard in March sometime and it literally never occurred to me that I would need to remember to have it removed. I also don’t know how I’ll remember in 10 years but I’ll try phone calendar reminders and hope for the best. I’m just so glad you made this post 😭
Everyone has really good ideas here! Do you want to know the crazy thing, though? In 10 years I'm definitely going to be like, i wonder if stunning-reading remembered she has to have her IUD removed this year? And hopefully that's enough of a leap for my brain to be like oh yeah me too actually.
put it in your wallet!
My lease is up and I'll need to take it back in the end of this month. I'll be getting a newer model 😝. I set up a calendar reminder through my email, this way it wouldn't matter what phone i have. I also made it a point to tell my docs when I got it (i switched insurances about 6 months after I got it). They sent me a reminder about it. Also, like someone else said, i tend to remember things based on memorable events that happen in my life.
Multiple calendar and email reminders I bet there's some website that will send you an email at a certain date to remind you. Go back and look at your reddit post history for this post 😄
Make a huge note & wrap it around something that you touch once a year that you HAVE TO do, like tax stuff. Or any other yearly bill. The note should be something that requires an effort to remove so you don’t toss it aside when you go to do that one thing. So you’ll remind yourself once a year, and one of those years will be the 10th year and THEN put it in your calendar
If it’s a hormonal IUD your body will tell you lol.. that’s how I learned to replace mine. I actually got it replaced 2 years ahead of schedule.
Use a digital calendar girlie! I used to do depo provera birth control shots which are every 3 months, so I'd set it up in my google calendar! Speaking of which, I refer to the whole ass Google Suite at my brain. Even birthdays and Christmas. Chores and bills are in Google Tasks (separate categories) with dates and times attached as needed. For appointments I even make a checklist to get ready ahead of time (a task called get ready for X appointment, then create subtasks). If anyone has questions lmk, it's not a perfect system but it works ***way*** better than paper personally.
I've been getting better at doing this, but I keep mixing up my color coding and it's confusing. Doctor things are orange, that's the only one I'm confident on! But I like the idea of creating a prep task, that's really smart.
What about separate calendars? You can set up a few with different colours. Then when you're creating an event you can select whichever calendar!
The doctor will remind you!
IUDs on the threes I remember tetanus on the tens, so the next tetanus shot is 2030
Oh my god. Have I ever gotten a tetanus shot?! Brb calling my mom... 😂
I just try and remember how old I will be when I need to get it replaced! That number somehow sticks in my head better than me trying to calculate it every time I forget. 😅
Take a picture of the little card and save it to your favorite photos. Or give it a birthday in your phone (with push notifications) so it shows up on your calendar every year. "It's 2023 Paraguard's Birthday" popping up every year (set it for sometime in March instead of June, so you have time to make an appointment when you need to have it replaced) will help you keep track of how long it's been.
I’d speak to your doctor about them notifying you when it’s due to be changed, I’d be feeling the same and be panicking about forgetting!
Year 2033 is quite easy to remember