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Original poster

To be completely unprepared for my daughter's first period

136 replies

newmum0808 · 04/08/2019 21:13

So, in real life I'm intelligent. Honestly I am.
But this will make you shake your head it me.
My ten year old daughter started developing pubic hair a few months ago and has started budding. I read on a post here that girls only grew 2 inches after they started their period. She's only 5'4" and will be about 5'9" (according to her red book and my Mum's belief that if you measure your child at 2 and double it you'll get her full grown height....). So this evening she called me in to the restaurant loos to show me that she'd started..... My first reaction is "you're too short!!!" (As in she's got another 5 inches to grow). Anyway, that's not the point...
Luckily I had a spare sanitary towel with me. We are away for the weekend and it was 7pm on a Sunday. I popped into a petrol station - it didn't have supplies but an amazing lady gave me a few towels from her stash...
So, other than the fact I'm an idiot, what supplies are best for a ten year old? How do they start - presumably there is no pattern. Towels with wings? When do they settle down..... All advice gratefully received as it's been 29 years since my first period! Apologies for the gibberish, I'm not allowed to tell anyone (I'm assuming you don't count)... She's ten. Ten......
Thank you!

OP posts:
FieryBiscuits14 · 04/08/2019 22:22

FFS OP I understood your post and all the hype from the shorties on here is uunnecessary to say the least. I'm 5"3 and I have no idea how tall I was when I started etc etc.
I certainly get your shock at a ten year old starting her period. My daughter is 13 and still hasn't.
I'd just go with pads. 10 feels too young for tampons.

MoominKitty · 04/08/2019 22:26

I started when I was 8, was regular from the get go, but would sometimes forget I was due being so young. We started marking my start date on a calender in my room to help and I much preferred the always liners with wings, tampons were were the self application ones back then 😂. My sister started early too but was irregular for about a year.

OMGshefoundmeout · 04/08/2019 22:26

Being short isn’t a disaster. I’m 5ft tall. It can be inconvenient when buying dresses or jeans and a maxi dress is something I’ll never be able to wear nor will I ever see the main stage when I’m at a gig or festival. That being said I’d rather be remarkable for being small (but mighty) than being larger. It also means I have very small feet - handy because it means I can buy VAT free child size flats and trainers, but not so good when I want to buy stylish heels.

Alaimo · 04/08/2019 22:31

I remember the first time I got my period, I think I was 10 also, maybe 11. My mum explained the different options to me (well, tampons & pads). Explained tampons might not feel very comfortable to start with, but that they are handy for swimming etc, and that it might take a few attempts before they feel comfortable. She made sure there was a box of the smallest size tampons in the bathroom so I could practice using them whenever I felt ready to. I really appreciated not having to announce to my mum that I wanted to start using tampons, but to already have them there. If I were to have a daughter, I'd probably get her some other options also (period pants) and then leave her to it to decide what she prefers.

arethereanyleftatall · 04/08/2019 22:32

@chickenyhead
Is there a greater risk of TSS the younger you are if using tampons? I'm just curious because at my swimming club there's lots of girls training in the pool every day, and they'll all have to use tampons.

musketeersmama · 04/08/2019 22:34

Can anyone recommend a brand or type of period pants please? And are they very expensive? My daughter started hers on her very last day of primary school - I think period pants would make life soo much easier for her!

TakemedowntoPotatoCity · 04/08/2019 22:36

I don't understand why some posters are giving you a hard time. 10 seems awfully early to start periods - it scares me that that's only three years away for my DD (and yes I know some girls start earlier than that). I just feel a little sad for girls who start as early as this, as though it's robbing them of a bit of their childhood. I would hope my DD starts at 13 like I did, though it's not something I have any control over!

MyDcAreMarvel · 04/08/2019 22:38

It’s weight not height usually around 6.5/7 stone which would be very overweight for a 10 year old.

helpmeiamatoad · 04/08/2019 22:39

Some posters really do have no reading comprehension skills do they?! Grin

helpmeiamatoad · 04/08/2019 22:42

@MyDcAreMarvel Please tell me you’re kidding? 6.5/7 stone is underweight at 5ft 4, wether she is 10 years old or not. Please don’t spread dangerous information like this.

Whatthehell2020000 · 04/08/2019 22:42

My daughter started young and I invested in modibodi knickers. I cannot recommend them enough!

MyDcAreMarvel · 04/08/2019 22:49

I misread the child’s height an average height ten year old would be overweight at 7 stone.

frogsoup · 04/08/2019 22:49

Well if you are an idiot with the height thing so am I, as I was assuming exactly the same thing Blush. DD is 11, has started puberty but is still v small, I assumed we had ages yet but apparently maybe not! I will get together a period pack forthwith on the basis of this thread - thank you op!

ItsGoingTibiaK · 04/08/2019 22:51

Have we discovered a link between being short and being unable to read and comprehend?!

AliMonkey · 04/08/2019 22:52

DD started hers 18 months ago (age 13). She has a combination of lillets teens, three sizes of bodyform with wings (normal, extra long, night time) and panty liners for when she thinks about to start or at end. Hers still aren't that regular. My tips:

  • black pants
  • makeup bag with pads, spare pants, bags, handwipes, always in her school or overnight bag
  • dark towels
  • check with the school re bins as they tend to not have them in all primary school toilets
  • let her decide who knows - DD has gradually got more open about it with DH, DS, friends
  • if she is staying overnight with friends or family when on her period, better to let the adults in charge know (if necessary without her knowing) so they can make sure there are bathroom bins, maybe not their best bedding or white towels, etc.

Don't assume her periods will be like yours - when DD said her tummy really hurt, I insisted she joined us for a game of badminton as the exercise would be good for her as I always find it helps. An hour later, she vomited with the pain and spent the next two days in bed it was so bad. We've now learnt to give her a dose of ibroprofen when it starts as that gives her a chance of not ending up throwing up / off school with severe pain which otherwise happens about every 3 months (better for severe periods than paracetamol as reduces the flow as well as the pain)

All DC different, but for DD I felt I should let her get used to it all before we talked about alternatives (reusables, tampons, cup) though I have mentioned them to her.

SirVixofVixHall · 04/08/2019 22:58

Dd1 was 12, dd2 is 12 now but nowhere near by the look of her. Ten is so young, but not uncommon now. She will probably end up about five seven or eight. The long bones stop growing around two years after periods start, but there can still be some growth generally. I grew for around 3 years after starting my periods at 16.
My dd doesn’t yet want to try tampons, she uses Bodyform or Natracare, and I am going to get her some period pants to try too.

Mincingfuckdragon · 04/08/2019 22:59

@MyDcAreMarvel - what is your source for this comment "It’s weight not height usually around 6.5/7 stone"? I've just tried quickly to find a basis for it and couldn't but appreciate I haven't looked very hard. It accords broadly with my (limited) experience (my 9 yr old was 39kg and 155cm) but am interested to know the medical basis.

WLAH · 04/08/2019 23:15

Not much help as my dad only 7 but based on recommendation here ordered modibodi period pants for myself. Havent had much luck with mooncup...end up with UTI so avoiding them now

WLAH · 04/08/2019 23:15

Correction my Dd not my dad!

Zebraaa · 04/08/2019 23:24

The whole height thing is bizarre! “She has another 5 inches to go” Hmm wtf

chickenyhead · 04/08/2019 23:26

@arethereanyleftatall

I dont thing it is directly correlated to age by my DD is extremely forgetful and it's a risk I dont promote right now as i dont think she takes enough responsibility for hygiene matters as she should. Nice.

PickAChew · 04/08/2019 23:27

Google is your friend. Seriously.

chocatoo · 04/08/2019 23:31

DD likes dark, big pants with a bit of Lycra in. Got some good ones in Primary. Agree re make up bag containing supplies, etc. When we’ve stayed at hotel or friends houses she puts a towel on top of the sheet for a bit of extra protection.
I gave tips about how to dispose of used pads (e.g. bring them home rather than leave at friends house). I find that I still need to remind her to make sure she has spare pads etc. even though she is now old enough to know better.
I try to buy unscented pads but they aren’t always readily available.

jimmyhill · 04/08/2019 23:35

Get some Feminax in - it’s been a lifesaver for dd.

Feminax is ibuprofen sold to mugs at a 10x markup...

arethereanyleftatall · 04/08/2019 23:36

Chickeny - That is a really good point re forgetfulness, my dds the same. Fingers crossed she starts remembering stuff before her period starts!

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