First periods

[eli]

Hope this is not too gritty a question. i have an 11-year-old daughter and know that her periods could start at any time. I want to have some sanitary towels in the cupboard but having been years since I used the things I don't know what product would be most appropriate for a young girl. Can anyone make any recommendations?

[eli]

I hope this is not too gritty a question. I have an 11-year-old daughter who I know could start her periods at any time and I want to be prepared with some sanitary towels in the cupboard. Having been years since I used them I am out of touch with the products available and wonder if anyone has any recommendations for towels that would be suitable for her?

[eli]

Managed to post this twice - incompetent Monday!

[Ghosty]

Hi Eli,

Although I do not have a teenage daughter I have taught young teenage girls so I hope this helps. The girls that I used to teach (aged 10 -13) used to hate going to the Science Teacher, who was the official 'Keeper of the Pads'. There were two reasons for this: a) the teacher in question was a scary witch type, older than the hills and b) the sanitary towels she kept were the big fat obvious ones, like the ones we used to have when we were kids.

Instead of going to her they came to the PE department where we kept the Always Ultra thin ones. They are not obvious at all and very comfortable and stay in one place which the girls much preferred (in fact I use them too!). They also are packed away neatly so they fit easily into a school bag without being seen. There are loads of different sizes and types to choose from (with wings or without? ...) so you would need to spend a few minutes in the Supermarket reading the packets about flow etc (At that age a 'light flow' pad will be enough I imagine)

I reckon that is your best bet. Good luck (don't they grow up fast?)

[Enid]

I remember using one pack of massive towels that my mum bought me - they were horrible. I was desperate for Tampax and although I fiddled a bit putting them in for the first time I found them very grown-up and the whole experience much better.

If it were my daughter I'd buy her the very thin ones (probably supermarket own brand as they are the ones I use) and a starter pack of tammies (sorry, called them that at 13 and still do - sad).

[eli]

Ghosty, thanks very much for your suggestions. Gives me a good starter for the rows and rows at the supermarket! I remember having to wear the most ghastly belt type thing - horrendous! And yes, they do seem to grow up very quickly . It seems just the other day I took same tearful duaghter to first day at school and this week she has grown in stature by about two inches it seems with the pride of walking to 'big' school with a friend.

[Ghosty]

Enid, don't you think 11 is a little young for Tampons? I am not old fashioned or anything but having had a conversation with one of my 13 year old pupils last year who had no idea at all about the concept of tampons ('But miss, what happens if you put it in the wrong hole?' I realised that some girls might look and act grown up (and some know more than others) but a lot of them are still little girls really and need a bit more time to grow into their bodies.

[Ghosty]

OOPS,

I didn't mean to put a winking face at that point - it's meant to be a bracket - sorry!

[janh]

Ghosty, the winking face kind of goes with what you said!

Eli, you could get her some panty liners (neatly folded in cute little plastic packs) which she could keep in her inside blazer pocket - I don't know, but I would have thought it unlikely that she would start with more than a tiny flow, and a liner could cope with that at least until she got home.

Agree with Ghosty that Always Ultra are good, all the ultras are thin but some are much more comfortable than others and the branded ones are usually nicer. Do you know if any of her friends have started yet? If they have you could get her to ask them, or you could ask their mums if it's too cringing for her!

I have 2 older girls, they both started with pads and went on to tampons after a couple of years. They much prefer the ones with an applicator.

[Copper]

I find this very confusing too - there seems to be so much choice, and so little information actually on the packets. Until about two months ago you could buy a combination pack - daytime, nighttime, medium/heavy/light flow - which seemed to me to be really sensible - but I couldn't find it again last time I looked. So it meant buying 3 packs instead. I also bought those violet disposal bags (grown up versions of nappy bags) so she could dispose of them discreetly at home (little brothers have no sense of teenage angst) and away.

On a slightly different area of the same subject, my dd started off without any discomfort about 2 years ago, but over the last year started getting really really bad period pains - so much so that she once or twice had about 3 days off school, in bed, almost fainting. I did various searches into this, and came up with advice that actually seems to have worked. Now she takes 2 ibuprofen at the first sign of discomfort, 2 four hours later, and repeats up to the maximium dose for the first 2-3 days. Previously we stoppped too early, when she felt she could bear it, and the pain came back. Simple when you know ...

[Enid]

I wasn't suggesting that you should use tampons at 11 (although I don't really see why not to be honest), but just that that was what I did when I started (I was 13 though).

[SueDonim]

My 15yr old likes Always towels because they never seem to rub or chafe like other brands. She prefers the thick ones at night because she says she likes the feeling of wearing a nappy!!!!! She also uses Tampax though I prefer Lilets. It costs me an arm and a leg out here in Indonesia as a box of 10 Tampax (haven't seen Lilets) costs 4 quid.

[Tinker]

I started at 11 and would have been horrifed at tampons!!! However, not sure that panty liners would be enough.

Coper - I had similar problems to your daughter. So much so that I had to go on the pill at 16 in order to not jeopardise my O levels. You can imagine how pleased my mum was at that!

[Tinker]

Sorry, Copper not Coper (although I imagine you're that as well )

[ionesmum]

My first period was light but my second was sooo heavy I needed super-plus towels. I like Bodyform myself, I find Always a bit plasticky. And get her some night-time towels (or suggest that she wears two ordinary ones to make one longer one) as there's nothing more embarassing when you're a teenager than messing up your sheets/nightwear.

Re tampons, it was three years before I felt comfortable with them.

[anais]

I started at 11 as well and it was about 2 years or so before I felt happy to use tampons (now have just discovered aplicator lilets and prefer them to tampax).

Not sure about towels - don't use them often, but would suggest you need towels rather than panty-liners. I had very heavy, and irregular, periods from the start (interestingly after my first child they got lighter, and after my second they have gone back to how they always used to be - although fortunately a bit more regular....hope this isn't too much information...) erm, back to towels - I prefer the 'cotton feel' type covers than the more plasticky ones. HTH

[Alibubbles]

My 16 year old started at just 12 and has always use kotex ultra with or without wings. Always are a bit sticky!

She has just discovered tampons and can't believe the difference! She went to Peru for a month ttrekking and the Amazon Basin, despite being on the pill she had three periods! We think the high altitiude affected her, plus the dysentry so she wasn't absorbing the pill.

I have found Playtex cotton tampons the best for her, she can't cope without an applicator, though she thinks the tiny tampax are sooooo sweet and handy to have in her bag. I buy ther Tamoax compact also for her school bag.

I don't use anything now, I use a mooncup, - is mumsnet ready for this? a latex/ rubber cup that collects your flow, you simply empty it threee or four times a day, sounds a bit yucky, but it's easier than you think. Never thought I would get eco friendly , but since I've used it my periods are a lot lighter and no cramps and backache. Found out about it on another site dedicated to eco friendly menstrual protection!

[Ghosty]

Alibubbles,

I have heard about the mooncup and my initial reaction was 'eeeewwwww yuk!' but, it can't really be more yukky than the 'cap'? I think it is a great idea - very eco friendly, and if they help period pain etc then that's even better. I have always been a sufferer of bad pain (used to have to take time off school etc) so if I could find them I would try them!

[janh]

I only meant the liners for the very first time, not forever, honest! Eli was talking about what to have in the cupboard - I just thought something tiny in her pocket would be reassuring just in case...

[Alibubbles]

Ghosty, this is where I got mine from, first of all I tried a keeper, which is the same but brown rubber, the latex one appears to be softer, but clear!!

I got used to it very quickly and have been using it for a year now, great for skiing, when I used to have to stop every 2 hours to 'change' but I can easily go all morning or all day with no problems.

I used to get dreadful backache and dragging sensation , but since using the mooncup/keeper I have no pain or cramps at all.

Try here Sue will also take it back, full refund if you can't get used to it after three months. I have saved a fortune as I used to spend about £6-7 a month on Tampons etc.

[Joe1]

I have had a look at the site and might consider when I have periods start again while bf No2 which could be about a year yet. Can you horseride with it.

[eli]

Another thank you to everyone for all their suggestions. I shall explore Sainsbury's shelves soon. I like the idea of something discreet she can tuck into her school bag as well.

[Alibubbles]

Joe1, you can do anything with it! I find it a lot more comfortable than a tampn as tampons had a habit of working their way down and I could feel them - result of two large babies with no stitches, just lousy pelvic floor!

eli, when my daughter started, I went to Sainsbury and bought all of the coulours in all of the sizes! She ended up using them all, over time, but knew which were her favourites so switched to those thereafter. The disposable bags are very good for school,or infact anywhere but help with the disposal problem and possible embarrassment.

As some of the girls were still at primary school when they started and there were no bin, they were allowed to use the teachers toilets for more privacy.

[Jbr]

It's up to her what she uses.

[Jbr]

Well I use 19p ones from Asda. A PE teacher once told me to use tampons so I wouldn't have to miss games. She had no business telling me what to use. Even if I did use tampons, it wouldn't have stopped me being so uncomfortable I couldn't walk let alone do handstands!

[Alley22]

I havent a daughter myself but my cousins girl started when she was 9yo. thats young isnt it.