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Children's health

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Original poster

dd9 started her periods today, i am a bit surprised! she is only my little one.

116 replies

piratecat · 21/02/2012 19:12

I am not totally shocked, but it still seems so young. She began with her boobs hurting alot at 8, then pubes started about 6 months ago.

I thought i saw a little brownish stain at the front of her pants a few weeks ago, and we talked about it and i got her a nice little book which we read together.

It was such a surprise when she called down from the loo, I was more shocked becuase i could hear the panic in her voice. Then she ha a cry, bless her.
It was all so new, talking to her about hygiene, and how she is going to change her pads at school. She tells me there are no sanitary type bins in the toilets, only a handtowel bin.

She has dealt with so so much in her little life, with her dad. Mumsnet has been here all the way thru, and its unreal that i am not posting this tbh!!

She isn't even dry at night yet, so not altogether sure how this is going to work with pads, and drynites .

Is very pleased she gets to bunk off swimming tomorrow tho.

OP posts:

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whomovedmychocolate · 23/02/2012 12:12

Oh piratecat :( I started mine at just under 9 and it's SO HARD being the only kid at primary school. First of all the school must get her a disposal bin, it's basic H&S not to have sanitary towels hanging around in regular bins. Also make sure she has some baby wipes in her bag because often when girls first start they get blood on their hands when changing towels and don't want to have to walk out to the sinks to wash in front of other girls.

Don't worry though, soon she will be one of many in this situation.

Also may I recommend giving her vests to wear over her bras - they stop bras being so noticeable to the other kids (I had mine twanged once too often at school

My mum gave me a gorgeous necklace and a bottle of perfume when I started because I'd 'turned into a young lady from a child' which was a nice way of marking it.

MyMelody · 23/02/2012 12:27

Well I started at 10, and my mum also started at 10 (she would have been 10 yrs old in 1950 and skinny as a rake and tiny!!) so I don't think its that unusual, mine were also heavy-ish from day one as well and regular, I was at primary school and it is young to deal with it but she will be ok and get used to it and it sounds like you are dealing it with it really well.

Re the bins, if I were you I would actually speak to the Head Teacher about that because I think it is imperative that there is at least one sanitary bin in the toilets, and I can't believe so many schools don't have one, it is really not all that unusual for girls to start at nine or ten and there should be a bin. Why should anyone have to put up with putting used ones in their bag to take home? Its not on, its enough to deal with as it is!

hellymelly · 23/02/2012 12:34

My Mum was 16,and I was nearly 16,so I assumed it was all ages away as my eldest is 7.But reading this has made me think it's good to prepare for it being earlier.My dd is very thin and light,but that really seems not to be a factor now.
OP I think she may be unlucky in starting quite so early,but she's very lucky to have such a lovely Mummy.

Minty82 · 23/02/2012 12:42

Oh the poor little thing, that is a lot to have to deal with. My mum started at 10, and told me that she was so unclear about how it all worked that she put her pad out with her clothes for the morning, as she didn't realise it carried on at night...which made my grandmother cry, that she was having to deal with it all so young. My sisters and I managed to hold off till 13/14, luckily.

You do sound like you're being fantastic though - Fuzz I'm so shocked by your story about your stepdaughters' mum, that's just appalling.

Melpomene · 23/02/2012 13:17

It sounds like you're doing a great job to help her through this and there's some great advice on the thread which I'm taking note of as my dd is showing early signs of puberty although she's still only 8.

Re the bedwetting, my dd was wetting almost every night until age 7 and then we tried a bedwetting alarm which worked very well. So if your dd is willing to try an alarm it could be worth trying it at some point.

KateShmate · 23/02/2012 19:02

So sorry to hear that your DD is struggling, poor thing :(

Don't know if she can take pills yet? If not, calpol and nurofen together should help with the pain. And a heat cushion works wonders too.
If she has bad cramps at school, most supermarkets sells 'Deep heat, heat pad' - is a self-warming, adhesive patch that you can stick onto your abdomen and relieves the pain amazingly well. I've had horrendous period pain, and the heat pads work wonders.

You mentioned that you wanted to find some thicker pads; BodyForm definitely do the thick pads still - I'm pretty sure they sell them in normal supermarkets, but they also sell them in our £land!

Its these ones:

www.bodyform.co.uk/our-products/product-showroom/maxi-dry-super-non-winged/

with the 'maxi' at the bottom of the packet. They're really padded and comfy. Think they do them in different sizes, but its the 'Maxi' bit to look out for!

pantaloons · 23/02/2012 19:25

I think the unwrapped pads tend to be thicker, it's the pre packaged hand bag ones which are thin (and more expensive), but handy for her school bag.

I started quite young and remember having cramps before my first period came. Oh the joys! School was well equipped in the sense that there was a larger cubicle in the girls loos complete with it's own sink. However, no one liked using it until we were a bit older and more blase about the whole thing!

My eldest is 8, so I suppose it's only a matter of time. I'll try and be as calm and reassuring as you when the time comes.

giraffesCantDonateBoneMarrow · 23/02/2012 19:37

how did you get on at dr?

Original poster

piratecat · 23/02/2012 20:35

thankyou again.

i must get to a better store for pads. You are right i need unwrapped pads. I did see some but thought they looked so long, and thought the discreet ones were the way to go.

I cancelled the doctors. I think i was overreacting to the whole thing, and to the pain she was in this morning. The wet at night thing will have to be worked on, I may take dd to the doc for that when she isn't feeling so rough, as i am sure this period pain is quite enough to focus on at the moment.

I guess momentarily i thought 'ooh a mini pill to stop the periods, wouldn't that be the best answer', but on googling i find they are loathe to do this as a long term thing, and the fact that she is nearly ten, well she comes within reasonable age for this to be happening.
A mini pill for say, her residential trip next year maybe.

I can't see her going to school until monday at this rate, as it's very crampy.

We have a wheat filled heat pack, that has been on her most of the day, and i have been alternating the Calpol and Kids Ibuprofen all day. Poor lamb.x

OP posts:

pantaloons · 23/02/2012 20:38

Aw little chick, it's hard to carry on as normal when you're an adult and crampy and know it's coming. It must be really hard when you are so little. Hope she's feeling better soon.

Original poster

piratecat · 23/02/2012 20:41

ok, re Body form, we have the ultra ones, in normal and super. we need to look for the maxi ones as you said. thx

OP posts:

ChippingInNeedsCoffee · 24/02/2012 00:15

I wouldn't worry in the slightest about keeping her off... you'd do it for anything else that was making her feel this crappy wouldn't you, it's just so instilled in us that 'life goes on' - but you can bet your bottom dollar if men got periods they'd get 3 days a month 'special sick leave'!!

I can't believe it's so heavy :( I really don't remember my first ones well, but I'm pretty sure they weren't heavy and they certainly weren't regular.

I just want to wave a magic wand and make it all go away for the poor wee dot.

Celebrating becoming a woman = pfffffffffffffffffft

fuzzPigwickPapers · 24/02/2012 09:22

I was really excited to start my period (although thinking about it that was probably because I was desperate to leave childhood behind) but I think either way it's nice to get a present, whether it's a celebration or a commiseration :)

I still get blood on my hands when changing tampons on my heaviest day(s) - femfresh wipes (probably controversial but who cares) are good if I'm feeling all sticky. Some are flushable.

Original poster

piratecat · 24/02/2012 18:46

cramps this morning. less flow today, thank god. few cramps now, for some reason.

probably about 25 pads in 3 days lol!

OP posts:

ChippingInNeedsCoffee · 24/02/2012 18:50

Hopefully it's nearly over.

25 pads - were they all actually used or was that a lot of testing and throwing out.

Fuzz - me too since I was forced to give up my pill :( I didn't realise how much easier that made life until I couldn't have it anymore.

mangomousse · 24/02/2012 19:10

Your poor DD I do feel for her, lots of hugs.

36 years later (I started at 10) I'm sitting here at the other end of the whole female experience, wondering if I can go out tonight without embarrassing myself or ruining another pair of trousers. The only thing is now I can ring my friend and tell her the real reason I can't come out to play .

Have a lovely weekend together.

Original poster

piratecat · 24/02/2012 20:45

hi, thanks.

we thought it was going, its back again!! what IS going on, surely her uterus is about the size of tangerine!!

OP posts:

Original poster

piratecat · 24/02/2012 20:47

chipping, i was kidding. Yet prob not far off!! On the first day she used more as she was so unsettled by the feeling.

OP posts:

ChippingInNeedsCoffee · 24/02/2012 20:49

Pirate - mine has always come on, gone away for a day or two and come back again for a day or two. It ends up lasting about 9 days, drives me mad.

Original poster

piratecat · 24/02/2012 20:51

i sometimes have ones like that too, it suddenly stops. You just know 'hey it can't have just stopped', it normally tails off. Then it comes back.

OP posts:

topknob · 24/02/2012 20:52

aww your poor daughter :( and you :( I was be so upset if that was my daughter and she is 8 but very big and tall and wearing a ten year olds clothing....I hope she is ok x

Original poster

piratecat · 24/02/2012 20:53

topnob, my dd is very tall too. this all started on her 8th birthday, well just shortly after when her breasts started hurting.

OP posts:

topknob · 24/02/2012 20:56

She hasn't mentioned anything like that and I praying she will be like me, I was a late starter at 15. It seems so unfair to read about this happening to a 9 yr old, at 13 and above you are so eager to start but at 9 you have no idea :(

ledkr · 24/02/2012 21:02

Mine goes off for a few days then comes back,pain and all.Its really annoying. I wonder what that is.

Original poster

piratecat · 24/02/2012 21:02

i know,and thanks for your thoughts and understanding. There is so much to this for us, so much.

I wish i could take it away from her. It's going to disrupt her schooling, and i was hoping the rest of primary school would be easier for her.

She has missed alot of school over the past two years, through illness. We have had such alot of strees from this, issues with the school, and on top of it all her counselling, her issues with her absent father. now this

just a break from stress would be all i ask for her, and me if i am honest.

OP posts:

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