Pill Pointers, So You’ll Never Forget Again

Let's face it, most women forget to take their birth control pill at one time or another. And even though all medical experts tell us its best to take the pill at the same time every day, that may not be as easy as it sounds for everybody.

So you forgot to take your pill. Don't panic.

Everyone from WebMD to Citizens For Citizens Family Planning agree that you should simply take your birth control pill as soon as you realize you forgot it. But if you find yourself forgetting again and again, you may want to put a better plan in place for how to remember.

So here are Seven Simple Rules to Remember to Take Your Pill (it could be a sitcom!)

1. Set an alarm

These days every phone has a built in alarm that can go off every day at the same time. And with your phone right on you each and every day, it might be the most effective method of remembering to take your pill. Whether you're at the office, out with friends or just sitting on the couch watching TV; you can set a tone that tells your brain, "Take your pill now." It may take a few days for the sound to be that reminder you need, but once its ingrained in your brain it'll stay there.

2. Set a second alarm

Much like we all hit the snooze button in the morning (perhaps more times than we should in my case!), you are very likely to hear the alarm to take your pill, register it in your brain and then say to yourself "Oh yeah, I'll do that in a second." Next thing you know it's like two hours later and you're freaking out trying to find your pills and take one as quickly as you can. But if you set a second alarm for 15-20 minutes after the first one, that snooze button mentality will be thwarted and your pill will get taken!

3. Mark the days on a calendar

Whether its a desk calendar, a kitchen calendar or a hunky Ryan Gosling calendar (my vote's for the latter!) simply crossing off the day once you've taken your pill can be a great visual reminder every day. If you get to the end of your day and you don't see the big X on that day's date on the calendar, you'll instantly know what you forgot to do that day and remedy it right away.

4. Have your significant other remind you

Presumably this person would like you to remember to take your birth control pill just as much as you would, so why not tag team the responsibility of remembering to do so? Try having that special someone check in with you at the end of the day or text you a gentle reminder. Just make sure you remember that you have ask them for this help and don't let any perceived notions of tone make a good and helpful thing bad for the relationship.

5. Leave your pills on the nightstand

If you are a first thing in the morning or last thing at night pill taker, this may be the best reminder for you. It's super simple too. Just leave your pills out on the nightstand. That way as soon as you wake up and just before you go to bed you will see them and right away remember to take them. There may be a perceived stigma of leaving the pill out for people to see, but it's your bedroom. You probably aren't inviting every house guest in there and anyway, you're being safe so who cares? Do what you need to do for you.

6. Leave a sticky note for yourself

Another great visual way to remember to take the pill is leaving yourself a note. A sticky note on the bathroom mirror or refrigerator can be just what you need to give yourself a heads up every day. Just make sure you are putting your sticky note in a high traffic area that you go to or look at every single day. The note probably won't be that great of reminder on your gym bag or the coffee machine, cause when you're in a rush you may skip over these routines all together.

7. Download a pill reminder app

Yep, there's an app for that! Whether it's mypillapp.com or missmint.com, there are plenty of people offering apps that help women remember to take their pill every day. Some even offer a period predictor so you can make vacation plans without worrying. And others will event text you reminder, so make sure you read how they work and what they offer so you can choose the right one for you.