what did you do for your teen girl when they started their periods?

[StationaryMagpie]

Only asking as this thing about 'period party' came up on an FB group.

Can honestly say i'm horrified at the idea, i think i'd have disowned my mom if she'd done that.

That being said, 12yo DD has started hers today.

i've got her 5 pairs of period pants, and a wash bag for them
a couple of boxes of lillets teen pads for day and night. (so she has options)
made sure i have ibuprofen and paracetamol to hand.
got her a little pouch to keep her pads in her school bag.

Am i missing anything?

Probably a daft question, but its been 27 years since i had my 'first' and my mom just handed me a pack of pads and told me to get on with it.. so i want to make sure i've got this right for her.

I'd buy Milli Hill book: My period. It's aimed at her age group.

Ha! My daughter came in on Monday and announced she'd started hers. Did a Google to make sure I'd hit all bases and period parties came up! Wtf?

In reality we:

Got her night time pads
Day time pads
Nappy sacks for disposal of them
Need to get some period pants for back up.

Then had the conversation about leaks that will happen, and how to deal with it (e.g tell me/DH so we can get the blood out)
Discussed the fact it's not shameful if this happens
Hygiene.

Told her she doesn't need to be a warrior here, if she needs pain relief, where to find it and just to make sure an adult is aware.

Then we picked her sister up, headed to Asda and bought chocolate and cake.

Tbh, I'm amazed at how well she's handled it. Bloody trooper so she is.

Hope your girl copes as well!

She's not started yet and is 15. But her chest has developed massively -now a C/D cup and discharge on pants for a couple of years so not going to be long. We talked about exercise, iron levels, good diet & the occasional hot chocolate and self care. I bought her 7 pairs of the best period pants I could find. She has a pair of these pants in her school bag and a wash bag. We have pads too and she has tried wearing the pants -and I've showed her how to wash and dry them -hang them up, cold wash etc on their own. We have paracetamol and ibuprofen if she wants -and she can help herself but we talked about extra sheet and not to worry if she leaks. We've talked about COLD water soaking and not scrubbing. We've talked about females being 50% or more of the population so no need to be embarrassed.
We've talked about hot water bottle and warm baths with radox baths etc

She didn't want me to buy the period swim wear -yet -but I'm more than happy to do this when she wants.

@JustFrustrated thank you! She seems to be ok, i think she's more irritated by me constantly popping my head around her door and asking her if she's ok and reminding her its ok to come to talk to me if she needs/wants anything.

I hope your DD did ok with it too!

I'd ask what she needs - and make sure that pads, tampons etc are kept in a normal bathroom cupboard, not hidden away like something to be embarrassed about, in the years leading up to puberty.

I actually stayed home from school the day my period started - I vomited in the night and had stomach cramps, assumed it was a stomach bug but realised my period had started while my mum was out. I got pads from the cupboard and sorted it out.

I do remember my mum seeming a bit put out that I didn't want / need her help and so I'd also prepare yourself that she may just crack on and manage the practical stuff herself.

The Milli Hill book on periods is a good start, my daughter doesn’t have any worried about starting hers now

Oh - do prepare her that it might take a while to become regular. Keep an eye out for signs of aneamia - I struggled with that for the first year or so.

We had already stocked up on an array of pads before hand just to try different ones. They were in the bathroom waiting for when they were needed and I encouraged her to open them, feel them etc just so she was used to them when the time came. When she actually started the only thing I did was went and got “period chocolate”. We’d made sure the hot water bottle and paracetamol were to hand. Period chocolate has remains a thing and at the time she was really touched about it.

Second most things suggested already, I had pads ready before she started and with me in case we were away overnight.
Made sure grandmas have some in their bathrooms and yes to storing in the normal cupboard, not hidden.
We have some in a basket on the windowsill so if their friends were ever caught short here they wouldn't have to ask for supplies.
I know someone whose DH bought flowers on their daughter starting but mine wouldn't have been so keen on that!

nothing hidden, mine are out in a basket in the bathroom, and i've added some of hers to it.