Periods

[Egyptiancamal]

Hello all, what do parents of young teens do about periods when going on holiday? My daughter isn't comfortable trying tampons yet but she loves to be in the water, I'm worried her period will fall on the week we are away.

Period swimwear?
Depending on age you can also get period delay tablets e.g. norethisterone

You can go to the GP and and for a pill that temporarily delays her period

Thanks both, I was looking at the period swimwear but it's so expensive. Didn't think they would be allowed to delay periods while teens, will speak to GP

I always check my girls menstrual cycle ( luckily they are on same cycle) and avoid booking anything around that time. I’m not keen on them taking period delay tablets as one is a tween. It’s so bloody difficult, I feel your pain!

Also from experience I’ve taken period delay tablets before and the pain and flow I experienced was excruciating. I know it’s different for everyone but it does mess with the cycle.

You can buy period swimwear in Primark...

Can you? That's worth knowing. DD has some period pants from there and they are fine for lighter days.

How does period swimwear work? How come it doesn't just absorb the water?
Also is it convenient for holidays - wouldn't it need a proper washing machine wash after every use?

We have period swimwear bikini bottoms (modibodi). They wear them with a little pair of Nike pro style shorts and bikini top. Complete game changer. Have no idea how they work but they do. Also work for school swimming.
Would hugely recommend. Dont mistake the period swimwear for general period pants though. It must be the ones specifically designed for swimming. 1 pair can be rinsed, dried and reused easily.

Reading all the recommendations I will get for both my girls to take on holiday just in case their period comes unexpectedly on holiday as I want them to enjoy it! Esp when they go away with ExH as he wouldn’t be able to sort this out. Appreciate the knowledge out there x

I bought my dd a modibodi swimsuit which was expensivish (about £50) but worth it and also a cheaper pair of period bikini bottoms from Primark (less than £10) which she wore under her normal swimsuit. No idea how they work but they do and saved the holiday!

I am having this exact discussion with my girls, aged 13 and 10. Yes - 10. 10 year old started hers just after her 10th birthday and we are due to go away abroad this summer for the first time ever as a family, and she is very anxious about having a period when we are away as she won't be able to play with the other kids in the pool/sea etc and most children her age do not have periods. They are not regular yet, sometimes 2x a month, sometimes skip a month, so we can't plan around them.

I called the docs and they can't prescribe for kids anymore like they did when I was a teen. You can buy them online, but again, only for over 18s.

Does whoever made this decision not realise the mental health implications of this? We are unlikely to be able to afford to go abroad again, and this would completely ruin the girls experience and cause a lot of worry and anxiety

It is tough on your DD to have started so young. But it kind of sounds like you’re reflecting/amplifying her worry and anxiety instead of reassuring her that she can handle it and you’ve got her back. Specific disorders aside, getting a period is an inconvenience or a pain but not something that needs to “completely ruin” a holiday.

As for the prescription — the potential side effects of messing with her cycle by artificial means could be far worse, mentally and physically, than the impact of having an ordinary period on holiday. So I imagine that is why there's been a change in prescribing.

@SpendingTooLongThinkingOfAUsername she can use period swimwear or you can get teen tampons that are smaller and designed for younger girls.

Norethisterone would be quite a high dose of hormones for a 10 year old and it's not without side effects for some people taking it.

I wasn't aware of period swimwear until I saw this thread. I have looked them up now online but can't see any that would fit a 10 year old sadly. And tampons at that age would be very stressful and painful I would have thought

Period pants and wear them under shorts if swimwear is out of your budget?

Have you looked at the Modi Bodi teen range? Their smallest teen size is "Youth 8-10 = 4 / 3XS"

Or these?
www.kamoniuk.com/product-kamoni-black-period-swim-bottom-cid160-kas01446.html?currency=GBP&country=GB&size=M&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0MexBhD3ARIsAEI3WHLRsoLX-YyvK33ODY30bUh-ggOI5Fx9SRhDMFK2pilAZmB3e-gUZ_gaAk2tEALw_wcB

Yes you can buy period swimwear for that age group. Don't catastrophise the situation. My dd had her period on holiday and the period swimwear worked fine. It wasn't a big deal.

Some people (me included) find that ibuprofen slows their flow temporarily - might be worth a try on heavier days if they want a bit of extra reassurance when using period swimwear.

@SpendingTooLongThinkingOfAUsername ohhh your poor daughter, 10 is young but not unusual these days. I think the best solution would be the period swimwear .., a pp said primark also do them. It would probably be the less evasive solution .. I don’t think my 12 year old would be ok with tampons atm as she’s only getting used to her period. I do hope you all get to have a lovely holiday 😊

Not at all. She has already experienced having to miss a sponsored swimathon which her friends were all doing, and a school swimming gala so the worry comes from her. As none of her friends have to go through this yet, its hard for others to understand. My older daughter doesn't really talk about these things, she gets embarrassed easily; but my younger daughter is quite open as I talked to her about periods etc quite young just in case (my older daughter started hers at primary school too, so I was prepared the second time)

And although it wouldn't completely ruin a summer holiday for you or I, for a 10 year old who would be pretty much want to be in the pool/sea all the time, it would. We've never done an abroad trip as a family before, its always been Haven/Butlins etc. Can't see us being able to afford one ever again either sadly, now that they are so expensive. So she is looking forward to what she hears that her friends do all the time on their hols.

I will keep looking for period swimwear for younger girls, there must be something somewhere!

The link above is UK 4-6

I do hope so. I will keep looking!

Ah now I saw this and assumed it meant size 8-10! Amazing! I will get some of these !