Alternate to Disposable Pads and Tampons

I would think that a tampon would be easier for her than a cup at the beginning. However, it's really about her learning to insert ANYTHING into her vagina.

Since she is on a swim team, she will need to be able to use tampons or a cup. If I were you, I'd have pads and beginner's tampons (Playtex is a good choice) ready for her. Put vaseline on the tip of the tube for her and tell her how important it is to aim towards her lower back instead of straight up. Have her squat over a mirror first so that she can see where it is supposed to go. It's the beginning of understanding the makeup of her body. Girls and women aren't always very knowledgeable about that.

After she gets good at inserting the tampons, see about the Lunette cup. (The Diva is too big for an 11 year old, in my opinion.)

My mom was just awful about this stuff. She made my DAD take me to the gyn doctor before I could try tampons (a MAN, who was a real jerk) when I was 13. Not one of my mom's finest moments, I can tell you. It was my friends who taught me how to do it - my mom was absolutely no help. Thank goodness for my friends.

Please allow her to make a choice. It's her body.

My daughter uses a light pad at night only and tampon for the rest of the time. It's easy, very workable among her team and just more comfortable.

I get that some people love the cups and sponges but that's just down right gross to me. My daughter would reject that potential messiness in a heartbeat. What preteen needs to be dealing with that process which can be messy and embarrassing when among team mates when a tampon is so efficient. Just use tampons wisely.

Bottom line...give your daughter all the options and allow her to make the right choice for her and her body.

A Diva Cup (or any other brand of cup) would work great for your daughter. My daughter is 13 and uses a Lunette cup (it's smaller than the small Diva) for ballet. No leaks, and only has to be dealt with every 12 hours, which is much easier than dealing with tampons every 2-4 hours. She has also used tampons (when she was at summer camp and would not have access to a private bathroom). The only problems we experienced with tampons or the cup was the learning curve involved in using them. The first time she tried to use tampons, somehow she didn't understand to insert first, and *then* plunge. She was doing it opposite of that (I had gone over angle of insertion, how frequently she had to change them, and so on... never occurred to me to explain how the plunger works!). Once she got that figured out, it was no problem. As far as the cup, she figured that out in the shower. It is easier to deal with it when it's wet. Dry silicone is not as comfortable to insert, as you might imagine.

Anyway, I would just review the options with her, explain how each thing is used, and let her decide which of them (or maybe all of them) she would like to try out. Just as for any of us, it's trial and error for them, and their minds might change on what they like best.

If I had a daughter, I would let her choose what works for her socially. She may not feel comfortable washing a cup in the school bathroom. Plus, young women may have very irregular periods and something easy to change in the bathroom stall would be ideal.

Let her figure out what works for her when the time comes. If you are worried about chemicals from the products, Natracare is a great dioxin-free brand for disposable pads and tampons.

They make super absorbent pads these days that work great for girls who don't want to wear tampons. They won't work for swimming, of course, but for every day use, they are great.

I think you are awesome for thinking ahead and preparing for your daughter's first period. It just feels a little like you are OVER thinking it a little. Please relax! All her friends will go through the same thing. It is only a big deal if you make it a big deal. I've raised two girls and trust me, life goes on after they start having periods. Just be prepared with pads, detergent and bleach. That's it. Women have had periods since Eve. It's okay.

Diva cups are awesome! I am a registered nurse and a cheer coach, I prefer the diva cups. Although, they can be a little weird to use at first they are the safest for me when it comes to leaking. I struggled with leaky periods growing up and I wish I had the diva cup back then! They do need to be cleaned frequently but for me they work best.

i wish they'd had diva cups when i was still mentruating! sounds like a great choice to me.
but when i was a teen i found tampons the easiest to use. i'm ancient, so when i first got my period the only things available were bulky pads with uncomfortable belts.
can you imagine what it was like for women throughout most of HISTORY? gah!
one of my friends has super-heavy periods, though, and told me that things went south when she was trying to change her diva cup. said it looked like she'd been sacrificing goats in the bathroom.
:) khairete
S.

Suz - got a chuckle from sacrificing goats comment. Oh my .. had a glass of wine, maybe I'm a bit tipsy but that just made me laugh.
Doris - I feel for you. My mother tried to instruct me over the phone long distance on tampons. No preparation before hand - so Handwriting Tutor - kudos to you for being prepared!

I had never heard of a cup! Now I feel out of touch. I think though if you can avoid pads, all the better. I know you like them (not sure what a cloth pad actually is come to think of it - do you wash them??). When I learned, there were the dreaded belts too. Imagine those nowadays with low waisted pants. Thank god they discovered adhesive.

Good luck :)

For a first timer I would let her use a disposable tampon like OB, they are comfortable and perfect for swimming. That said, when she is ready I would let her try a cup. The Diva was too long for me personally and so I prefer the Lunette.