12 year old and period on holiday

[SquirrelRed]

Hi, My 12 year old has just started her periods last week. We are due to go holiday in May but I am worried about her getting her period while we are away.
She would want to be in the pool all day every day and there wouldn't be much else for her to do.
I don't think there's any chance she will use tampons by then, and there's not an awful amount of time between now and then for us to track/predict when her period will be.
Any advice on how I can best manage this so she can still have an enjoyable holiday please?

Yes it was horrendous, never seen her in so much pain. She reminded me about it the other week when haematologist suggested she take some meds to reduce bleeding when she has her period and she asked it was that one. It wasn’t as no way she would take it again now.

Go on Wuka and get her some period knickers and bikini bottoms.
Both my DDs use them and they’re great. They wear the bikini bottoms under their normal swimsuit. You’ll probably need two pairs for all day in the pool, and she can rinse them out in the shower and dry overnight

I’d leave a box of organic mini tampons with applicators in her room… I suspect she ll have a go with them sooner or later ..

Just to clarify, I don't plan on telling her that the holiday will be ruined if she's on her period or anything like that! It's just that this will only be the 2nd time we have been abroad and we likely won't go again for a good few years. This along with the fact I know she will want to spend almost all of our time there in the pool or sea means I just want to do my best to make that possible for her without her worrying about it 😊

I guess it's just a feeling but she's not someone who is open and happy to talk about periods with me as much as I try.
She is very much a 'bury her head in the sand' kind of person so I really can't imagine her being open to trying tampons, but i will leave a box in her room and the bathroom in case she wants to try

I’ve taken it a few times when I was younger and I used to come on my period and take the medication straight away, it stops it in its tracks so it probably would be okay to bring with you and use if needed

My DD managed the very thin tampons within the first year of periods aged 13. I used them myself with the first year also. I would buy her some, she might manage. Her periods turned out to be very heavy and she managed a menstrual cup by around 15.

And as others have said period swimwear.

I preferred tampons pretty much from the off and I started my periods aged 12. Agree with others - get some of the smallest slimmest applicator tampons and leave them in the bathroom and mention to her that it’s up to her but she might like to try them as many girls and women get on best with them and they allow you to swim and do other stuff that’s more difficult with a pad.

My periods were very heavy from the start and painful and it would have given me the rage if my mum hadn't sympathised and insisted it didn't ruin anything!

Wuka swimwear worked well for my DD. They are pricy but I would buy a couple if she will be in and out of the pool. They were good while in the pool but I'm not sure how long they would last if she was wearing them to lounge around in between swims.

My DDS swim a fair bit and period swim wear is always fine for them. Maybe get a couple so she can change. Also new periods are often all over the place so might have one or 2 then nothing for months. My DD took meds to stop hers when she went away once but said she got a really painful one once she stopped them. Also you'd have to track and be fairly regular as they need taking 3 days before the period starts.

I preferred tampons too! I really couldn't stand the thought of pads (still don't really). I remember we got a little pink pack from school with tampons and pads in. Which was ace by the way! Wonder if they still do those?
Anyway, if you can, I'd buy a selection of things she can have a go with (just leave them in her room with a note). I was a shy girl too, but would have really appreciated this .

My DD was 12 when she started and used tampons from month 2, she’s a gymnast and needed them for competitions, and we live abroad and they swim daily from May to October so she wanted to use them, and not worry about hanging out at the pool and not able to swim. She manages really well.

My 12 year old DGD is a competetive swimmer and trains for 8 hours a week, plus regular galas. Period swimwear works for her - never had any issues with leakage.
Bought the first couple off Vinted to try as we weren't sure they would be effective for long/intensive training sessions. She has also got some period swim bikini bottoms that she can wear under her usual swimwear.

Modibodi teen period swimwear and teen/tween period pants.

Exactly the same with my nieces. Most of the girls at their swimming club wear period bikini bottoms under their training/racing suits, and at galas they’re in the swimwear sometimes for 12 hours – mine change halfway through.

Period swimwear is amazing. You can get full swimming costumes, or bikini bottoms style that you wear under a costume or regular bikini bottoms if you'd rather. Buy a few pairs so you can rinse out and still have pairs to spare. It's a game changer honestly. Don't go down the medication route, she's so young, it's totally unnecessary. In my opinion, WUKA are the best, but Modibodi are good too. Pricey but totally worth it. My 14 and 16 year old DDs wear their WUKA swim bikini bottoms under their regular costumes for school swimming lessons, that's how good they are.

My DD also had an unexpected period last August on our first holiday abroad. It wasn't her first but she werent regular as she is now. She was gutted and a little upset. I told her to give tampons a go and we went to the supermarket to get her some. Told her to take her take time when she inserts it back in the hotel room. The first and 2nd time she found it a bit strange, but after that she said she was all good and comfortable and we couldn't get her out of the pool. Happy daughter and happy parents & sister 😁 x

Everyone talks about teens wearing period swimwear - well I am an actual 40+ year old and use them myself on holiday. They are a total game changer, honestly. I used to take Norethisterone to delay periods but after 2 kids this now makes me full on crazy so I can't do it.

They do not leak. I wear them even on heavy days and they are fine. I have Wuka ones. They are black bikini pants that I wear under my normal swimwear (check the swimwear covers it tho!), but they also sell proper swimming costumes. I recommend having 2 pairs of bikini knickers/swimming costumes because you need to rinse them out after use and it's unpleasant wearing wet things. Also I do change after being in the pool - on lighter days it's fine to sunbathe in them for a bit after, but on a heavier day I was worried about leaking, which is not conducive to relaxing! They are a bit annoying if you aren't using them in the comfort of a hotel with facilities but I somehow managed to get in and out of them on a day trip in France where we swam in a river, albeit involving a very questionable public loo.

Honestly they are a total game changer. Wish I'd have had them as a teen.

I also recommend reusable sanitary pads (I don't like reusable period knickers, personally I didn't like being in the same knickers for an extended period of time, but I know lots of people like them). Less risk of leakage, more comfortable and no horrible plasticky embarrassing noise when you change them. Again, very happy that my daughters will be able to use these when they start.

This was my 12yo DD last summer. I bought her several pairs of period swim briefs. She was worried but actually it was fine with only one heavy day and the rest fine.

My 13 year old daughter had her period on holiday and we bought bikini period bottoms from decathlon. She put them on the rental car parked in a quiet area before walking to the beach. They did leak once slightly but no one noticed and she had worn them for hours. Definitely would have two lots to swap around

I just used to take them anyway. Start 3 days before holiday and stop when I get home. I never knew when my periods would show up. This worked for me but I understand you might not want your 12 year old to take them ‘just in case’

Maybe try tampons. I’ve had the medication without a horrible period afterwards but it’s hard when you haven’t settled into a routine yet because you have to time it right. I know it sounds awful to encourage / teach someone to insert something into their vagina at such a young age - I remember it with my daughter and I hated it but it’s likely she’ll be doing it before long anyway. Maybe lay out all the options to her and let her decide.

Quite surprised how readily people are suggesting meds for a 12 year old. Really don't recommend unless absolutely necessary, especially at a time when her hormones are already all over the place. Chat with her about whether she'd like to try tampons but I would say period swimwear is the easiest and most comfortable option.

Period swimwear but to make her feel
more comfortable with that also a pair of shorts over the top that passes as swim shorts.