Suitable first sanitary products...

[anonymousbird]

DD is nearly 11 and has definitely shown some signs of developing. She has shot up in height, has a gentle curve to her and other things. I suspect starting her periods is not far away. We have talked about it, but it is time for me to remind her about what happens and what to do.

Which made me think, I should have something suitable in the house for her - it's been so flippin long since I had to buy anything at all other than basic panty liners that I would appreciate any tips on suitable first time products for girls of 11-12.

Thank you.

I would just get her a selection of things she can try in her own time

Applicator and non applicator tampons
Pads with and without wings
Reusable pads etc

Dd is 11 and had been showing signs for the last year. She started in the Summer holidays and has had two periods now.

She prefers the bodyform long with wings sanitary towels, as she's sat down all day at school, the regular length ones made her feel like blood would run down the back if that makes sense.

She was prepared and during the year before she actually started I'd bought a load different styles of towels and she'd have a practice at placing them in her knickers and wearing them for an hour or so, so by the time her period did arrive she was confident in applying the pads and also disposing them.

I did buy her some tampons, I'll be honest I wasn't keen on her using them, but it wouldn't be fair if I didn't give her all the options so I showed her a few and told her how they work and she ruled them out. She likes the idea of a menstrual cup and you can get teen ones but she said she wants to use pads until she gets regular and knows her flow etc.

A while ago I bought a little square fabric purse thing on ebay for something like £1, it's for putting a couple of sanitary towels in and a spare pair of knickers as she was worried about the towels being visible. Always and body form towels currently come with a square tin with various designs and are £1 a pack in asda.

I've told dd that scented stuff is available but not a good idea as nobody can smell someone else's periods and that they may irritate her skin, but if they are something she wants to try that's fine too.

I dunno if this will sound weird OP but I have some unused reusable pads if you'd like me to post them to you for dd to try? I bought a pack of 5, I tried one and didn't like it, dd tried one and also didn't like it so there's three left. PM me your address if you want them.

I bought DD (started periods at 10) the teen sanitary towels (I think Boots sell them). She liked them from the point of view of being smaller than "normal" STs but has since ditched them as she founds they leak very quickly. She also now prefers the long ones with wings, but she found them too scary at first!

I've also bought her some Lillett tampons as others on here suggested they were easier to insert, but she's so far just gone "urgggh" when ever I've suggested trying them.

My DM gave me sanitary towels which were fine to begin with but once I'd worked out how to use them I preferred applicator tampons. I agree with giving her a selection to try out.

Oilers do a teen pad that are smaller and I got DD The purple tampax - lite I think they're called in pearl (the plastic applicator)

DD amazed me. She's terribly squeamish but took to tampons almost from the get go.

Lillets do some 'teen' products that are packaged in prettier wrappers etc and I think their 'teen' stuff is slightly smaller for girls who have periods but maybe smaller undercarriages if that makes sense. They weren't available when my DD started so have no personal experience.

I can recommend Diary Doll pants which are like bikini pants but have a totally waterproof (not rubber) lining from front to back. You can buy mail order or from some shops.

I used to suggest to my DD that she carried a spare san pad in every handbag (for the next 40 years!) , and also had a make-up type bag in her school bag with a couple of pads and a spare pair of pants.

Lilets do a whole teen range of panty liners, towels ( day and night ones ) and tampons. Get a range for her to try. Move on to adult ones if she needs.

I also started buying disposable bed mats again - my DD invariably would leak in the night and the mats spared the bedlinen some what.

I would start out with pads with wings (bodyform do some good ones that are thinner than always so more comfortable for smaller girls) and then the nighttime ones so she feels more secure at night nothing worse for a teen to wake up and find they've leaked on the sheets

Make sure she knows to tell you if she's going through them too quick so that you can get her the next absorbency up, its not always true that teens have lighter periods!

Maybe have some tampons handy in case she decides that pads just aren't working for her. Tampax do mini ones which are easier to hide in school bags actual lifesavers when I was at school and have plastic applicators which IMO were much easier to use than the cardboard ones. But if she doesn't like them then do encourage her to try out a few things to find what she prefers!

Do tell her to talk to you if they're a nightmare. DD didn't realise what was normal at first and hers were horrific and she ended up in the pill to sort them and make them more manageable.

Wow, what a great response - all very helpful. I need to go and have a quiet browse, and yes, so sensible to have a range of options to hand. even if she doesn't use tampons for a while, just seeing them and knowing they are there/how they work is a good idea.

And all the tips about pants and bed liners etc are things I wouldn't have thought of straight away.

Thanks peeps.