Period advice please

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

DD is 11. Physically she’s developing quite rapidly - breasts and tiny amount of pubic hair, but no underarm hair. She also has the odd spot and hair becoming greasier. Recently she’s started complaining about tummy aches too. I feel like her periods may be imminent. My own DM got this whole chapter of my life horribly wrong so I’m keen not to repeat . In preparation I’ve bought DD two of the Lilets starter packs and we have the Usborne book. I will get a hot water bottle and make sure she has sanpro in her bag for trips out. We’re very open about things too. Anything else I should do? I wore sanitary towels for years - do girls go straight to tampons nowadays? I’m desperate for this not to be traumatic for DD based on my own experiences but am aware I may be overdoing it! TIA.

[Theworldisfullofidiots]

Most use towels to start with. Her friends will be doing the same.
Is she at primary or secondary? If primary its worth letting them know. Our primary has provision and the girls can use the adult toilets.
Other than that I think you've done every thing. Best thing is to keep being available when she wants to talk.

[greenlynx]

Put a towel and spare knickers in her school bag, practise at home?
Whom she will tell about this at school in case needs help?
Mine has nearly a year of spots and other signs before her periods actually started.

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

Great thank you both very much. She’s in year 6 and has a residential week long trip in May. That’s interesting greenlynx about periods not starting fully immediately - I honestly can’t remember . Good tip about who to tell at school - I’ll talk to DD about that.

[Theworldisfullofidiots]

The thing is to make it ordinary. Your mum made it a big deal by not talking about it (so did mine). It's just a normal part of life.

[MallorieArcher]

My dd started in yr 5, first in her school year! I told her teacher and asked her to tell the office and checked they had towels (they did) and said she was to ask any female staff member of she needed help as it is the girl code to always help (I'm not usually so 'dont ask a man' but she was ten!)
She had a small fabric/makeup bag in her bag with some towels and spare knickers with a nappy sack just in case but they do seem to start very light.
Nearly 2 years on and she only now has ibuprofen to help her sleep with a hot water bottle. I also got her a Betty box subscription, sends little fabric bags with pads for her as well as a load of tat but it makes her feel in control as well as a bit more grown up. Have told other DD when she starts she can have one too.

The worst for her was sleeping, she couldnt figure out how to lie without leaks, so she has the mahoosive night pads, has special period PJ's that are black, and has black sheets always so they don't stain. Lukcily she's a bit of a mini goth so it works.

She is in secondary now and all her friends use pads still, no tampons. And she always carries them in case of needing the girl code!

[MallorieArcher]

You sound like me tbh, my mum didn't tell me anything and I thought I was dying at the age of 9. I don't have storage in my bathroom so tampons/pads ahve always been in view and both girls know what they're for (they used to get angry when I had my period as it mean no baby sister)
Just being open about it being s normal thing is all you need to do

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

Thanks all . Some great tips. It was ABSOLUTELY not spoken about in my house - my mum was a bit older than my friends mums so was neatly 50 when I started I think. She wouldn’t buy me pads unless I asked and then used to whitter on about how sad she was that I wasn’t a little girl any more.

[dementedpixie]

My dd found the lillets pads were too short and likes longer bulkier ones like kotex (found in discount chemists, home bargains, etc). She has far fewer leaks with them too. She has only used tampons on holiday while in the pool

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Sorry to hear that you had such a shit time of it Mallorie and Avon.

I’ve read on here that periods usually start about 2 years after the breasts start to develop. Not sure if that’s true though.

I’ve given my DD the What’s Happening to Me book by Usborne but I’m thinking of getting her a couple more from a Mighty Girl. She’s in Y6 too

[dementedpixie]

Dd started hers at age 11 and was still at primary school (primary 7). I didn't have a book, just chatted about it

[millimat]

We're the other extreme. DD is 14. She had a period back in January but it was very light. She's not had anything since.

[5BlueHydrangea]

My dd is 8.5. Has had a little hair down below for ages. Small breast buds developing and this week discovered a few under arm hairs which she is not impressed about! We openly discuss periods etc so is quite well informed. Bought her some pads this week - 'teen' ones which has reassured her as she is worried periods are imminent - I hope not!
She is horrified at the thought of telling anyone at school if she does start but we have discussed lots of 'what ifs' just in case.

[cropcirclesinthefields]

I made dsd a bag of bits - pads, liners, spare knickers, disposal bags for her to use, I showed her what was in it and where it was kept and said if she had any questions she could ask me.

[littlenicky61]

Diary doll pants are brilliant as they have special panel in to prevent leaks yet they look like normal pants. Think they may have been renamed pretty clever pants or something like that but my daughter swears by them.

[Benandhollysmum]

My daughter started hers at 11 day before she was due to start high school...daughter couldn’t get the pads in her knickers properly ended up making a mess..so be sure she knows how to put them on properly

Puberty don’t always start in order she may not have underarm hair yet but that means nothing..clue is the b/o if she’s got b/o then she’s not far off..
As for anything else think you’ve covered it. I wouldn’t trust a young girl with tampons, they may forget about having them in

[daffodilbrain]

Our DM's were lovely but jeez they got it wrong by keeping quiet on periods and the like