{"id":9639,"date":"2015-12-22T10:18:25","date_gmt":"2015-12-22T09:18:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=9639"},"modified":"2021-02-17T14:30:08","modified_gmt":"2021-02-17T13:30:08","slug":"period-talk-daughter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/period-talk-daughter\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Daughter&#8217;s First Period Talk: Where to Start"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Remember waiting for your first period? Feeling excited, confused, and maybe even a little anxious? Hopefully, someone helped you feel secure in your changing body. Now, you have a daughter who\u2019s about to become a woman \u2013 and it\u2019s time to do the same for her! Providing her with information and helping her feel comfortable with her body is good for her life-long health and self-esteem. And having the \u201cperiod talk\u201d doesn\u2019t need to be stressful.<\/p>\n<p>With a little preparation, you can have a relaxed, productive talk about menstruation and help her feel ready for what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n<h3>Start small and early<\/h3>\n<p>The best way to approach menstruation discussions is to plan on having a few small talks rather than one big one. If possible, start discussing menstruation and body changes in general terms when she\u2019s young so she gets used to the idea of \u201cgrowing up\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>You can then talk about it in more detail as she gets older. This helps to create a sense of openness and shows her that periods and changing bodies are natural and normal.<\/p>\n<h3>Cover all the bases<\/h3>\n<p>During your discussions, it\u2019s good to share your own experiences so she knows that she\u2019s not alone.\u00a0 Make sure you address four particular areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The science behind menstruation:<\/strong> Briefly discuss the female anatomy and what happens when a woman menstruates so she understands what\u2019s happening. Be sure you know your stuff and that you <a title=\"The Vagina and the Vulva\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-vagina-and-the-vulva\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">use the correct terms<\/a>. Euphemisms only teach her that the real words are inappropriate, and imply that we shouldn\u2019t be talking about feminine health \u2013when in fact it\u2019s the opposite!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>How she\u2019ll feel throughout her cycle:<\/strong> We\u2019re not just talking about pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). Her menstrual cycle will influence how she feels physically and emotionally all throughout the month, so there are some \u201csymptoms\u201d to look out for.\u00a0 Make sure that she knows she can always talk to you and that there are <a title=\"Comfort Every Day of the Month\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/comfort-every-day-of-the-month\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ways to manage discomfort<\/a> or issues with her cycle. She also should learn to always be open with her doctor about her health \u2013 like you, doctors are there to help.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Menstrual hygiene:<\/strong> It\u2019s very important for her to <a title=\"Tips for a Fresh and Healthy Period\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/tips-for-a-fresh-and-healthy-period\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">maintain good hygiene<\/a> during menstruation to prevent infection and stay healthy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sexual health:<\/strong> She (and you!) might not be quite ready for the full \u201cbirds and the bees\u201d conversation yet, but menstrual health is closely tied to sexual health, so get ready to field some early questions. Only you can gauge how much detail to get into, but being proactive can ensure she feels comfortable talking about sex with you later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here are some tips for getting a dialogue going:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At first, although she might be curious, she may also feel awkward and reluctant to talk about periods. Be respectful of the fact that this is all new and perhaps a little scary, so let her engage with you in her own time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Find a few good resources that you can use to introduce the subject, but don\u2019t just give her a book or a movie and think that it will answer all of her questions. Watch or read them together, then talk about them after.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Once she feels comfortable, be prepared for her to ask questions \u2013 lots of questions.\u00a0 There are many <a title=\"Menstruation Myths - Busted\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/5-menstruation-myths-busted\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">menstruation myths<\/a> out there, so expect to field some potentially strange ones too. If you\u2019re not sure of an answer, it\u2019s ok to say \u201cI don\u2019t know\u201d\u2013just make sure you get back to her later with an answer. You could also look up the answer together to show her how to find reliable information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Above all, be positive and emphasize that what is happening is completely normal and that every young woman experiences menstruation differently. Even if she gets her period earlier or later than her friends, or if she has different symptoms, she is completely normal.<\/p>\n<h3>Buy her what she\u2019ll need<\/h3>\n<p>Period protection is a very personal choice, so give her a good rundown of her options and make sure she knows she\u2019s not stuck with her first choice forever. It might be best to start her out with pads, but show her the other options for the future.\u00a0 If she expresses an interest in tampons or menstrual cups, be sure she makes an <a title=\"Cups vs. Tampons\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/cups-vs-tampons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">informed choice between the two<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Cups are completely safe for teens to use and are super healthy choice too! Unlike <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/healthy-period-tampons-safe-use\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tampons<\/a>, there\u2019s no dryness, irritation or gross chemicals \u2013 with the added bonus of providing up to 8 hours of protection. As women learn more about the benefits of menstrual cups, they\u2019re becoming the go-to product for a lot of women.<\/p>\n<p>If she (or you) has any questions about cups, have a quick chat with a gynecologist. And if she chooses a cup, just be sure she gets the right cup for her: start with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/lily-cup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">small, flexible cup<\/a> made of 100% medical-grade silicone to ensure she gets the best in comfort and hygiene.<\/p>\n<h3>And one more thing!<\/h3>\n<p>We\u2019re all familiar with the nagging anxiety bout our periods popping up unexpectedly, so make her life a little easier with an emergency period kit for school. Most kits include the period protection of choice, spare underwear, wet wipes and a little piece of chocolate &#8211; just for a little pick-me-up.<\/p>\n<p>Having open and honest discussions with your daughter about the transition to womanhood can not only be a great way to bring you closer, but they can also help her see these changes as a joyous thing.\u00a0 Getting ready for your first period can be an anxious time, but with the right preparation and support she\u2019ll see it as a normal, natural thing.<\/p>\n<p>Help her feel positive about menstruation, and she\u2019ll feel more confident about all the changes to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Remember waiting for your first period? Feeling excited, confused, and maybe even a little anxious? Hopefully, someone helped you feel secure in your changing body. Now, you have a daughter&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":18917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[47,53,199,201,203],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.12 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to make your daughters first period less of a pain<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is your daughter ready for menstruation? 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