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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

would your teen dd use a mooncup?

34 replies

brimfull · 27/07/2006 13:53

Following on from a thread about scented tampons (bleurgh!!),I have thought about getting dd a mooncup.Do you think the smaller size one would be too big for a 14yr old virgin to use?
Do you think it's too different from the norm for a teen to consider?

OP posts:

Ladymuck · 27/07/2006 13:56

I have to say that I've been surprised by the mooncup revolution. They are now on display with loads of info at our local church centre in Croydon (used for youth groups etc). Seems as if they are becoming more normal than previously thought. Certainly they're being aimed at teenagers.

spidermama · 27/07/2006 13:59

ggirl I think it's a good idea to let her try all the alternatives and discuss with her the pros and cons.

Original poster

brimfull · 27/07/2006 14:00

really ! so I'm not being totally out of order thinking about it then?

OP posts:

Original poster

brimfull · 27/07/2006 14:00

anyone know the cons of tampons besides environmentally?

OP posts:

QueenEagle · 27/07/2006 14:04

ggirl - this thread could have been written by me!!

My dd is 14 too and been using tampons for about a year or so now. I started using a Mooncup last month and thought it was fab(!) and dd has been asking about having one too.

Personally, if the cost isn't a problem for you then I would say yes, go for it. I will buy one for dd maybe in time for her next af.

btw "the norm" is only that which you are used to anyway - and you have to start somewhere!!!

QueenEagle · 27/07/2006 14:05

cons of tampons apart from eco, is the toxic shock possibility although it is very rare.

expatinscotland · 27/07/2006 14:07

i used tampons from the age of 11 b/c i was into ballet.

i was really familiar w/my body and if there'd been mooncups then i would have tried to use one.

Original poster

brimfull · 27/07/2006 14:08

I remember a homeopath telling me why she didn't use tampons and it wasn't anything to do with toxic shock syndrome ,but can't remember what she said,was quite convincing though!

OP posts:

fairyjay · 29/07/2006 19:50

Ignorant here - I thought dd (13) would be too young to use tampons. Can she? What sort could she use? I don't want to bring up the subject with her until I know something, because she is so reluctant to talk to me about her period - suddenly become very self-sufficient!

Caligula · 29/07/2006 19:54

The other con of tampons is cost. A mooncup will last about 5 years won't it? So if you pay about £18 for it (ebay, people) it will pay for itself within six months to a year, depending on how many tampons you use and which brand.

BadMuther · 08/08/2006 16:00

I'm actually quite annoyed that the makers of Mooncup appear to be hijacking sex education lessons in order to flog these to impressionable girls.

years ago, they were called 'Tassies' and were the preserve of the vegetarian set. Quite frankly, tampons may cost but if used properly are a godsend, safe and hygenic. I have serious doubts about how one could use and clean a mooncup efficiently in a public convenience without grossing everyone else out, since most cubicles don't have their own washbasins!

I caught a conversation between my daughter (14) and her friend (16) in which they were laughing about these items and saying that definately they wouldn't use one. They also seem to be quite expensive.

Orlando · 08/08/2006 16:11

For me the main 'con' of tampons is that they're made from low quality, bleached and chemically treated fibres, which, when you think about it you wouldn't really want in close contact with your insides for five minutes, never mind five days.

Oh dear. Not a very enlightened comment.

Bozza · 08/08/2006 16:14

Actually the thing that would have appealed to me as a teenager is how self-contained a mooncup is. You don't need to carry spares in your bag/to the toilet with you.

And badmuther I don't see how tampons can be either safer or cheaper than a mooncup. I know that with the bleeding problems that I have had recently I have saved £££ using a mooncup.

BadMuther · 08/08/2006 16:19

Actually...that IS an enlightened comment since I was first made aware of the the tassie by an incredulous vegetarian colleague who showed me the advertisement in her veggie magazine! In point of fact ~ to expand on that enlightened opinion ~ back in the day they were being aimed at veggie women on the basis of them being more 'environmentally friendly'! .

And, no, my veggie pal didn't go for it either, and it became such a joke between us, that she made me an enormous tassie out of tartan material as a joke when I left the office!

The point is: you can now by tampons that are made out of unbleached cotton and women have been using them safely for decades.

BadMuther · 08/08/2006 16:22

Answering Bozza:

I have a very low flow so a mooncup would be worse than useless for me. I don't see how a mooncup can be more self~contained than a tampon since you need to empty the thing and then clean it. I certainly wouldn't want to place anything back in my body unless it had been properly cleaned. At least with a tampon you just yank it out, flush it down the loo (and they are biodegradable) and replace it with a new one.

MiloMummy · 08/08/2006 16:31

Well, I just got a Mooncup and I love it - so much nicer than tampons and only needs to be wiped out with toilet paper if you aren't somewhere suitable to clean it properly (as long as you give it a good clean next time)

Anyway, back to the original q... would I have used it at 14? I think I would have given it a go but would probably not have wanted my friends to know incase they didn't approve.

BUT... if I'd have been given the choice between the Mooncup and the horrible DR Whites sanitary belt and matching mattresses my Mum bought for me, the Mooncup would have won hands down!!!!

If your daughter wants to try it - I say good for her. I seem to remember tampons took a bit of getting used to so there's no reason why she can't get the hang of a mooncup with a little practice.

Bozza · 08/08/2006 16:36

Actually though I think with a low flow the hygiene problem is less of an issue than ever because it is perfectly feasible to just empty it once a day in the shower and clean it at the same time.

fairyjay · 08/08/2006 16:46

When can girls start using tampons?

BadMuther · 08/08/2006 17:27

Good question! Back in the day (and yes I got given a belt and a mattress to carry around with me in my school satchel ~ just in case!), some of my friends' mothers had issues about whether a girl who used tampons could no longer be considered a virgin. Of course, nowadays we know that is bunkum, and since I began my menses late at age 15, I've only ever used tampons because I was considered old enough and sensible enough to use them safely ~and the sanitary towels that you could get were hardly what you'd call discreet!

Since girls as young as 9 can start menstruating, I've really got no idea if tampons ~ even the minis ~ would cause physical difficulties in very young girls, and the advice given by Tampax in the packet (I just checked) doesn't give a minimum age.

SlightlyFamiliarPeachyClair · 08/08/2006 17:37

From what i remember the theory is that if tyou are old enough to menstruate you can use a tampon- they make the light ones in the tampax range, and recommend these for beginners don't they?

fairyjay · 08/08/2006 17:43

Thanks guys. I remember when I started the general thinking was that it was towels until you were no longer 'pure'!!!

CurrantBun · 15/08/2006 16:30

I'm obviously way behind the times here, but what the hell is a mooncup???

I've got the general idea from the other postings but I've never heard of these before.

Lysander · 20/08/2006 23:16

Best do a search to find out what a moon cup is. It'll make more sense than any explanation I can think of!!

I would use one but it would need emptying far too frequently, so I have opted for Natracare (eco friendly) tampons and pads.

I think you should present your DD with all possible means of protection and see what she thinks she can cope with.

I know I would have hated the idea of a mooncup at 14!!

Good luck

PrettyCandles · 20/08/2006 23:24

No way would I have been able to deal with a Mooncup at that age (both physically and mentally), but, at the same time, I don't see why it shouldn't be presented alongside tampons and pads as an available option, especially if you can say that you use it yourself or at least give a positive spin on it.

iris66 · 21/08/2006 09:09

I talked about mooncups to DD(17) last year & she thought they were gross( but then everything's gross when you're 16). However, I revisited it last month (after ordering one for myself - am v impressed btw - so much easier than pads & none of the risks associated with tampons) and she wants me to get her one to try. I think if I'd have known about them when she was younger I would have offered it as an alternative to tampons (tampons were also considered gross when she first knew about them) HTH

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