First periods - product advice needed please

[yoyo]

DD shows all the signs of starting her periods soon. She has mentioned taking sanitary towels to school just in case it happens there. Any recommendations for suitably-sized ones? Thanks.

[Pitchounette]

Message withdrawn

[poppynic]

In case no one with experience posts - what about flicking through a couple of those teen mags when you're at the supermarket to see what they are advertising in that arena?

[fairyjay]

Dd started her period earlier this year. I buy her the Always slim pads, but the ones without wings, as they seem to be a bit bulky.

I get the ones with the 'wipe' as part of the package, although I know she only uses it rarely.
She has a pretty little purse that she uses to take one to school.

She is very reluctant to talk to me about her period, and when I told her to talk to me about tampons when she felt she might want to try them out, her response was 'gross'.

Having said that, she has never complained or moaned about any aspect, and is taking part in all of her sports, as normal.

[Mell2]

My dd did take a couple of small towels into school for about a year before she started!
She was terrified of it happening at school.

Her first period was extremely heavy but has now settled down. She uses Always with wings.

[yoyo]

Thanks for the replies. I will get her the ones without wings today and something nice to keep them in. I hadn't thought about the teenage magazines but will have a look when I am out.

Fairyjay - how does your DD cope with swimming? It is my DD's favourite sport but I know from our chats that she too thinks tampons are gross.

[curlew]

My dd has a little zipped bag in her school bag with a couple of thin stick on towels, some wipes and a spare pair of pants "just in case" She was very excited about the idea at first, but as nothing's happened either to her or any of her friends the excitement has dies down a bit now!

[MarsLady]

My DD also uses Always with wings. She too carries a pretty little purse in her school bag, hadn't thought about spare knicks... but she probably has!

[fairyjay]

yoyo
The only time she mentions her period to me, is when she asks me to write a note for her to be excused from swimming.
She doesn't seem to be in the slightest embarrassed with her mixed classmates, (why should she be - but at 13 I was!!), and we tend not to swim as a family when she has a period.

[CurrantBun]

Think it's a great idea to encourage girls to try tampons after they've had a few periods. I think I had periods for about 2 years before I dared to try a tampon - which IMO are a lot less 'gross' than pads! I never looked back - with tampons you can run, swim and do any kind of sport as normal without worrying about it. The only danger is forgetting to change tampons frequently enough as it's so easy to forget you're wearing one.

[longwaytogo]

wilkinsons do teen pads that are thinner, i bought my dd some of those just to have in case but when she did start 2 wks ago she used always night towels as that was all that was here and I only found out because dd1 said I think she's started her periods because of the mess of the toilet. Bless her.

I have told dd about mooncup but her response is gross too.

[swedishmum]

My poor dd started her first period the day after we went on holiday - got to the pool and that was it. Poor baby. Got grief from younger brother about not playing on the water slides etc. We were only there a week!
I've bought a selection of towels with and without wings so she can try them out - she seems to prefer the stick on long thin ones without wings. I just stock up on the ones that disappear most frequently from under my sink! Can't quite imagine doing a mooncup conversation with her just yet...