Need help for my Daughter NOW!!!!

[LittleRacersMom]

This is my first post here. I sure hope you can help. My 11 year old just got her period. I mean right now, this evening and she has a big race in the morning. What do I do for her to be able to ride? Yes, she still wants to. This race is very important to her. I don't ride at all so I am clueless. I REFUSE to have her use tampons at this age. What is the best solution?

Thank you very much!

[caligurl]

i don't understand your aversion to tampons???? there has been a lot of talk on this site lately about diva cups.. but i don't think you'll find them in time for a race tomorrow....

i'd reconsider and have her wear tampons... i think it will be the only way she races tomorrow... i can't even imagine pads with cycling shorts!

recent diva cup thread (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=2010)

[Grog]

If she's not bleeding too much, I suggest going with just the shorts. They're like maxi pads. I have very, very light periods and that's what I end up doing most of the time.

Oh and by the way I have used tampons since my first periods or so and I don't see what difference it makes... I would even say that it is good that she get to know her body and feel confident about it. At this time she certainly knows that tampons exist and if I had a daughter I certainly wouldn't want her to think that tampons are "dirty" or anything because you have to be intimate with yourself (!) to put them on.

[runnergirl]

My first period was so light I needed maybe one pad...I'd go with just the shorts. Tampons are easier to use for a teenager than the diva cup, I can't imagine depriving a woman of tampons at any age.

[Irulan]

no tampons?

[jobob]

Poor mom, what a traumatic time for both of you, having this happen the night before a big race and all. Hardly the Hallmark Card moment...

Depending on your time zone, the race might even be over by now. Hope whatever you decided to do worked out OK.

I think some of us might be a bit taken aback by your feelings about tampons. Your daughter is obviously athletic so they are the most practical solution. Is your reaction just because this is all happening so fast? It's understandable if you had intended to introduce tampons to her gradually, get her used to the changes in her body first. I feel for you two having to confront all these issues all at once ! :eek: It must be a bit of a shock for you too, your little girl is growing up - congratulations! :)

Well, best wishes in your new stage of motherhood :)

- Jo.

[Trek420]

jobob sez "what a traumatic time for both of you, having this happen the night before a big race and all. Hardly the Hallmark Card moment..."

but can you imagine the Hallmark card! ;) :cool: :rolleyes:

[brok]

I have used tampons since period one with no adverse affects. I vote for the tampons, especially since your daughter is athletic!!!

[DirtDiva]

Ditto. Back in the day my mum bought me pads, applicator tampons and ordinary tampons so I could see what I liked and the Tampax won hands down (although I did change to non-aplicator when I started paying for my own :rolleyes: ). I hated the pads! My periods were much heavier then than now; I worried constantly about leaking and they just felt awful.

Good luck to your daughter - hope her race goes (went?) well.

P.S. LMAO Trek - I'd have combusted with embarassment if someone had given me a card. :o :eek: :D

[Nanci]

My mom never talked to me about my period, just gave me a booklet when I came home with questions after hearing kids at school talking. Then, when I finally got it for the first time (and why, exactly was that an event everyone was so eager for???) I told _her_ I would not be using whatever the mysterious things in the little blue cardboard tubes were (I think it was some sort of napkin thing that sprang out and re-inflated when you opened the little tube, kind of like the Pillsbury Doughboy!) but that I needed her to go to the store and purchase tampons for me. Which she did :-)

Nanci

[MightyMitre]

As an active kid and a total tomboy, I was gutted when my periods began as it just seemed like a complete inconvenience. When I started my mum bought me pads which I found uncomfortable, and even though you couldn't see them, made me feel very self-conscious all the same.

After a few years I made the switch to tampons which was fantastic! I could now do watersports again, ride my bike more comfortably and not feel self-conscious when it came to school sports. Don't know why my mum decided against tampons to begin with, but can't help thinking I'd have felt more positive about starting my periods if I knew I didn't have to wear horrible pads.

Just my ramblings...

[Trek420]

MightyMitre: After a few years I made the switch to tampons which was fantastic! I could now do watersports again, ride my bike more comfortably...

Reminds me of the old comercials "With tampons, I can water ski, I can bike, i can ...."

Hey, I can't waterski now.

Maybe that's what the Hallmark card says.

"Just my ramblings..."

come back racersmom!! I'm afraid she's finding out we like to ramble here, we're not so good at giving advice NOW! But we're really good at giving advice that'll help in the future.

[AutumnBreez]

Personally, I wonder if the mom is more afraid that the tampon will break her childs virginity. Tampons will not break the poor girls virginity... It is a Myth.

I recommend this site to you young mom's with girls. This site is for the young teen.
http://www.itsmybody.com/nfmy_period/faq_tampons.html

[drplasma64]

Another reason some people are against using tampons is b/c of the chemicals in them. I just want to let everyone know that there are all natural tampons, and also natural sea sponges as non-chemical alternatives (as well as the keeper and the diva cup). Probably not available in your local drugstore, but maybe in your health food store and definitely available online.

Also, there are re-usuable cloth pads which I hear are a lot more comfortable than the commercial ones.

I found out about all this stuff after I started looking into cloth diapers for my kids...there's apparently a lot of overlap between cloth diapering moms and alternative menstrual cycle product women!

[KSH]

My mother never taught me about tampons.

So, I would sleep sitting up, because my pads would always leak. I would leak through my pads... etc... etc... It was HORRIBLE!

Then, I started swimming around the age of 14/15. I missed a week because of my period. And someone told me about tampons, and how I could swim with one on! WOW! My life was so much better after that.

[go get em]

So racermom, how did the race go? :)

[ladyjai]

I hated tampons when I was younger. They were extremely painful. I avoided using them at all costs. Now that I'm older, and much more active, I've found ways to deal with them, but I still detest them, but I have ridden in pads before - um.. no thanks!!! owwie owwie...

Though, the shorts camois is a better emergency sopper than I was expecting. Even when it is full :eek: :o , the lycra seems to hold it in, and not leave trails behind you when you sit down :eek:


You know.. I'm glad to have a ladies only site! I've embarrassed a couple guy friends with some things I bring up. Sheesh, a gal's gotta talk about stuff.

yesterday after the ride we stopped at another rider's house. A nice lady who is past all this nonsense. She and her - well, I'm not decided, either a roommate, or S.O., drove me and my friend to lunch after an afternoon of fiddling on her computer. However, I was out longer than I was preparred for. We were in 2 cars, and Ann and I stopped at walgreens for an emergency run. apparently they contacted each other by cell phone. Sandy wanted to know what Ann was doing. Mike, my friend, told her it was a feminine products thing. Sandy's reaction was "She's too old for that!!!"

[doc]

Racermom, How did the race go? What did you end up doing? Were you and your daughter satisfied with the result?
I agree with much of what has been said:
The chamois absorbs alot. A first period is likely to be quite light making the chamois enough. Tampons are a perfectly acceptable hygeine product for a girl of 11. I never wore a pad in my life. Started right off with tampons. Then when the knowledgable women of TE introduced the diva to me I switched. Diva would not be a sensible choice for an 11 year old. (at least not for the usual 11 year old.)
Hope it all worked out.

[BIKEAWAY]

As a women with a extreme tipped uterus, tampons have been taboo for me from the begining, the few times i tried I could pop that sucker out in 15 minutes flat...no kidding ..without some kind of pants on, I bet I could shoot that thing out 10 feet.I would move and it just came out..I tried short, long paper, plastic..at 46 years old, i have seen all sorts and everytime just hoping one would work. Even my ob told me she could see where it would not work on me. :eek:
Periods are gross period but I have found that if i put the pad right on the bike shorts and they are the ultra thin, it really is not so bad. When I stop to go to a bathroom they pack very nicely in the camelback or the tour pack. I also bring wipes and pooff I feel normal again.
Before I bought bike shorts and I would spin at the gym, I started when I had my period and found that the pading was kinda like the bike shorts..i used the thicker ones for 2 months to see if I really liked the class and the class led to the shorts and shoes and the shorts and shoes led to the bike etc etc.
Just my 2 cents..

[Kimred]

As a Mom of a 5 and 3 year old Daughters and I also Race this is what I would do. I would say yes you should race and nothing should stop you just because you are a girl! Next I would go buy tampon,pads(different Sizes) and different undies with extra padding in the croch area. Of course just her cycling shorts also. I would let her try them all out on the bike of course and let her make her own decision on what feels comfortable because we are all different and we all have different comfort levels. If it's light I think the shorts alone will be fine. The other very important factor is how long is the race/how long will she be on her bike. If it's a short time then your options are better. Give her ALL her options and she will be just fine!

Kim ;)

[Irulan]

jobob sez "what a traumatic time for both of you, having this happen the night before a big race and all. Hardly the Hallmark Card moment..."

but can you imagine the Hallmark card! ;) :cool: :rolleyes:

I've always been of the frame of mind that if I had had daughters, I would honor the first period with a something, a celebration of transition into woman hood. I've read of wonderful modern day ceremonies where a father buys his daugter flowers and takes her out to dinner, or small rituals honoring the transition. For too long in modern culture periods have been treated as something gross, nasty, disgusting ("the curse") instead of a recognition that now you have the power to create life.

irulan

[Trek420]

Irulan, I agree, I've read that some feel that one o' the problems with youth in our culture is there is no ceremony, something marking the tranistion from child to adult. First car doesn't really do it, what does?

[eofelis]

I have found that if i put the pad right on the bike shorts and they are the ultra thin, it really is not so bad. When I stop to go to a bathroom they pack very nicely in the camelback or the tour pack. I also bring wipes and pooff I feel normal again.


I don't like tampons. I do what is decribed above and it works well for me.

[MightyMitre]

I've always been of the frame of mind that if I had had daughters, I would honor the first period with a something, a celebration of transition into woman hood. I've read of wonderful modern day ceremonies where a father buys his daugter flowers and takes her out to dinner, or small rituals honoring the transition. For too long in modern culture periods have been treated as something gross, nasty, disgusting ("the curse") instead of a recognition that now you have the power to create life.

irulan

Wow! Very cool and so positive!

[DirtDiva]

Irulan, I agree, I've read that some feel that one o' the problems with youth in our culture is there is no ceremony, something marking the tranistion from child to adult. First car doesn't really do it, what does?

I wasn't sure I was an adult in my parents' eyes until I was 23 and I surfaced at about 1.30 one Saturday afternoon (I was in one of my living at home again phases) and they both looked up from their lunch and said "Oh, are you here? We thought you hadn't gotten in yet" seeming more surprised that I had been tucked up in my own bed than if I had spent the entire night out. Would have been nice to have a ceremony, but I had to walk to my friend's house to pick up my car... :p

[cindysue]

littleracersmom - hope you weren't offended by our advice - but we certainly all mean well!

Too late for this race - but for future reference: perphaps you are worried about toxic shock syndrome. If that is the case, my advice is to be sure and tell your daughter it is important to change tampons often (every few hours even though the "OB" box says it is ok to leave in up to 8). Also use the "lowest absorbancy" that is appropriate for her. According to OB: TSS is estimated to occur in 1-17 of every 100,000 menstruating women and girls.

The tampon box insert has a list of FAQ. But do consult your doctor with your concerns if that makes you more comfortable.

[flame]

what about giving your daughter the choice,its her body. ( just make sure she knows how to insert and remove correctly if she chooses tampon)) My daughter started her period at age 11 just before we went on holiday. She chose to use towels then. The year after she chose to use a tampon while we were at at water park (not cycling) and she could not remove it, due to being apprehensive. So traumatic time too. ( I am a midwife/nurse so just helped her) I think this is a very difficult situation for both of you so best of luck

[shewhobikes]

I've always been of the frame of mind that if I had had daughters, I would honor the first period with a something, a celebration of transition into woman hood.

irulan

My youngest got her first period on her 13th birthday. As it happened, we'd already planned to dress up and take her out to a nice restaurant where there's a live orchestra and dancing, and that's what we did! I have a beautiful photograph of her from that night and I wouldn't trade anything for our 'double celebration.' :)

I gave my 2 girls all the supplies they might choose from (well, not the diva yet) and they've managed themselves well. Tampons were a little tricky at first (we sort of went through a box apiece until they were able to do it, but after that I heard no complaints.) The youngest is really tiny so we are always scavening through WalMart for junior size!

[RoadRaven]

I've always been of the frame of mind that if I had had daughters, I would honor the first period with a something, a celebration of transition into woman hood. I've read of wonderful modern day ceremonies where a father buys his daugter flowers and takes her out to dinner, or small rituals honoring the transition. For too long in modern culture periods have been treated as something gross, nasty, disgusting ("the curse") instead of a recognition that now you have the power to create life.

irulan


Well said Irulan
With the rise of Judaeo-Christian religions and Islam, the place women amongst the pantheons faded from being the first, to being wives and daughters to being almost nothing... and with it our visibility and "power" has waned.
We should be celebrating our daughters whenever we can - including this time... her first "dark moon"... we have the power to create life... we should celebrate when this power begins...