Sanitary products for 12 year old

[Mapletreelane]

DD12 on her first period. We were prepared but we're using Always Platinum with wings and god love.her they are not doing the trick. It's not that her flow is too heavy, it's just missing the pad altogether, up the back,.out the side etc.

Sorry if that's TMI.

Any suggestions/ products/brands/ tips most welcome. She doesn't want to use tampons yet.

Thank you x

How about period pants? They can wear them all day and then a clean pair for night.

Lots of places sell them,my daughter uses Modibodi and I’ve ordered some cheeky wipes ones which are cheaper. They do take a bit of looking after (rinsing then cold wash,air dry etc).

@ElinorOliphant thank you.

I've seen them but am sceptical. Do they really work then amd also (sorry) do they not smell? That period blood aroma. Maintenance not am issue it's just the smell!

They don't smell any more than sanitary towels.

My 12 year old DD also uses period pants and found primark size small to be excellent- they were £6. She can usually wear one pair all day and one pair at night. She does a lot of dance and sport and has found these to be the best to wear for those activities.
She’s got a couple of toiletry bags that are waterproof and has one on her school bag and one hanging in the bathroom - she rinses out the pants, pops them in there and then they go in the wash. They dry pretty quickly - so can we hung on an airer overnight and are good to go the following morning. Which means you don’t need to buy loads of pairs - I think DD has about 8 pairs - so there’s enough to have a spare pair always in her school bag and sports kit.

My daughter is 13 and uses reuseable sanitary pads. She started off with a starter pack from Earthwise Girls (other brands are available) which I bought well in advance of her first period

At first her placement of them was wrong - they needed to be much further back than she thought but she's very happy with them now. We do have some disposable towels (natracare) in the house but she finds them harder to use.

I’ve not noticed any smell - they get rinsed out after wearing though.

Bodyform do an ultra large night pad that are wider at the back and front. I use these when I'm heavy as I'm the same as your daughter sometimes and it comes out everywhere 🙈😂

If she is a small size, Lillets do a range for teens. Day and night time pads and tampons.

Period pants can be good as a backup. So use a pad as normal, but if it leaks there are the pants.

Re the smell, you wouldn’t wear one pad for 14 hours, so I do just use them as a backup.

She must be placing g them badly if they are missing everything, have you shown her how to put them into pants?

Bodyform are the only mainstream one I can find that are I scented.

Home bargains / B&M type shops sell the big 40/36 packs for £2.50-ish.

Regular length is 40 pads, extra long 36 pads.

My DD has Modi Bodi period pants. Both my DD’s use them and they are fab for sports/dance and don’t smell.

DD also uses lilets towels. They are a pink packet and are a teen range I think.

Another recommendation for period pants. Loads of places sell them

Period pants are amazing for night time. Just make sure you get the ones designed for overnight - the have a large back panel that prevents leaks.

The other thing about the blood missing the pad is that it can happen if the gusset of the pants is too narrow. Lots of gussets are too narrow!! And then everything is a bit unstable and moves around when walking / sitting etc. Maybe have a check and see if she has any with wider gussets to try the pads with while you are sorting out other options.

Another vote for period pants, my dd wears them with a pad in the morning them removes the pad at school and relies on them for rest of the day. She has found the modibodi shorts the most comfy. I got heavy flow to make sure.

Following as my 11 yo DD is nearly There, I think. Going to investigate the pants a bit more - I’ve a stash of the Lillets Teen pads (night and day) on standby. She’s quite petite so the pants might be the winner 🤞

What do tweens use when swimming though?

Show her how to use them properly. Whatever she chooses to use, she'll have to get to grips with. She might need a longer pad.

@elelel

She must be placing g them badly if they are missing everything, have you shown her how to put them into pants?

Yep. I think as an earlier poster pointed out the gusset on her pants is quite narrow so it all moves around..

Buy lil-lets teen pads. I can't imagine normal always would fit, they're certainly far too wide on my knickers.

My DD started at 10.5. She’s used cheeky wipes boyshort pants and reusable pads since with no issues. She puts a pad in them in the morning which she takes out at lunchtime leaving the period pants for the rest of the day. They’re absolutely brilliant and she finds it much easier than using something that needs to be binned.

@AiryFairy1

Following as my 11 yo DD is nearly There, I think. Going to investigate the pants a bit more - I’ve a stash of the Lillets Teen pads (night and day) on standby. She’s quite petite so the pants might be the winner 🤞

What do tweens use when swimming though?

DD has a period swimsuit from modibodi. She wears it even when she hasn’t got her period as it’s so comfy.

I found when I was shopping with god daughter recently - 16 years old - that she liked period pants (we saw them in Primark or TK Maxx or somewhere) and she explained how they worked. I wish to god they'd been around when I was a teenager! She also does lots of gymnastics and cheerleading (not in USA!) and says they're great for that but does use a pad with them if heavier flow. She's also petite, size 4 or 6 I think.

Longer pads could work - I don't really get periods now apart from the occasional one but always liked longer ones to save leakage and even the large/long panty liners I use now I prefer.

Period pants are excellent and they don't smell at all. I love mine and my reusable towels.

DD1 has never used anything other than reusable.
Her current favourites (bear in mind she rides a LOT, so leak free containment is a must) are these pads [[https://www.twinkleontheweb.co.uk/acatalog/Mesara-Complete-Menstrual-Pad---Blush-Single-14MEULTBLU.html#SID=132]]
She's never had much luck with period pads. I don't think they hold as much somehow?