Period products for preteens

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Hi!
I thought I should start researching these things because they seem to have changed since my time 😅 I started using my mooncup about 10 years ago so have completely checked out of all the new stuff!
I don't really know the deal with period pants (how do they work, how do you change them during the day??!!!) or whether cups are ok for young girls. (For context I had my period at 9.5yo so quite young....) Also, if you prefer pads, are there good reusable ones?

On a different, but related, subject my oldest daughTer started getting some breast buds ( it's starting!!!!😬😬). How long before your daughters started their periods? I don't remember how it was for me.

Thank you!! ❤️

Hello. I have an 11 year old DD and would like to know the answers to your post too. Thank you. How old is your DD? Mine is 11 and year 6. Some girls in her class started in year 5. I am late 40s - definitely different from my pre teen memory / experience. I was 13.5.

Following this too. My dd is 8. I’ve not had a period since I had her because I’ve been on the mirena so haven’t a clue anymore

I use period pants over the top of pants/sts to give me security against leakage at night or, for teen girls, that would presumably be reassuring at school/in PE. My ones (Uniqlo Sanitary Shorts) are very snug and flattering.

(I would hate to be bleeding direct onto them, so not sure how long you'd wear them for. Guess you'd need lots of pairs for a period).

Seems like there are a few people in the same boat 😄 hopefully someone will post with their experiences ❤️

@Nineteendays same!

Just been through this. Period pants plus pads in our house. Can't guarantee access to decent loos throughout the school day so DD needs to have flexibility. About 12 months from first signs of puberty to periods kicking in. But guess each girl is different?

Hormone surges very unpredictable but has settled into routine within 4 months of starting. Needed to think about managing skincare and body hair earlier than I had anticipated.

You can get cute little pouches for pads to hide them away in school bags/handbags which makes all the difference in terms of them being confident to manage their period in school. I used to hate the potential risk of things falling out of my bag. I also made a little bag of goodies for the first one to help soften the blow.

Yep same here DD started her period just before she turned 8 it was a massive shock.

She's going through hormonal issues and pubic hair. Poor girl is really heavy so uses night time pads and period pants. We've found through trial and error the pants that you can wash and dry in the dryer are a lot easier than the ones that need air-drying. You need so many more of those.

There's lots of brands of pants out there, get ones that fit her but to be honest I would just buy disposable pads with wings to have on standby and buy a little pouch to put a couple in at the bottom of her school bag. Once you know what size she is you can look at alternatives but there's no guarantee on time scales yet. As a contrast my dd was 16!

I use period pants and have a storage bag if I need ro chnage them whilst out. Simular to the bags used for reusable Nappies. (granted I have light flow for my entire period so period pants are simple for me).

I'm curious ( and probably being a bit thick) about how you use period pants and pads? Don't the pads just cover up the absorbant bit of the pants? Or is the idea to use the pad and remove it to use the pants for the rest of the time rather than changing pants? I can understand tampons with period pants for people who may over flow the tampon.

Following this as also have a DD of similar age, thanks all for the advice.

Also the comments re not having access to decent toilets at school is appalling. My DD is only 6 so hopefully there will be some reforms but I imagine her having to pop home from school to use the toilet ( we live quite close!).

I thought things would have improved since I was at school. I remeber girls calling in sick during periods and unfortunately a couple of times girls bleeding through their clothes due to no toilet access. I do remeber the school locking toilets as people would skive off lessons and often smoke in them.

DD is 11 and just started her periods yesterday! She is slim, tall etc but has breast buds. We have had a selection of pads for her in her bedroom and bathroom for about 2 years now and she has been carrying them in a small, cute toiletry bag in her school bag since Yr 6 just so she wouldn't be caught out.
I have a good selection of pads for her (she doesn't want period pants yet) so she can find out which she prefers through trial and error.

My DD started not long after she started secondary school. She just uses period pants, mostly ModiBodi as she finds them comfy. She uses them on her own and finds that they last a school day no problem and she just changes them when she gets home. She does keep a spare pair with her just in case though. She's got a lot of sensory sensitivities but finds the pants comfy.

She has the heavier flow type for nighttime and never had any issues with leaking.

I do know people who use them with reusable pads on top so if they need to be changed you just take the pad off and then use the pants, rather than having to completely change.

You can also get period swimwear now if you have a DD who likes swimming and isn't ready for tampons or cups. We have a Wuka one.

For washing them, as people always wonder about this, we have a wet bag in the bathroom that she puts them in. I stick them on a rinse cycle in the washing machine by themselves and then they just get washed with whatever else is going on. You can rinse by hand, but I'm lazy and this seems to work fine. The Modi Bodi can take a while to dry so we've ended up with quite a few pairs to avoid running out.

My DD just had her first at 12yrs 4 months. About 18 months since buds etc and she's been hairy for a while. Used pads for the first few days and then I got her pants which apparently are very comfy. Her school is a girls school and well stocked with products and they are fab support etc.

DD is too heavy she leaks through the period pants without a pad.

School have been amazing and when she's on her period she can use the staff toilet so there's a sanitary bin.

Just to say if your daughter is leaking thru period pants then she isn't using the correct ones - maybe need heavier flow ones.
I am 50 and with heavy periods and I use them without any leak issues. I would recommend WUKA as a brand.

Thanks I'll give those a try.

Period pants all the way for both my daughters and me.

Modi Bodi are excellent. M&S ones are also v good.

My girls usually wear period pants to school with a disposable pad in for the morning. Remove and dispose of pad at lunchtime, so pants are “fresh” for the afternoon. Means you don’t have to carry kit to and from the loo.

Do all brands of pants need a machine rinse wash before you put them in the machine? Or can you rinse in the sink and then put them in with the rest of the 40c washing?

You can rinse by hand. You could probably not rinse at all and it would be fine to be honest. I just can’t be bothered to do it by hand so stick them on a machine rinse and then put the rest of my load on.

My DD was almost 14 (late developer like me). She uses period pants and likes them. She has 24 hour ones for heavy days/nights. She just wears the p pants, no sanitary towels.

Once used she pops them into a sanitary towel scented bag (plastic bags sold in supermarkets next to sanitary towels). I rinse them out in a basin of cold water (bit smelly if you leave them in the bag for a couple of days). Then they go in the washing machine in a cold cycle. Dry in airing cupboard not tumble dryer. This isn’t me being fussy it’s the manufacturers instructions. If you don’t follow it the pants are less effective apparently. Hers are thick pants so they take 24 hours to dry.

She has 10 pairs (expensive outlay) and keeps them in a pretty bag. Loves period pants. I don’t think she realises they are a faff to wash and dry but I am retired and luckily have the time. Her friends are probably 50/50 tampons and period pants.

I meant to say, I was dubious they would work but they do!

Sorry for another question but do they all require cold machine washes to keep their efficiency? So presumably not 40c with the rest of the washing? Not sure DSs smelly uniform would get clean on a cold wash but want to avoid just putting them in on their own.

@eyespartyparty no they don’t, modibodi do require cold hand rinse and then cold machine wash. M&S and Wuka require cold hand rinse (remove blood basically) and then 30 or 40 degree machine wash. If you check each brands website with the product description they list how to care/wash them.

I wash a few pairs on their own (not in with other clothes) but that’s probably just me and I realise it’s not economical etc!

Lilets do a start pack which has a few of the different products in and a useful leaflet about them. I talked that through with my dd first which ended up being about 3 years before her periods actually started.
We then got Modibody period pants and a swimming costume which were fab, and gave her confidence that she wouldn't leak if she came on unexpectedly.
I bought her a mooncup but she's not got on well with that yet.