Periods in teen with additional needs?

[Summerishere123]

Hi all, sorry for the grim topic but I am trying to prepare for DD getting her period. She just turned 11 so hopefully have another year or 2 but I don't want to not be prepared and make a mess of it.
Crucially, DD has a developmental delay and has the mental age of a 5/6 year old.
I need advice on what is the best thing to use these days? I have been on the coil for 15 years so haven't had a proper period for years and when I did I used a moon cup which I don't think is age appropriate. I hated sanitary towels myself so have been looking into period pants but Im unsure about them. How often do you change them? They seem quite expensive so how many would I need to buy?
Does anyone have advice on what is best to use and if period pants is a good option then how many and what brands do I buy?
Any advice from other parents with a disability very much appreciated!

Years ago I volunteered in a disabled school whilst at uni. Many of the girls were on the pill to stop periods all together. Nowadays you can get a weekly patch too. I'd discuss the options with her GP/Practice nurse or local family planning clinic. They are often connected to sexual health clinics and most run under 24's clinics.

My youngest dd has a low iq and is a few years behind her peers emotionally and mentally and I had the same concerns, especially as she hates blood and any kind of 'mess'. She got her period at 13 going on 14 and used only period pants for the first couple of years, and that worked really well, I just reminded her to put a fresh pair on in the morning, as soon as she got in from school, and again before bed. I made sure she had a couple of pads and a spare pair of period pants in a waterproof bag in her schoolbag at all times. I also told her to go to the school office if it came unexpectedly or she had any other difficulties. She got on fine, better than I anticipated. She prefers to wear pads to school now that she is older as she feels the pants are a bit thick, I still remind her each morning to change the pads at break time and lunch time. She isn't interested in a moon cup and still isn't ready to try tampons, but I suppose she will in time. Good luck!

Nothing “grim” about this at all and I would urge you not to even think like this about this issue.

Marks have superb period heavy absorbency period pants

Is she at a special school or mainstream?

I think period pants are amazing, i would have loved them but alas too late for me

I second period pants. I would also see the GP and see if they are able to give something that stops the periods or means they only have one once every so many months. Especially if she really struggles with it.

DH's half sister has complex SEN needs and is developmentally delayed (basically a toddler)
She really struggled with periods - both the pain/ cramps and the changing and hygiene side. She had the injection so only had a period once every 3 months which they tried their best to time with school holidays. Then when she was a bit older she had a marina coil (under sedation I believe) which means she no longer has periods.

Thank you for saying that, I think its an important point.
My daughter is higher cognition, but autistic and I have the same worries about periods, which I think she will struggle with due to a number of factors. At the moment I have period pants ready as I don't think she could reliably manage to change sanitary towels. Friends with older girls tell me that they are all using period pants. I've been picking some up from M&S whenever I spot them in the sale. However I will absolutely be asking the doctor for the pill or similar if she struggles a lot.

This is what I did. The physicality of managing a period is really difficult for my daughter and hers were really heavy. After having to make a mercy dash to the school a few times to help her change and clean up, we got her on the pill. It took a while to find the right one but we got there in the end. She still occasionally has a period but it’s manageable.

My niece is profoundly autistic and is 16. She uses pads, which are very thin these days. Of course it requires monitoring, and I believe uses period pants too (as does my own daughter which has saved her blushes a few times). But she’s on so many medications for other physical issues anything else added would just be OTT. She copes well with it all.

Period pants. You can get them in primark and they’re not that expensive. Imo they’re are good at the more expensive brands.

It’s not grim. It should be treated with no shame whatsoever. My DD used period pants but now on pill due to sensory issues. Doctor was very supportive.

What is grim about this?

Does she attend a SEN school @Summerishere123 ?

If you go down the period pants route, which I highly recommend, just be aware they are not all the same. My daughter has extremely heavy periods and the Primark/Marks & Spencer‘s ones were not absorbent enough. She finds Modibodi to be the best for high absorbency. You haven’t mentioned what sort of school your daughter goes to, but I used to work in a special school where a few of our girls used period pants. The parents would just send a waterproof bag and some clean ones and they would be supported to change them whenever needed.

Thanks everyone. She is currently in Mainstream but will go to a SEN school for secondary next year. I’m so glad to hear people call out the “grim”. Last time I tried to make a similar post it was very negative and apparently gross!

In that case, the school will 100% be set up for this so I wouldn’t worry

On Mumsnet - loads of posters said talk about periods was grim. Really?