quick wuestion about teenage periods

[pud1]

my neice has just started her period. she is 14 . she is currently using always but has asked if it would be ok to use tampons as thats what her friend uses. i thought that they did not advise girls to use them until they were a bit older. what do you think.
p.s i am her point of contact in these matters as her mum passed away this year and i am a complete novice with teenagers affairs.

[Wisteria]

I had this issue and quickly realised that they are all using tampons and it does make life easier especially with swimming and getting changed for PE - my dd has coped with them fine but I tell her to set her mobile alarm so that she doesn't forget to take it out - don't forget to explain TSS to her.

Good luck - she's a lucky girl to have you x

[bealcain]

i noy, ever used sanitary towels for my first period, after that it was always tampons. i'm 20 now and remember when we had our 'talk' that they spoke about tampons aswell...so dont think it's a problem, just make sure you make her aware of TSS and the need for regular changing, also advise towels at night

hth

[MerryAnnSinglemas]

if she can use them then I think it'd be much nicer for her,as wisteria said for PE,Swimming etc - but also to remember the TSS thing...I was very squeamish about them until I was about 17 - hadn't a clue really about what to do with them - the diagram in the Tampax packs were scary !

[chopchopbusybusy]

DD1 is 14 and uses them when she goes swimming, but otherwise prefers to stick with towels. Agree with bealcain, definitely towels at night, especially at weekends when they seem to hibernate!

[ajandjjmum]

My dd and her friend (both 14) had tampons in a goody bag from the Clothes Show yesterday.

It led to us talking about tampons, and they said that there were three girls in their year that used them, the others all used towels. Two of the girls were swimmers and other other has an active sex life .

Both girls are sporty, in the various teams etc., but dd has never wanted to consider tampons. Having said that, if she did, I would not discourage her.

[pud1]

thanks everyone. i will have a chat with her this weekend. if she wants to go ahead and use them would you suggest lilet minis. they do look like they are aimed at that age group. bil has also asked me to talk to her about safe sex and such like. would you suggest one long chat about the lot or a few steps at a time

[ajandjjmum]

I have chatted to my daughter continually over the years about sex, the importance of it being within a caring relationship, and the dangers of disease. Also the fact that an unplanned pregnancy can be a disaster - this convo started watching Sarah Platt on Coronation Street!

Dd is also seeing friends of hers making mistakes, and we talk about the implications, and she hears her brother and his friends passing comment on the way some of the girls behave.

I personally don't think you can have one chat, and job done. I think it's a more on-going conversation over the years. Must be difficult not living with your neice - but how lucky she is to have you!

[meepingaroundthechristmastree]

Make sure you take the time to explain how to use them. A friend of mine went for days cmplaining that they were uncomfotable and it ended up with her Mum having to have a look - she'd not been taking the cardborad out after inserting them! She only admitted this recently though !

[bealcain]

lilets minis are a no no in my books, at least not until your totally comfrotable using thrm, would go for something with an applicator the new compac one are good for whenshe knows how to use them. i would buy some different ones for her and show her howe to use them, not on yourself or her obviously but with a cup of water and one of them medicine syringe thingys. there's nothing worse then being left to your own devices with them.

[Wisteria]

I showed my dd how to use them and bought her normal tampax, then the compak ones. Originally I had said no to tampons as I thought she wasn't old enough so was gutted to find out she'd just asked her friends and they'd told her what to do, she finally admitted she was uncomfortable and I then explained it all to her.

Buy her a book, there are some great ones out there and make sure she knows that you are always at the end of a phone line if there's something she can't discuss with her Dad. I agree that a series of chats are better and frank, open discussions whenever the subject arises.

[arionater]

Realise that this is a really old thread, but just wanted to point out that a small proportion of girls have real problems with tampons because they are physiologically a bit too small - it's actually very easily sorted out by an incredibly minor operation, but it's commoner than you might think but really little known. I started my periods at 11 - tried and totally failed to use tampons for years (very painful; impossible) and my mother was so convinced that I just wasn't 'relaxing enough' that I didn't get it checked out properly by a doctor until I had finished my A-levels, by which time I was incredibly anxious and embarrassed and it had become a huge issue. This made me very unrelaxed about sex too and it would have been better if someone had pointed out a bit earlier on that it might not be my fault that I 'couldn't relax enough'!

[paulaplumpbottom]

I used tampons from the time I was twelve. Its fine and allow alot more freedom.

[Magrat]

I used tampons from my 2nd period

[smartiejake]

I used tampons (lil-lets) from my first period aged 13. Always did lots of swimming and sports and couldn't bear to have to stop for a week every month. Loathed towels and still do.