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Original poster

Swimming and periods

31 replies

Dancergirl · 07/01/2013 00:15

If your dd does swimming at school, what happens if she's not swimming due to periods? Dd is v worried about this, she is in year 7 and has just started. She would be too shy to tell the teacher herself so do I write a note/send an email/ask the form tutor or what?

OP posts:
piggywigwig · 07/01/2013 13:51

I can't disagree with anything Elibean has said.

If she's only recently started her periods, then unless her lifestyle and the demands of her hobbies/extracurricular activities make it an absolutely unavoidable necessity, then it may be a little too soon for her to consider tampons. It's a huge leap for some girls to start having to periods as it is, let alone facing the thought of sticking a tampon up "there" Wink

My eldest trained for a competitive sport at the same age, for around the same number of hours per week as 3nationsfamily mentions. Her sport involves very short, skimpy attire - it makes you feel very self-conscious when you have a period, especially when wearing light colours. I could only get her to use a tampon on two occasions and only at the age of 15: she was competing from 8.30am through to 11pm in national finals. She still won't use them now. We also wouldn't let her use bog-standard tampons: we only let her use non-bleached/chlorine-free versions from Natracare, which are kinder to the skin and less of a health worry. DD2 is still far too worried about Toxic Shock Syndrome to use them...but that's another story

Send her in with a note for now...you won't be the only one Wink She may choose to have a go with tampons, either when she's ready, or sick of watching the other girls getting to swim. On the other hand, she may be like some of us (ahem!) who used to use the old period excuse to get out of swimming, even though we used tampons Wink Grin

Elibean · 07/01/2013 11:21

x-post

How about getting her to try on a pad under her leotard and see if it shows or not? Might help...

Elibean · 07/01/2013 11:20

I would imagine there is a difference between a competitive swimmer, and the expectations put on them, and ordinary school swimming lessons Smile

I know I wasn't ready to tackle tampons at the age of 11 - I would definitely send a note if my dd was shy and had just started periods.

Original poster
Dancergirl · 07/01/2013 11:20

I've suggested the idea of tampons to her but she's really, really not keen. It's a personal choice. She does do a lot of ballet though and is worried about pads showing under her leotard so she might change her mind.

OP posts:
3nationsfamily · 07/01/2013 11:02

Or get used to it and use a tampon! My daughter (11) is a competitive swimmer and trains 17 hours a week every week, I can just imagine her coaches face if she said sorry I can't swim for one week every month!!!!

fidelma · 07/01/2013 00:36

Yes send a note saying can she be excused. They are used to it. (swimming staff)

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