What are you teaching/going to teach your girls about their reproductive cycles?

[Pruners]

Message withdrawn

im 26 and i dont know when im ovulating i know how to work it out from my period

Message withdrawn

My mum didn't even tell me about periods. So when I started bleeding during a PE lesson aged 10 I freaked completely.

My subsequent obsession with how the body works is part of the reason I became a doctor!

I tell my 11-year old quite a bit since she's now started her periods. Not actually broached ovulatory (right word?) signs yet since only had one period but I can see that I would quite naturally. She's quite open with me about stuff lik etaht

exactly thats what i meant i would love to know whats going off when and how

Message withdrawn

I feel bloody cheated too as I only really took real notice to get pg for a second time and was absolutely fascinated with what goes on. (also checked position of cervix during cycle, which was much easier than you think.) learnt it all from a brilliant book by toni welschler 'taking charge of your fertility'. I will be giving this book to my dd when she's old enough.

I won't be having any more so no need to check now so feel a bit sad

I tell my dd about all the detail she wants. I also tell the girls and boys that I teach (in secondary) about the changes that happen in a menstrual cycle. I also tell them that there is a special name for people for rely on the 'safe period' for contraception.....parents!

oh and btw i had an early bleed with my second and was told categorically that I was 2 weeks behind my 'own date'. I knew she was wrong and so she was, my second scan at 9wks was exact to the day with my own dates.
Also my second pg occured before I started my periods after my first (still bf) and the medical profession just couldn't get their heads around why I knew when I had conceived. I had been charting my signs and temp. Cervix was no where to be seen, egg white mucus and ov pain, went in for the kill and the rest is history.

It's not always easy to tell...and it varies from month to month. Mucus and pain are not easy to spot in all people. Also, mucus can change over 3-4 days so you might still not be able to pinpoint the exact time.

I think my DD was conceived very early on in my cycle- round about day 9, so the sperm must have lived for along time, as I usually always had long 30 day-ish - cycles.

Never rely on the safe period is my motto.

p.s- that's confusing- what i meant was I thought it was "safe" at day 9, but obviously not- she was very much wanted anyway- just couldn't believe it happened so quickly and so easily as DS took 8 months of trying.

Message withdrawn

And that, my dear MB, is how this particular twerp became a parent . (I did sort of know I was ahem quite likely to get up the duff!)

Interesting. I end up telling the Inferiorettes a fair bit; mostly about periods at this stage but they know that women's bodies have eggs in them, and suchlike. (DD2 is particularly proud of her eggs.)

Message withdrawn

Dearest MI, my brother, the biology teacher is the father of two wonderful 'accidents'. DMIL another biology teacher FFS is the mother of 4, 2 accidents and 2 planned!

I am still trying to find that informal moment (during the washing-up, seems to be the conventional time slot) to broach periods with dd (7.5) at all. If only she would ask an inconvenient tampon question in a supermarket.

I think awareness of cycles is definitely important - awareness of pain cycles, in my case, and also, so importantly, whether or not one is feeling Irrationally Ratty and can (with such relief) recognise & defuse it as being purely hormonal. Oh, the other thing is actually getting a sense of one's regularity - even though I had one of those 27 days 14 hours to the second cycles, I was constantly being caught short up to, well, er, now.

I don't tell my dds much about periods yet, but they have a very explicit cartoon book about sex and reproduction, aimed at older children, and my 8yo and 6yo have absorbed that with interest. They seem to know more than most of their school friends.

Ah, Bink, but then there is the Fatal Question that one's nearest and dearest can ask about rattiness. Which tends to lead to homicidal urges, I find.

Thing is, you see, if you've already privately deduced for yourself that the fury is cyclical, then a partner's earnestly "supportive" questions don't ambush you in the same way. You can then say "I dare say" all airily because a march hasn't been stolen on you.

Or perhaps it's only me where the march-stealing is the real core irritation?

Ah, I shall try that one.

I think actually that my daughters may have clocked me remarking on painful ovulation (which I get). Thing is, that is the other aspect of it all - the sheer pain/inconvenience associated with ovulation, periods, and of course childbirth. I find myself treading an absolute bloody tightrope in terms of not wanting to give them an overly rosy picture and not wanting them to feel saddled with some awful Curse of Eve-y stuff.

I find it difficult to be positive about periods. or about PMS. I can't help feeling it's Just Not Fair that women should have to have them, as well as childbirth and pregnancy, and men being sympathetic and understanding is highly irritating.

still, we are surrounded by worship-your-inner-goddess types around here, no doubt the dds can pick up good vibes about their womanly functions from some of these more positive role models.

My two have ben brought up to know everything about their"magic,amazing"body.

Right from explaining how scabs heal on your knee to protect against germs, as little ones, to the monthly(ish)cycle for teenagers.Theres nothing i wont discuss,(just explained to dd1 about my mooncup ).

My mum was the opposite, so I guess I dont want them to grow up thinking the body is "dirty" or to be hidden.Wierd or painful things are acknowledged and solutions found if necessary.

By-the-way, I learnt about signs of ovulation ,not from home ,or school, but from my parish priest,who was doing a natural family planning course in the late 70's and whose straight talking showed me an honest inteligent kind approach was the way to go.