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Preteens

Parenting a preteen can be a minefield. Find support here.

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Original poster

Can I ask is dd 11 too young to use tampons?

47 replies

cappucinogirl4 · 31/01/2013 13:46

My dd is 11 and started her periods in the summer holidays last year.She uses regular bodyform towels but a friend suggested tampons.We went on holiday in october and her period started on the second to last day.Cue much hysteria as she couldn't go swimming.We are going abroad again in October and the only way around the swimming thing is to use tampons.
But is she too young? To be honest she is embarrassed about periods as it is without the suggestion of tampons! I reckon I was about 15 when I started using them.
I would be grateful if anyone could give some advice or let me know their experiences with their dd's.
I just feel she is too young!
Thanks

OP posts:

seeker · 02/02/2013 07:29

I don't really understand why people are saying she's too young- why?

Get her a selection and let her try. Applicator ones are better for getting them in th right place- I suspect the people who say they can feel them haven't put them in far enough.

MrsDimples · 02/02/2013 07:32

I used them on my first period at 12

Notmyidea · 02/02/2013 09:56

Same here Mrs Dimples. I know my mum was uncomfortable with the idea but I found the idea of towels hideous.

AntoinetteCosway · 02/02/2013 10:03

I used tampons from my first period (at 13) as I tried a towel and hated the feeling of walking around with the blood pressed against me. Gross, I know, and probably in my head! I had no problems with tampons at all but I had friends who didn't use them till they were older. Suggest she gives them a go and if she doesn't like them, go back to towels

pooka · 02/02/2013 10:06

I never used towels until after I had the dcs.

Started periods at about 11 and used the smallest tampax (mini I think) right from day one.

Fairylea · 02/02/2013 10:15

I used them from 11.

To be honest the most important thing is whether she understands the importance of changing them regularly to help avoid toxic shock syndrome. Do you think she is responsibile enough?

pooka · 02/02/2013 10:24

As a parent you can remind her when she's at home to change every 4-6 hours. At school, maybe she could still use towels if you are concerned about TSS and not convinced she would change often enough. But I often have a tampon in overnight and that's not dissimilar to a school day.

Only I use a mooncup now.

notcitrus · 02/02/2013 10:49

She's not too young if she wants to give it a try. Trying on the heaviest days and with a bit of lubricant should make it easier.

But being pressurised to use them so she can swim is as bad as saying she shouldn't use them (not saying anyone's doing that here, but I've known it to happen)

seeker · 02/02/2013 11:29

Is the "too young" linked to old fashioned ideas about using tampons meaning losing your virginity? I know there were people when I was young who thought that- is it possible that people's uneasiness is an echo of that?

Original poster

cappucinogirl4 · 02/02/2013 12:14

Thanks everyone.I think i feel she's too young because she's not the most hygiene conscious child (are there any 11 year olds that are?!) A bit of a soap dodger and I can imagine her putting one in and leaving it there for a week.
I've mentioned tampons to her this morning and she didn't seem too embarrassed so we'll wait until the teen pack comes and see what she thinks

OP posts:

specialsubject · 02/02/2013 16:38

She will have periods for 40 years, so the quicker she learns to deal with it as a minor bodily function, the better. FWIW I've never learnt to use ones without applicators, but those with are fine - top tip for the inexperienced is to aim for the small of the back, not straight up.

the way I see it is if she has periods, she can use tampons.

KateShmate · 02/02/2013 16:58

Try the Tampax Pearl - they've got a really soft applicator, so much nicer than the cardboard ones! They come in 'lites' which is the purple one, and actually say that they are the 'perfect first-time tampon'.
I think the Lilets are non-applicator and, although many may disagree, I can never (to this day!) use non-applicator tampons. I agree with a PP that they are really easy to insert wrong so that you can constantly feel the tampon.

I think at 11 that she would be absolutely fine, but if not then have you thought about the delaying pill? I always take it when we go abroad as I always come on my period, even if I'm not due. You take it 3 days before you go on holiday and take a teeny pill 3X per day; once home you can stop and you'll have a period.

Varya · 02/02/2013 17:01

My daughter in her early teens wanted to use tampons and said no one uses sanitowels nowadays so she went ahead and was fine at 13 yrs old. Good suggestions about vaseline on the tip and inserting with one foot on the toilet lid for best position to insert.

seeker · 02/02/2013 17:30

Wow- I'd rather mine learned to use tampons than took hormones!

THERhubarb · 04/02/2013 11:19

seeker I'm one of those who uttered the words "too young". I'm also the poster who could feel it in. I kinda feel some of the posters are making a few little digs about what I might have meant so let me confirm a few things:

Personally I couldn't use them as a teenager. I couldn't seem to get them in far enough and tampons then only seemed to come in a couple of sizes, there were no tampons for teens like there are now. I also didn't have a mother to guide me.

I have no ignorant ideas about losing your virginity to them.

My opinion comes from my experiences and I have also read advice that it's best to start teens off with towels and then progress onto tampons. The older they are, the more confident they will feel inserting tampons.

This is why I said I felt she might be too young. Nothing to do with ignorant views on women's bodies or virginity or anything like that. Just experience, remembering previous advice and taking on board what the OP said about her daughter.

morethanpotatoprints · 04/02/2013 15:50

I am anti tampons in under 18 to be frank, but I have my reasons.
Several females in my family have either symptoms of or have experienced toxic shock. I wouldn't want to have to explain this to my dd so unless she asks me I can't really tell her about alternatives until she is older.
They all seem to start before or around age 10 as well.
There are some tampons now though that are developed for younger girls, but please use under strict supervision in early days of using.
I would hate somebody to go through what I did. At age 14 my first attempt at tampons I had such a high temperature and was hospitalised until the diagnosis happened. The doctor told me I could die if I used one again.
These cases are rare but they do happen and about 200 die a year. Most of them are women and most of the women have used tampons.

seeker · 04/02/2013 16:12

Why wouldn't you want to explain that to your dd?

QOD · 04/02/2013 16:58

Well Seeker, I can't insert them in her myself can I ? As I said, each to their own, beach holiday in 45c heat with sanitary towels and just, well, sitting there, no water park etc, or hormones.
No different than the pill to be fair. Dd is now 14, started periods at 11.1 and still not regular, they've offered to put her on the pill to regulate ... now THAT I wouldn't do.
But twice in 4 yrs? Meh.

morethanpotatoprints · 04/02/2013 17:24

Seeker

She is only 9. I will of course tell her the family history when she is a bit older.
There is alot more to the family history too, but don't want to scare the poor kid. I have only just recently told her about periods.
I have my suspicion she is not too far off as she is showing some symptoms just recently.

bigTillyMint · 04/02/2013 17:35

I wouldn't say she is too young. One of DD's friends who used to do a lot of swimming used them at that age.

It may be more that she doesn't want to use them. DD(13) won't even consider them yet.

You need to do a full explanation of how to use them, how often to change them, though

MyFace · 04/02/2013 20:03

DD is nearly 10 so I am arming myself with as much information as possible.

This made me think twice about tampons but at the end of the day, it's what she is comfortable with and all we can do is make them relaxed and informed about the whole thing.

Will be ordering the lil-lets starter pack which has a range of things to try.

teacherwith2kids · 10/02/2013 21:13

If DD is still dancing when she starts, then I imagine that she will want to use tampons from the off - no way of hiding a towel when wearing a leotard and tights and waving your legs round your ears (strange bendy ballet-child that she is).

Just developing breast buds at 10 and a few months, so I should imagine she'll be 11 or so.

I used towels initially, didn't progress to tampons until older, but I can't see DD being able to avoid her 7 or so hours of dancing a week for a week each month....

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