When to start with tampons?

[Anonymous]

First period, 12 years old. My mom was always anti tampons so I didn’t start until later in my teen years but once I started I never looked back.

I’m assuming there is no reason to not offer them from the start?

I almost always used a liner with it as well, but do they just use period underwear now as backup?

And back in the day I always flushed them - yes I know now that you’re not supposed to. But how do you dispose of them without leaving a mess?

[Anonymous]

I think 12 is old enough to give her the option and let her decide. Mine didn't really get comfortable with them until she was 13 (and she got her period at 11, so it definitely took a while). She was ok with the idea at 12, but it took her a while to master actually using them.

Just wrap them very well in toilet paper.

[Anonymous]

My kid started her period at 10. We talked about it because she swims. She was a hard no.
13 now and she’s still a hard no. I think it’s fine whenever but don’t need to push it if there is resistance. She’s ok wearing pads and seems to manage. She knows in any bathroom except her own to wrap in TP and put in the trash.

[Anonymous]

Surely you know how to dispose of tampons now. Right?

Yes, she can use them at any time. Either with a liner or period underwear. Mine prefers period underwear as backup because getting to the school bathroom is a challenge

[Anonymous]

Give her the option. Tell her how to do it and show her the directions. A friend of mine actually laid on the floor and showed her DD how to insert one!! But that DD was a swimmer. There are probably YouTube tutorials as well, but my kid figured it out without too much drama. The ones with the applicators are definitely easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Surely you know how to dispose of tampons now. Right?

Yes, she can use them at any time. Either with a liner or period underwear. Mine prefers period underwear as backup because getting to the school bathroom is a challenge

I’ve had an IUD since having kids and no period. So no, there really hasn’t been a time in my life where I consistently had to dispose of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid started her period at 10. We talked about it because she swims. She was a hard no.
13 now and she’s still a hard no. I think it’s fine whenever but don’t need to push it if there is resistance. She’s ok wearing pads and seems to manage. She knows in any bathroom except her own to wrap in TP and put in the trash.

NP. How does she handle swimming during her period? Asking for my own swimmer who will likely start soon.

[Anonymous]

I started immediately. I was 11 and it made me feel normal. Maybe pads were bulkier then but I didn’t try a pad again until I was postpartum. Pair a tampon with those period underwear

[Anonymous]

My DD is a swimmer and went right to tampons with her first period when she had just turned 13. Her periods aren’t heavy so I bought her light flow Tampax Pearl tampons because they are the smallest and also told her she could use a little lube on the tip if needed. Being a swimmer she felt using tampons was necessary so she just did it, otherwise she probably would have started with pads.

[Anonymous]

DD was 13 and said she was grossed out by the thought of tampons until she actually got her period. She started with pads but gave up on those quickly because she said they were uncomfortable.

So she shut herself in the bathroom, refused any advice from me, and figured tampons out very quickly.

[Anonymous]

If you wear tampons all day from a young age, how can you tell how heavy/light the period is?

[Anonymous]

I started my girl on tampons and panty liners right from the start. I had her try a whole bunch until she found the brand/type that worked best for her body shape/bodily fluids.

You take out the tampon from your body and wrap it in two squares of toilet paper, then toss it in the trash. I get the toilet paper ready before I take the tampon out. Never flush.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you wear tampons all day from a young age, how can you tell how heavy/light the period is?

You take them out and see if there's any white left or they're fully saturated with blood. If the panyliner has blood, you're not changing the tampon often enough/using a high enough absorbency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid started her period at 10. We talked about it because she swims. She was a hard no.
13 now and she’s still a hard no. I think it’s fine whenever but don’t need to push it if there is resistance. She’s ok wearing pads and seems to manage. She knows in any bathroom except her own to wrap in TP and put in the trash.

NP. How does she handle swimming during her period? Asking for my own swimmer who will likely start soon.

Period swim suit or swim bottoms. My almost 14 DD still uses these and has never been interested in tampons. Her period is really light

[Anonymous]

Apparently, menstrual discs are all the rage now. Not sure about for young teens though.