Period blood staining bed

[Player456]

My DD has started her periods, only twice so far. Both times she was heavy enough to leak through both pads and period pants.

She is only just 11 and is not interested in tampons.

What can I put on her bed to protect her new mattress?

She hated the plastic backed terry sheets that she had when she was younger.

I've seen some sort of washable pad things that you can put on the middle of the sheet. But was wondering if a folded towel would do?

I have brolly sheets on my bed because my period is so heavy. They're awesome.

@Oldmrswasherwoman

Double up on pants and pads. (and a mooncup if she can face it). Second the ibuprofen to reduce the flow overnight and while at school if this is a problem. Hope it settles for her soon.

I love my moon cup but I really don’t think they are right for 11 year olds Also, really shouldn’t be taking ibuprofen too regularly-it’s not good for your insides.

I have a washable mattress protector and I honestly put fresh pad on right before going to sleep and I set an alarm for 3hrs, get up change pad, set alarm 3 more hours. Not ideal solution but it works.

I have one of the nice new non-sweaty non-rustling waterproof mattress protectors but I still also put old bath towels under the fitted sheet because the mattress protector was about £100! You can probably get cheaper ones. Anyway the towels under the fitted sheet stay in place better than just laying them on top, and the fitted sheet protects you from the texture of the towels which can be rough on your skin if you sleep in vest and knickers like I do. Period pants as well as others have mentioned- but make sure to get the ones where the protective bit goes all the way up the back and front instead of just protecting the gusset, totally pointless to sleep in, otherwise.

Dog pee mat under sheet

@ponkydonkey

Yes but how the hell do you get it out of the dheets? I've ruined 3 lovely sheets Can't get the stains out

Hydrogen peroxide, or any oxygen based bleach. Only wash in COLD WATER. Not 20, not 30, not the wool wash, put the washer on intense cold or cold setting. Warm/hot water will make blood stain. Repeat washing until no stain. Do not dry until stain is gone. If you dry, that will set the stain.

Saliva breaks down blood stains. Failing that, cold soak asap, then cold wash as above.

@Potatolatkes ibuprofen at the proper dose a couple of days each month is absolutely fine and not "bad for your insides"for the vast, vast majority of people. If it's a problem, you'll know because you'll get an upset stomach, so then you stop taking it and try something else.

But don't take my word for it, OP please take advice from your doctor about things like this if you're worried, not randoms on Mumsnet. I suffered so much from my periods when I was young because my mother believed this sort of nonsense about perfectly safe medicines and left me to suffer instead of letting me take a couple of tablets when I was absolutely doubled over.

@Helloise I’m not taking about not taking painkillers-I was responding to the suggestion of taking it to reduce the flow which isn’t what it’s recommended for.
I’m certainly not suggesting the girl is left to suffer-I agree with your suggestion to see the gp

I bought puppy pads to put under the sheet on top of a mattress protector! They’re big squares and they’re absorbent and you can’t feel they’re there, I think I got them from
Wilkinsons.

[quote Potatolatkes]@Helloise I’m not taking about not taking painkillers-I was responding to the suggestion of taking it to reduce the flow which isn’t what it’s recommended for.
I’m certainly not suggesting the girl is left to suffer-I agree with your suggestion to see the gp[/quote]
Fair enough, I must still be traumatised because I get upset when I don't think people are taking period pain seriously!

And totally off topic, but sort of on topic, what actually DOES work for heavy bleeding is tranexamic acid which I used to take with me on holiday (I can handle heavy flow normally as I WFH but it's super inconvenient when I'm trying to find a bathroom in the middle of Paris or whatever) - I used to get it at Boots from the pharmacist, when I went in to buy some last week she said they haven't had it in stock for over two years now! Super annoying.

Get a kylie sheet. They are awesome. Also look at which period pants she has as some are vastly inferior to others.
However, she should not be that heavy at 11. If you do the quiz here
www.nhs.uk/conditions/heavy-periods/
you will have a better idea of what to tell the GP.

People are suggesting the DD wear period pants, but the OP says she's already wearing them...

I've googled heavy periods in 11 yr olds, abd am now worried. She's had two baby teeth pulled out, but didn't bleed excessively. She does have a lot of bruises on her legs (or did at primary, not noticed so many now). So will see about seeing a GP, when they are more accessible.

I'm pretty sure my periods were heavy to start with(nearly 40 yrs ago), then settled, now heavy again.

Sh's literally only had two. First time she wore pads and leaked, second time I bought Primark period pants and she had s pad on. They leaked on the coloured bit at the back not the thick black gusset, so think it was due to gravity pulling her flow away from the absorbent bit whilst laying down. She wears night time towels (but they leak for me too).

@ponkydonkey

Yes but how the hell do you get it out of the dheets? I've ruined 3 lovely sheets Can't get the stains out

Bleach, as long as the bedding is white.

@Player456 I had ridiculously heavy periods when I started at 11 years old, would always leak.

*She's had two periods.

The thing that works for me is the incontinence pull up pants. They do feel weird at first but now I can fall asleep without having to worry about ruining my mattress even more or staining sheets and duvet covers. I did try inco sheets during one of my miscarriages but because I toss and turn so much it just ended up getting bunched up inside the bed so in the end I settled for old towels inside bin liners onto of the mattress. I do have a mattress protector on now. I think I paid around £8 for it from primark

I use a fitted sheet, which has a waterproof backing. Perfect. You can buy them on Amazon, they're not expensive.
You could use it under her regular sheet. It's as easy to wash and dry as a regular sheet, unlike mattress toppers.

Commiserations to her, my periods were very heavy when I started. It's a lot to deal with when you are only 11.

Worth a chat with the GP I think. Mine are tapering off these days but, as someone else suggested, I take ibuprofen sometimes at night or at work on days of heaviest flow.

I used to have to sleep on a folded towel when I was a teenager. These days I double up with tampon/night time pad. Get her to try a few different brands/shapes of pads and make sure she has the extra-long night time ones. I find the bodyform good and Always - but the absorbent foam ones, not the normal kind and hardly anywhere seems to stock them.

I really sympathise!

www.boots.com/always-infinity-night-sanitary-towels-with-wings-10x-10182948

Think it's these bad boys

Do the period pants fit - I've moved over to period pants and they are awesome!

Different period pants fit differently, Wuka are great, Primark do some good ones too (at the cheaper end of the market)… (i prefer both of these to midbody).

Again IKEA do non crinkly under sheets - you could put that under a normal sheet too .. if that helps

You could buy a waterproof mattress (I don't mean mattress protector). My kids have these for bed wetting issues. You simply wipe the mattress down.

You obviously still have to get the blood out of the sheets, but you need to do this too with a mattress protector. However, it saves having to keep washing and drying bulky mattress protectors.

The trouble with these period pants is that it’s just the gusset area that is absorbable.
You need to find the ones where the absorbable bit goes from the front waistband, right under and up to the back waistband.
Also put one nighttime pad In the back right up to the waistband, and another in the front to the waistband.

Hi bought a mattress protector from asda. £9 and a double. Not thick but does the job and easily fits in the washing machine.

Everyone should have one.