So you let your tween/teen swim with a pad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am astonished at the judgemental tone of so many of these posts. OF COURSE it is okay for a teen, or a woman, to not force herself to use a tampon if it is not her thing.

Please, ultimately it is much more important for our girls to feel supported and comfortable in their decisions about their own bodies. Do not decree that there must be something wrong with them if they use pads!

There is nothing wrong with pads.

BUT, a woman choosing to use pads exclusively then needs to understand that they don’t go swimming in public pools, while wearing a pad that is saturated with water and thus can’t absorb any blood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is 11 and hasn’t yet mastered a tampon; she’s working on it. I haven’t let her swim in the pool, and i don’t intend to; of course she’s miserable. I’m just wondering what others do.

I have a boy- but as a girl, I would never dream of swimming in a pad. That is unsanitary and gross. I wouldn't even swim in a tampon on a heavy flow day. I'm sorry your DD is having a hard time- eleven seems young for tampons and I remember being freaked out the first time I used one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am astonished at the judgemental tone of so many of these posts. OF COURSE it is okay for a teen, or a woman, to not force herself to use a tampon if it is not her thing.

Please, ultimately it is much more important for our girls to feel supported and comfortable in their decisions about their own bodies. Do not decree that there must be something wrong with them if they use pads!

There is nothing wrong with pads.

BUT, a woman choosing to use pads exclusively then needs to understand that they don’t go swimming in public pools, while wearing a pad that is saturated with water and thus can’t absorb any blood.

This. This is what the whole argument is about.

[Anonymous]

Reading some of these posts make me never want to go in a public pool again.

[Anonymous]

I kinda think using the pad-suits and pads are basically the same thing as using nothing (worse, actually).
would it be terrible to use nothing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:But that’s what it is - a tablespoon of blood that trickles out over 5 days. It’s not much for most people.

Right, which is why the array of feminine hygiene products offered is so small, and why super absorbent pads and tampons are non-existent. And why women and girls never bleed through their protection, because there's so little blood lost anyway.

I wish the guy would quit posting here.

He clearly knows nothing about periods.

Why do you keep insisting it's a guy? Did this poster say s/he was male?

I'm one of the posters who pointed out that most sources say that total flow is 2-3 tablespoons. I am not the only poster making these statements. Here is another source that says that- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072478/

apparently b/c I like to back up my statements with sources, rather than just going based on my own personal impression, at least one, possible multiple posters, have concluded that I am a male. I certainly am a menstruating woman, who started menstruating at age 12, but whatever- they are welcome to think whatever they like.

Well your sources are incorrect - there was SO much blood in my teens and even in adult years. same with my friend as a teen - hers went all over the floor looked like a murder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I kinda think using the pad-suits and pads are basically the same thing as using nothing (worse, actually).
would it be terrible to use nothing?

Would you be ok if you knew other adult women were in the pool during their periods just allowing blood to flow into the pool you are also swimming in? From a hygiene perspective, that's not ok. No swimming for the days your daughter is having her period. Using nothing is not ok. I don't think anyone is going to convince you of that though, if you're asking that questions 11 pages into posts saying pads and nothing are not ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is this even a question???

A pad would be totally obvious in a bathing suite. Plus, disgusting. Plus would completely fill with water and not even absorb any bodily fluids. Yuck!

Actually, DD’s pad didn’t show - she was wearing a speedo. The pads are very thin nowadays. But she wore shorts over it and just put her feet in.

Completely obvious once it ballooned with pool water though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to offer a different perspective-- I can well remember the day when I was 12, and I got my period right before swim team practice. I tried to use a tampon and just could not. That whole summer I wore a pad in my speedo to practice. Nobody could tell. Its not like its that much blood- its not like it went everywhere. Seriously- ITS FINE. It is not different than having a tiny cut with a bandaid.

A tiny cut is different. A period is clots and tissue. "A tiny cut" is not.
Apples and oranges.

Typical flow is 2 Tablespoons over the entire period- spread over 5-7 days. http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/resources/very-heavy-menstrual-flow

So know you are not having clots and tissue gushing out- it comes out slowly.
Yes- the sticky side did wear off in the pool- but a speedo is pretty tight, there is really no where for it to go. If you are talking about a swim practice its probably no more than 60 minutes in the water- possibly less.

Um yeah. I wore pads for overnights for years, because my mom was a stickler about tss. I’m pretty sure I remember the pieces clearly... YMMV, but I know my body, and not only can I soak a super plus in under 4 hours, but my period lasts for 10-14 days, with 7+ being the heaviest flow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i can't believe anyone would wear a pad in a public pool. that is disgusting.

I can't believe a mom can't teacher her child how to put a tampon in. FFS

Ok, not the PP, but how would you suggest teaching your daughter to put a tampon in - beyond describing the process, watching video tutorials, and looking at pictures/diagrams? Let's hear your suggestions since you seem to be extremely smug and sanctimonious in insisting any girl should be able to use tampons. Thanks.

That’s what your doctor/gyno is for! If you can’t summon up the gumption to help!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to offer a different perspective-- I can well remember the day when I was 12, and I got my period right before swim team practice. I tried to use a tampon and just could not. That whole summer I wore a pad in my speedo to practice. Nobody could tell. Its not like its that much blood- its not like it went everywhere. Seriously- ITS FINE. It is not different than having a tiny cut with a bandaid.

A tiny cut is different. A period is clots and tissue. "A tiny cut" is not.
Apples and oranges.

Typical flow is 2 Tablespoons over the entire period- spread over 5-7 days. http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/resources/very-heavy-menstrual-flow

So know you are not having clots and tissue gushing out- it comes out slowly.
Yes- the sticky side did wear off in the pool- but a speedo is pretty tight, there is really no where for it to go. If you are talking about a swim practice its probably no more than 60 minutes in the water- possibly less.

Um yeah. I wore pads for overnights for years, because my mom was a stickler about tss. I’m pretty sure I remember the pieces clearly... YMMV, but I know my body, and not only can I soak a super plus in under 4 hours, but my period lasts for 10-14 days, with 7+ being the heaviest flow.

Off topic, but have you been checked for fibroids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to offer a different perspective-- I can well remember the day when I was 12, and I got my period right before swim team practice. I tried to use a tampon and just could not. That whole summer I wore a pad in my speedo to practice. Nobody could tell. Its not like its that much blood- its not like it went everywhere. Seriously- ITS FINE. It is not different than having a tiny cut with a bandaid.

A tiny cut is different. A period is clots and tissue. "A tiny cut" is not.
Apples and oranges.

Typical flow is 2 Tablespoons over the entire period- spread over 5-7 days. http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/resources/very-heavy-menstrual-flow

So know you are not having clots and tissue gushing out- it comes out slowly.
Yes- the sticky side did wear off in the pool- but a speedo is pretty tight, there is really no where for it to go. If you are talking about a swim practice its probably no more than 60 minutes in the water- possibly less.

Um yeah. I wore pads for overnights for years, because my mom was a stickler about tss. I’m pretty sure I remember the pieces clearly... YMMV, but I know my body, and not only can I soak a super plus in under 4 hours, but my period lasts for 10-14 days, with 7+ being the heaviest flow.

Off topic, but have you been checked for fibroids?

And endometriosis and ovarian cysts and ovarian/uterine/cervical cancer. Nope, everything has always come back clean. Unusually large ovaries, early/long/heavy period, absolutely not a thing wrong with me (at least dealing with that).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here’s and I agree, as much as it sucks! She has her period a full seven days, about three of them on the heavier side. Aargh!!

Just to add - I didn’t use tampons until I lost my virginity between freshman and sophomore year in college. Hopefully the easier applicators will help my DD master tampons sooner.

honestly this is silly. It's not 1700. A slim tampon is MAYBE 20% the size of a hard penis. Plenty of virgins use them - like, all girls in early teens.

Still hurts the hymen in many teens.

Once. Get over it.

Tweens shouldn’t be made to feel like a failure if they are struggling to cram a plastic rod up their vagina. You are a horrible person.

My dd couldn’t get one in the first summer. There were lots of tear filled conversations through closed bathroom doors. The next summer, she figured it out pretty quickly.

I'm in my 40s and have 2 kids and the idea of using tampons gives me the heebiejeebies. So it's not just tweens that get freaked out by trying to cram a plastic rod into their vaginas.

38 with one kid and same. I just can't do it. The idea of having something inside me for hours on end grosses me out.

+3
My fear is that it will get lost in there or the string will break off.

+4

late thirties, three kids, I thought I was alone!

+5 can I join the stressed out by tampons group? 44 year old and mother of 2. I remember having my period at the Great Barrier Reef, having to put in tampon to go snorkeling, and almost crying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am astonished at the judgemental tone of so many of these posts. OF COURSE it is okay for a teen, or a woman, to not force herself to use a tampon if it is not her thing.

Please, ultimately it is much more important for our girls to feel supported and comfortable in their decisions about their own bodies. Do not decree that there must be something wrong with them if they use pads!

There is nothing wrong with pads.

BUT, a woman choosing to use pads exclusively then needs to understand that they don’t go swimming in public pools, while wearing a pad that is saturated with water and thus can’t absorb any blood.

Yes of course. Most women on this thread are agreed that swimming with pads is a no go. But people are responding to the judgemental attitude displayed by some on the thread that teens not being able to use tampons for whatever reason is a result of poor parenting, stupid hang ups, 1700 mores or whatever. Many teens can use tampons with no issues. Many teens cannot. Both are fine and normal.

[Anonymous]

Wanted to follow up on the option of using nothing (for very light flow only of course). Doesn't the cold water slow/stop the flow? Not trying to be gross, but I feel like this was common decades back? (again for light flow times only).

Also to the anti-plastic, pro OB person, I read (albeit in the 90s) that OB were more directly related to TSS because your hands have bacteria on them when you insert. Not sure if this is still the consensus, but I would choose Tampax Pearl over OB.