My DD 10 has started her period..advice please 🙂

[DewDropsonKittens]

hi all,

My DD is 10, this evening she has started a light period. Bright red blood.

I'm a bit sad, as she is so young still and periods whilst part of growing up are such a faff and stressful.

Does anyone have any tips? Are there small pads for younger girls? What will make her feel better about it?

I've obviously reassured her she isn't going to die and it will be ok.

I remember having horrific flow and pain and needing to go on medication quite early, I'm hopeful she doesn't experience similar.

DD uses Modibodi period pants. She says they are infinitely better than pads. Expensive to start with but washable and reusable. Don't leak or smell. Great for nighttime too.

Read 'period power' by Maisie Hill! It won't be appropriate for her for a few years but I wish I had read it earlier and I'm definitely going to be passing the wisdom onto my dd. Lots of info about the whole menstrual cycle which I can't believe I never knew and loads of practical info on period wear / equipment / treatments for pain. Also, traditional pads and tampons contain nasty chemicals so I agree with PP to look into period wear, or organic products.

10 is a very normal age. My sister started at 8 which was awful. I started at 1, my mum got me a book and some teen pads and everything was fine.

Started at 10** not 1!

My daughter started her periods as she was just turning 11 and starting secondary school. She coped with it brilliantly.
My advice would be not to be sad about it happening so young. Just be there for her to ask whatever questions she may have.
I bought her the Lillets starter pack to beginn with. Let her try a variety to decide what suits her.
I did get her the Betty box. They were good, but went bust. They are trying to start up again I think but would now be dubious as they had lots of bad reviews in the end.

DiddyDragon was just 11 and still in primary school. The school had a box of supplies of all varieties and bins in the loos that the year 5 & 6 girls used.

Make sure that if she does go down the pads route that she has some stashed in all her bags and coats as they're unpredictable. I also now carry some at all times just in case she forgets.

Have a look at Red by modibodi. I wear my
Modibodi with no other sanitary protection. I love them.

A pencil case makes a very good "kit bag" for school.

One of the ones that has 2 or 3 sections.

You can then have one section for new pads. One with some spare pants and a little wet bag ( for any underwear she needs to switch over) and one side with some wet wipes of some sort. ( small pack)

I also included some paracetamol but 10 might be a bit young for that.

Just make sure she can come to you ajd she knows its normal akd if she jeeds to put anything on the laundry at night its OK.

Get an app on her phone or your phone to help keep track.

Lilets do some teen pads you can get them in boots they are slimmer.

‘Period pants’ are now basically pants that don’t allow leaks- amazing technology and a game changer for teens and kids as well as adults esp during activity.
Look at Modibodi of Thinx websites for explanation.
It no longer just means old stained huge pants to wear with a massive pad at night

Nice little cloth purse or pencil type case to take pads in to school (plus spares in PE kit etc so easily accessible and talk to her about taking the bag with her to the loo and using sanitary bags and bins) and def give a heads up to pastoral support - they might let her use the individual toilet or avoid swimming etc until she is older or more at ease with it all.

Be aware she won’t be regular straight away so an awareness that next bleed can come anytime and keeping pads etc on her when at school.

Be proud and calm and normalise it all- wonderful she is growing up healthily- as periods are a sign her body is fit and strong and healthy. Remind her all girls and women go through this (on the whole) and it’s something she can share with other people if she needs support and help but it’s absolutely nothing to fear or dread and won’t curtail her life.

Do not share the news with other family members like my mum did which meant my granny congratulated me on my first period in front on my uncle.

My DD is 10, I just know she's going to get her period soon - I started about 10/11 in primary school too and like someone said the main issue is no sanitary bins in the toilets.
My mum her DGM just bought her a lovely book about periods and puberty and she has been reading it on a night which is good so she knows what to expect. I have always been open with periods as in the fact all my kids freely walk in when I'm on the loo ( can't even get away for a wee 🙈) and if they've ever seen anything I've told them from about 8.
I use pads and find the aldi ones are fab! So cheap too. Choc and cuddles is always good advice

Sorry but those who have used them - can period pants be worn along with a pad as an extra protection against leaks?
I asked on here about brands once for DD but she decided to stick with pads. She leaks terribly at night though and I was just thinking she could try both.

My dd was also 10 when she started and it was quite a shock as she was so tiny. We went through I reckon almost every pad available as they were all huge. I am not sure if you get Kotex but here they do a teen range and she used these for a good while. Then I bought reusables as she was getting awful rashes from disposable. She is still using these now and she is 18. She says she will never go back to disposables now.

nicky

I bought some period pants as cup back up.

I also use reusables akd certainly with those the gusset of the period pants was far too wide for the pads. It might work with wingless pads though . And probably with the smaller kid/teen style pants

I started my periods aged 10 and I hid it for months, terrified something was wrong with me! When I eventually confessed to my Mam she was horrified kept saying, its too young why is it happening, even took me to the GP to demand an explanation... it did get better and me and my Mam are besties now but it was so tough. Lilets was good for when I was smaller, always liked body form too. Pencil case with all my stuff in was the way forward, super easy, and my Mam just used to replace what i'd used in the bathroom cabinet! How are you both doing today?

My daughter got hers recently...hers are very light so she uses the extra long panty liners as she finds pads too thick. She also had a month of bleeding every day flowed by no period for a couple of months, just to prepare you that they can be a bit erratic at the start!

I use wuka pants.,they do teen sizes..,They are incredibly comfortable ( bit pricey ) but worth it.

I also use a period app, called clue which is so useful.

followed not flowed but quite an apt typo!

I would get the regular pads with wings but also some period pants, modibodi do a teen range, helps if she can't change as often. Let school know because at primary they sometimes are told to use the staff toilet for privacy and the disposal bin

@nicky2512

Yes I wear period pants and pads sometimes if I'm away from home, I like the security of the pants but don't want to carry spares.

When I was at school I had horrifically heavy periods, I didn't tell my mum the full extent because I was so embarrassed. I used to regularly leak through into my trousers and it would smell, I still feel humiliated when I think back, I like PP idea of having a bag for her with nappy bags and change of underwear, that would've been life changing for me at school. I like the idea of chocolate biscuits just for her too!

Hi OP, my DD started at 8. It was an enormous shock as I hadn't yet had the talk with her as I had been nearly 14 before mine started.

I bought slim pads ("Always" I think) and pantyliners. I also bought her a small pack of wipes and sanitary disposal bags. These were all put in a little bag zipped bag that was unobtrusive in her school bag. At the time, the school didn't have any sanitary disposal facilities at all and they had to purchase some! She coped remarkably well considering and is now 22 so things have changed a bit! I wish we'd had period pants back then, but no such thing existed. That is the route I'd take if I were you.

for both of you, it's difficult when they start so young but you will get into a routine and she'll adapt and be fine!

I understand you feel a bit sad. 10 is a normal age for periods to start, but they're still so young at that age. First periods used to be a teen thing, now girls are still playing with what we consider little girl things when they get their period and it can be a bit of a shock for them and their parents. Lil-let's do nice teen starter packs, I got DD a few of those and a vast array of everything on sale in the supermarket for her to try when she was ready.

Lilets do a range of pads designed for younger girls, and they do a starter pack that has them all in to try.

And I second the idea of a pencil case with a little kit of everything she might need in there to carry around in her bag/keep at school. My daughter keeps it in her bag all the time in case she gets caught short because it can be a little unpredictable to start with as to whe her period will arrive. (And she has been able to help out her friend when she was caught short.)

We can also recommend modibodi, my daughter wasn't too keen on the idea of period pants but we have invested in a swimming costume and bikini bottoms that she can use on her period. We did buy a supply of black normal pants as she said she would feel happier in those to start with.

I think the other thing that she seems to appreciate is a supply of all the products she might need (including wipes etc) that I keep topped up in the bathroom along with a small bin. I just tried to make it as easy as possible for her.

My DD was 12, but I know what you mean about being sad, I wish they could have longer without the faff and always thinking about when it might arrive. As other have said Li-lets teen range is brilliant, everything really small and the pads very slim and short. My DD tried the applicator tampons (part of the pack) and liked them so I stocked up on them - they are teeny too. I also got her the wiped they do as I thought they would be useful in a flood/leak situation. She's only had two periods in 6 months and both during lockdown, so it's been fine, but I will definitely get the period pants before she's back at school. I don't fully understand how they work though? What happens to the blood? would you really wear them on their own?
When she's got the hang of it all and is a bit older, she wants a mooncup.

June2008 cross-post with you!