How do teen ballerinas handle heavy periods?

[Anonymous]

It seems to speak to the completely insane and disordered nature of ballet that people are contemplating putting their barely pubescent daughters on continuous hormones or twisting themselves in absolute knots to solve this problem. Why do you permit your daughters to participate in an activity that denies the reality of women’s bodies? Ballet is ultimately a woman-hating art form.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not PP but you clearly don’t have the kind of heavy period that’s being discussed here. Let me give you the full picture: after an hour or so, the cup is full to the brim, it’s overflowing. When you remove it, your hands get full of it. There’s no sink inside of your stall.

If you've actually tried a cup and it is full to the brim as you describe after an hour (and for the record mine was full like that after a couple hours, even with the larger cup I used after having a baby), then you need to see a GYN because that is not normal. There are no pads/tampons that can absorb that either. There is something medically wrong. Please get it checked out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have her try a cup, they are amazing

A cup would never hold the amount that comes out of me over the course of two hours. Plus, removing, emptying and reinserting a cup as a 12 year old? In a PUBLIC place where people are knocking on the door to hurry up? It'd NEVER happen.

Yes it would or else you are hemmoraghing. A super tampon can hold 12 mls. A Diva cup holds 32 mls. If you are losing more than that you would need medical intervention.

Cups have a learning curve but once you get comfortable with them, they are a god send.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Non ballerinas need to stop replying. You can’t wear underwear in a ballet class past age 4!

This is very much studio dependent. I did ballet for 9 years and have been a dance mom. There are studios that allow underwear for rehearsals, though often not performances, depending on the costume. Our directors were very frank about bodily functions and health was always the priority.

I was lucky to be in a studio that was very mindful of health. No eating disorders, no pushing young students en pointe too early, strong emphasis on safe technique. Most of us weren't classical ballet company-bound, but to be fair, neither are most kids, and that's probably for the best since those can be toxic environments. We did have some dancers reach Broadway and some go professional modern. I sought out the same kind of environment for my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Non ballerinas need to stop replying. You can’t wear underwear in a ballet class past age 4!

This is very much studio dependent. I did ballet for 9 years and have been a dance mom. There are studios that allow underwear for rehearsals, though often not performances, depending on the costume. Our directors were very frank about bodily functions and health was always the priority.

I was lucky to be in a studio that was very mindful of health. No eating disorders, no pushing young students en pointe too early, strong emphasis on safe technique. Most of us weren't classical ballet company-bound, but to be fair, neither are most kids, and that's probably for the best since those can be toxic environments. We did have some dancers reach Broadway and some go professional modern. I sought out the same kind of environment for my kids.

Pretty sure washington ballet lets the older kids wear skirts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not PP but you clearly don’t have the kind of heavy period that’s being discussed here. Let me give you the full picture: after an hour or so, the cup is full to the brim, it’s overflowing. When you remove it, your hands get full of it. There’s no sink inside of your stall.

If you've actually tried a cup and it is full to the brim as you describe after an hour (and for the record mine was full like that after a couple hours, even with the larger cup I used after having a baby), then you need to see a GYN because that is not normal. There are no pads/tampons that can absorb that either. There is something medically wrong. Please get it checked out

Yeah I'm skeptical about PP having tried a cup. If it were truly overflowing like that after an hour you'd be losing like 3 to 4 cups of blood a day which goes well beyond any normal variation in flow. Definitely time for medical attention if you're losing liters of blood in yhe course of your cycle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not PP but you clearly don’t have the kind of heavy period that’s being discussed here. Let me give you the full picture: after an hour or so, the cup is full to the brim, it’s overflowing. When you remove it, your hands get full of it. There’s no sink inside of your stall.

If you've actually tried a cup and it is full to the brim as you describe after an hour (and for the record mine was full like that after a couple hours, even with the larger cup I used after having a baby), then you need to see a GYN because that is not normal. There are no pads/tampons that can absorb that either. There is something medically wrong. Please get it checked out

+1. As a person who would fill a super plus tampon in an hour, a cup holds much, much more than this. If you are filling a cup in an hour, then you need to be at the emergency room. You are losing way more blood than is normal in menstruation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter's ballet program had to wear a certain brand of a basic leotard and the color matched what level you were. They weren’t allowed to wear underwear just tights and the leotard.

I agree that a lot of very thin girls don’t bleed much if at all. I was very thin and had barely there periods. I don’t think I was ovulating either.

I’m not sure if that’s with every female that is considered under the standard weight but at that age everyone in ballet class was still flat chested with skinny limbs. They were handpicked for the program so maybe it’s not the typical girl that age.

I was a very thin teen and I got super heavy periods.

Underweight thin and very active will lesson a girls period or even stop them. It’s not typical to get heavy periods unless you were normal thin like a typical teen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Non ballerinas need to stop replying. You can’t wear underwear in a ballet class past age 4!

This is very much studio dependent. I did ballet for 9 years and have been a dance mom. There are studios that allow underwear for rehearsals, though often not performances, depending on the costume. Our directors were very frank about bodily functions and health was always the priority.

I was lucky to be in a studio that was very mindful of health. No eating disorders, no pushing young students en pointe too early, strong emphasis on safe technique. Most of us weren't classical ballet company-bound, but to be fair, neither are most kids, and that's probably for the best since those can be toxic environments. We did have some dancers reach Broadway and some go professional modern. I sought out the same kind of environment for my kids.

Most dance studios are recreational or competition dance. But the “elite” ballet schools that you need to audition every year and most are full time are stringent with uniforms. Students usually start at 8 or 10 years old until about 18 years old. The top students move on to the professional program and uniform rules are loosened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This would be a case where I would talk to the teacher or director of the ballet school.

Ask them what? Her class isnt over 2 hrs, likey 1-1.5 hrs. If she knows it is a heavy day, she uses the rest room mid class and changes tampon. If she is bleeding through a super tampon in an under an hour I think that warrants a doctor visit.

I didn’t say ask them anything. I said to talk to them. You explain she needs to wear a special leo or a skirt over her leo that day. I’m sure for practice and a medical reason that would be fine.
Good Lord you are dense!

How is this a viable option in the long run? Ballet is a performing art. What happens when there's a performance and she has her period? Not all ballet costumes have skirts/tutus/etc. especially when the choreography leans more contemporary. Should she wear a special leo on stage instead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not PP but you clearly don’t have the kind of heavy period that’s being discussed here. Let me give you the full picture: after an hour or so, the cup is full to the brim, it’s overflowing. When you remove it, your hands get full of it. There’s no sink inside of your stall.

If you've actually tried a cup and it is full to the brim as you describe after an hour (and for the record mine was full like that after a couple hours, even with the larger cup I used after having a baby), then you need to see a GYN because that is not normal. There are no pads/tampons that can absorb that either. There is something medically wrong. Please get it checked out

+1. As a person who would fill a super plus tampon in an hour, a cup holds much, much more than this. If you are filling a cup in an hour, then you need to be at the emergency room. You are losing way more blood than is normal in menstruation.

You know there are two more sizes that hold more right? Super plus and ultra. Much easier than messing with a cup!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not PP but you clearly don’t have the kind of heavy period that’s being discussed here. Let me give you the full picture: after an hour or so, the cup is full to the brim, it’s overflowing. When you remove it, your hands get full of it. There’s no sink inside of your stall.

This. I used to use a Diva cup for many years but in peri switched to OB uber size tampons because it got to be too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter's ballet program had to wear a certain brand of a basic leotard and the color matched what level you were. They weren’t allowed to wear underwear just tights and the leotard.

I agree that a lot of very thin girls don’t bleed much if at all. I was very thin and had barely there periods. I don’t think I was ovulating either.

I’m not sure if that’s with every female that is considered under the standard weight but at that age everyone in ballet class was still flat chested with skinny limbs. They were handpicked for the program so maybe it’s not the typical girl that age.

I was a very thin teen and I got super heavy periods.

Underweight thin and very active will lesson a girls period or even stop them. It’s not typical to get heavy periods unless you were normal thin like a typical teen.

Please stop spreading this incorrect and medically dangerous and old fashioned information. Dancers, gymnasts and other similar athletes working at even an elite level should have a period.

A stopped period is a huge warning sign of insufficient caloric consumption and is tightly correlation with permanent loss of bone mass, nevermind the likelihood of frequent injuries. Read about RED-S and get a clue about nutrition. Too thin to get a period or only getting a very light period via weight loss=dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not PP but you clearly don’t have the kind of heavy period that’s being discussed here. Let me give you the full picture: after an hour or so, the cup is full to the brim, it’s overflowing. When you remove it, your hands get full of it. There’s no sink inside of your stall.

If you've actually tried a cup and it is full to the brim as you describe after an hour (and for the record mine was full like that after a couple hours, even with the larger cup I used after having a baby), then you need to see a GYN because that is not normal. There are no pads/tampons that can absorb that either. There is something medically wrong. Please get it checked out

+1. As a person who would fill a super plus tampon in an hour, a cup holds much, much more than this. If you are filling a cup in an hour, then you need to be at the emergency room. You are losing way more blood than is normal in menstruation.

You know there are two more sizes that hold more right? Super plus and ultra. Much easier than messing with a cup!!!!

I found the cup much easier than super tampons, but we can agree to disagree. Either way, the super plus and ultra tampons are less absorbant than the cup and if you are filling either in less than an hour, something is seriously wrong and you need medical attention now.

[Anonymous]

I think the people who are arguing about ultra tampons versus cup are forgetting that this is a tween girl (and likely a slender, petite one).