How do you explain wearing a Towel to 4yr old DD?

[RubyBlueberry]

Do you say it's Mummy's nappy?
Should I not say anything and wait for her to ask?
I remember my Mum saying "sometimes Mummys bleed and this catches it" and was freaked out for ages!!

lol at mummy's nappy!

my ds asked me about tampons the other day. I told him it is normal for grown up ladies to bleed sometimes,it doesn't hurt, and we don't die. he was quite happy with this.
I probably would put more emphasis on liking to keep my pants nice and neat

"It's to stop my pants getting messy."

Say it very matter of factly, and pray she doesn't ask for further elaborations!

i wouldn't say anything unless she asks, and then be honest.
say that each month a mummy's body gets ready for making a baby, and if you don't make one then the egg comes out and you bleed a little bit.

Just be honest! Better to be honest at this age, and just make it a normal part of adult life, than wait until she's old enough to be really freaked by it.

My DD's (nearly 6 and 4) know that women bleed every month. They both saw me bleeding after having DD4. It's just normal to them - no big deal.

This isn't my explanation but it is a paraphrase of something I read that another mner wrote.

Basically you explain to the child that every month your body prepares itself to grow a baby, but if there is no baby then the woman doesn't need the nest that her body has prepared. It comes out of her body and it looks red and she has to use something (pad, or whatever you use) to keep her pants clean.

I kind of like the idea that if this is natural to a dc at 4 or 5, you are part way to explaining all kinds of stuff without having The Big Talk years later.

My mum used to call tampons and pads Mummy's nappies.

I like cremeegg's explanation best.

Ooh, thanks - that gives me some good ideas if she does ask - she is looking very curious atm.

DS2 (3.5) is obssesed with getting a towel out and sticking it in my knickers, whether I need one or not. He's at the "I WILL DO IT MUMMY" stage

Dont say anything, if child asks just say its mummies 'lady thing' and change the subject. no need to explain all that yet.

My DD1 was obsessed with my periods (I only had 3 after DD2 was born before getting pg with DC3).

She wanted to know what the 'blug' was and I used almost the same explanation as creemeegg did.

Mummy makes a nest in her tummy for a baby but if there isn't a baby mummy's tummy gets rid of it and starts to make a new one. Mummy wears a special nappy called a 'towel' to catch the 'blug' so her panties don't get mucky.

The high point of my 2 year olds existence was peeling the backing off my towels! She still talks about it and I'm 20 weeks now.