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

[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 ! 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!

[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 ). 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.

[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.