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Original poster

10yo DD has her period...and her dance show is on Friday. HELP!?

33 replies

brummiemummie · 06/08/2009 00:46

My 10yo DD has just come on her period this evening (not her first one, but it's only about her third or fourth, so she's not exactly used to it yet).

While I've been sitting looking at MN it's suddenly dawned on me that she's got her dance show on Friday - 2 days time - when she's going to be right in the middle of her period. This is a fairly serious dance class she's in, which means a tight Lycra costume with no pants under. She's been lucky up until now and has not been on for a day she's had a class, even, but this has fallen on the most important event of the year for her dancing and I really don't know what to do.

She seems to me to be far too young for tampons, but then I suppose she will have to use one sometime soon if she's going to carry on dancing next year. And how do you even go about teaching a 10yo to use tampons? IIRC I was about 16/17 when I first used them and so I was a bit more aware of my body iyswim .

I wouldn't even suggest it but I really don't see another option; I know DD would be so embarrassed if she thought people could see her pad through her costume and her teacher would not exactly be thrilled either.

Argggh, fecking periods

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FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 06/08/2009 00:48

Too young IMO, Always are as thin as she can get, on one can tell. If the flow is very light she'd be able to get away with a panty liner.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 06/08/2009 00:50

Only one thing for it - smallest size of applicator tampon. I started using them at 13, I know 10 is a lot younger, but if she can manage to use one it will give her the confidence to perform. Now she has started this type of situation is likely to reoccur regularly anyway.

Original poster
brummiemummie · 06/08/2009 00:56

FluffyBunny, unfortunately she has quite a heavy flow, so I don't think a panty liner will be an option.

OP posts:
LadyGlencoraPalliser · 06/08/2009 00:57

My DDs do dance shows as well FluffyBunny. Believe me, a pad would show.

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 06/08/2009 00:58

IIRC, you can get really thin tampons. Try a thin pad on with the costume first though and see if anything shows, you can't tell with the thin ones.

siouxsieandthebanshees · 06/08/2009 01:03

I am going to whisper this

Original poster
brummiemummie · 06/08/2009 01:10

I may get her to try it on with a pad tomorrow but I honestly think that it will show through. And tbh even if it doesn't she is the kind of girl who will be paranoid about it showing and be embarrassed anyway.

Seeing as it's almost certainly not going to be the last time she will be on her period for a dance class/competition/show in the next few years, I guess it's probably sensible for her to learn how to use tampons now rather than later. After all, I'd rather that than for her to get embarassed about wearing a pad and giving up her dancing because of it.

Do you think the Tampax plastic applicator ones would be OK for her - the smallest ones obviously? I already have some of these at home as they are the ones I use.

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FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 06/08/2009 01:11

The plastic ones are better then the cardboard ones, they are easier to use. You can buy lite ones.

Original poster
brummiemummie · 06/08/2009 01:12

siouxsieandthebanshees - I thought if you wanted to delay a period with tablets you had to start taking them before you came on? Although I may have been misinformed, it was ten years or so ago I was told that, and not by a doctor!

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nappyaddict · 06/08/2009 01:16

Tampon or mooncup is the only way.

danthe4th · 06/08/2009 01:26

Get the bodyform pads they are fairly thin and shaped they also do a pad shaped to wear with string pants.My daughter has used these when dancing and been fine, wear very tight pants or the boxer shaped pants which don't show as much.

Original poster
brummiemummie · 06/08/2009 01:33

danthe4th - I will have a look at the Bodyform towels. I do have reservations about encouraging DD to use tampons quite so young, although I do think it may be the only way to go in the end.

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nappyaddict · 06/08/2009 01:42

What about a mooncup instead? A bit trickier to use but none of the TSS worries.

Original poster
brummiemummie · 06/08/2009 01:48

Nappyaddict - I'd really rather she tried tampons first as she's very young and (maybe TMI) I think she's a bit small to use a mooncup atm. I'm not too worried about TSS as for the time being she'd only use tampons for dance so she'd need them in for a maximum of about two hours at a time.

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Original poster
brummiemummie · 06/08/2009 01:50

Thankyou all for your help, I'll give you an update in the morning when I've spoken to DD!

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gigglewitch · 06/08/2009 01:50

my dance school isn't a "serious" one but obv we do hit this issue a lot - as I also did as a teenager, but I was older than your dd. I used the smallest size of lil-lets tampons from my first period when I was 13, as I basically refused to let it get in the way of my dancing and swimming. If she uses them for the performance or class times and doesn't necessarily use them all the time, then I don't think it's a problem. I gather that this approach is one that many mums take with their dance-loving daughters, and from personal experience I can tell you there's no way I'd wear any sort of pad or towel under a dance show costume - absolutely no way - sorry!

Original poster
brummiemummie · 06/08/2009 02:03

Thanks gigglewitch.

My older DD who is very into dance/drama etc has always used tampons too but that was not so much of a problem for me as she only started when she was 13.

10 seems very young, but she does have a very mature body for 10 - she looks more like I did when I was 14 or so - so I think she is probably ready. I think she will be disgusted at the idea of wearing a pad under her costume too!

OP posts:
simplesusan · 06/08/2009 10:03

Periods are a flaming nuisance.

What about a tampon without an applicator?
Would that be easier?

pooka · 06/08/2009 10:13

Tampon definitely.

I never bothered from age 11 (when periods started) with pads - in fact only have ever used them after having dcs.

I went straight onto the smallest (think was called mini or something - those days are loooong gone now am super woman) tampax with a cardboard applicator. I never got on with lillets or non-applicator tampons.

posieparkerinChina · 06/08/2009 10:17

I never ever used anything other than tampons and started my periods at ten... I used slender tampax and had no problems.

Original poster
brummiemummie · 06/08/2009 11:23

I have had a chat to DD about using tampons and she seems surprisingly assured about the whole thing. She told me that yes, she would like to try tampons as she wants to continue dancing and she thinks it will be more private and comfortable than wearing a pad.

She has gone off to have a bath (I have told her to "explore" a bit with her fingers if she isn't quite sure exactly where the tampon is supposed to go) and I have given her a packet of the smallest plastic applicator Tampax to have a go with. It is only me and my older DD in the house with her this morning so I have told her just to yell for one of us if she needs any help.

Thank you for all your help - I'll post again later to tell you how she gets on.

OP posts:
nannyL · 06/08/2009 19:16

i have the small size mooncup and i honestly dont think a 10 year old would stand a chance of being able to insert it

Original poster
brummiemummie · 06/08/2009 20:57

nannyL - Yes, that's what I thought re the Mooncup.

DD got a tampon in this morning after several attempts and has been using them all day. Although she hasn't been able to get them in first time, she's done it after a few goes each time and she says it's getting easier. I'll send her to dance tomorrow with lots of tampons so she can sort herself out in the bathrooms beforehand.

Thank you everyone for all your advice!

BM x

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FabBakerGirlIsBack · 06/08/2009 21:01

I think the teacher is being unreasonable. It isn't like your dd has got her period on purpose. Is good that she is managing though with the tampons. Kids seem to grow up so quickly these days. I was nearly 15 before I got my first period. Would the dancers have been able to wear a little dance skirt over the leotard?

CloudDragon · 06/08/2009 21:12

I usedf a tampax from 11, took a bit of practice, hated lillets only like tampax for some reason.