Parents My DD getting her period

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gymnast321

Hi everyone today my dd got her period and i talked to her she said she wanted to quit gym.:( She luvs gymnastics though but now refuses to go bec/ of this. She gets reall embarrased and i dont know what i should do she doesnt want to use tampons onl pads. Help Asap!!:):):eek:

really i need help m dd is crying now
 
If you change your profile to allow private message, I think you'll get some more response to this post! I just tried to PM you myself.

-Lynn
 
Maybe she'd be more comfortable wearing underwear under her leo and then wearing those workout shorts over it. That gives her extra layers and might make her feel more confident. She can always go to the restroom often during practice to make sure everything is clean and bring a change of clothes just in case. You could also help her talk to a trusted female coach or older teammate who understands and could give her advice on how to handle it.
 
Poor sweetie, it's a challenge growing up. DO any of her gym friends have theirs yet? It does help if she feels like she's not the only one dealing with gymnastics and her period.

The girls at gym wear shorts, they do talk about it to each other.

Has your dd actually been able to see a tampon, you know held it, messed around with one and read about how they work. Sometimes fear is the problem. Giving her a box of the teen sport ones, that are slender and the box is cool looking, might help her with her embarrassment and discomfort.

I really hope she feels better in a day or too. Let us know what works , all our girls will go through this and the more Mom advice we have the better.

(((((hugs))))) for you both.
 
She may not be sure about how to insert a tampon (ie.. exactly where it will go in). That to me is the reason I feel most girls are apprehensive about wearing tampons. Talk to her about this and see if this is what is going on. How old is she? Do you have a friend or a sister that she would feel really comfortable talking to? I really liked to talk to my aunt about things that I didn't want to talk to my mom about. I felt like she was just a little less judgemental, younger and more open to talk about these things.
You might want to give her a mirror, along with a tampon and instruction booklet from the tampon box. Give her plenty of time and space alone to see if she can work thru this. Good luck! I would hate for this to keep her from gymnastics, but this is something we all may be dealing with in the next few years. If we haven't already.
 
Ok, been exactly where you are now with dd1. She was 12 when she started, and we had a few months before competition. My dd wanted to quit, too, and although I'd always said the choice to stay or go was hers, I told her that I would not let her quit for this reason. Periods are part of life, and she would have to learn to deal with them and not let them limit her options.

For practice, very thin pads and work-out shorts will keep things from being noticable. Give her a couple of months to get used to the idea of having her period. Then bring up the idea of tampons (if she hasn't gone there herself by then). She will need them come competition time.

If she is still very resistant or has tried to used them and failed, go see a female practioner of some kind. Lots of OB-GYN offices have nurse practitioners who would be happy to help out. Maybe there's a female provider (MD, DO, or PA) in your family health group. Well worth the price of the co-pay if you ask me.

Be sure to call the office before the first appointment. Ask to talk to the nurse who will be assisting your practitioner. Explain everything so your dd doesn't have to go into the exam room with you and won't have to answer any embarrassing questions.

Oh, and during competition season, carry and extra long sleeved leo in the gym bag.
 
O.K. I was wrong, I guess everyone felt comfortable talking about this here! I'm glad to see all the responses. My DD is 13 1/2 and I'm just waiting for the day, so I'm glad other people had some great responses on how to handle this. I do agree that this is NOT a reason to quit... maybe skip practice a day or two this week, but it's a life issue and needs to be dealt with! At least it's perfect ti ming w/summer coming up, so she'll have a few months to deal with this before the competition season starts. DD is going away to camp for a whole week this summer and my fear is that "it" is going to happen right before, or during, camp!
 
- thank u all for helping and giving advice im sure my dd will pull through this tough situation!!

And my oldest dd has already gone through this and is in a level 10 so she can mabe help me out when she gets back from boston she went to watch the visa champ. sat.

Thanks again everone!!:)

Keep the advice coming please...
 
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My dd will be getting hers in the next few years and the preliminary mood swings make everything seem like the end of the world already. So she's probably more emotional anyway. I think if you take her to the gynecologist since she will need a check up anyway they can show her how to insert the tampons and anything else she needs to know. Then take her out to eat or whatever to show her how proud you are of her.

I sit at gymnastics for hours watching my dds group and after a while you can tell who is more hormonal than they normally would be.

((HUG))
 
I think that it is important to promote how NORMAL it all is. If half the population of the world (6,800,000,000 are women (about 3,400,000,000), and 70% of those are over 13 (2,380,000,000) then about 20% of them are having periods at any one time (ie lasts about 5-6 days) ie about 396,666,666 (is my maths correct?) Young women (and that is what they are) starting their periods should be encouraged to feel happy that their bodies are functioning just as they are supposed to and they are joining a large group of women in the world that are doing just the same. It is a cause for celebration in some cultures and I fully support that! Oh yes, I have forgotten to take off the number of women over 60+ who have reached menopause and also those that are pregnant or breastfeeding... anyway, it is still a sizable number of women all experiencing what you/she are/is experiencing all on the same day (maths and me - what am I like?). I really hate the term "the curse" and all those other silly words for menstruation. I prefer to stick to the ones in the biology book. For gymnasts I would recommend: a pair of shorts worn over the leotard for all over 12's (this stops the "I've just started" embarrassment a thin, absorbent pad and the odd dose of ibuprofen when the pain is detracting from day to day activities and a special 'Mom and daughter meal out and shopping expedition to celebrate' would not hurt.
 
I feel your fustration my older daughter who is a swimmer not a gymnast went through this last year. Unfortunatly she refuses to wear tampons so when she gets her period she skips meets and practices, I explained to the coaaches. She is able to get away with this since the teams she swims for our low key and no where near as competitive as gymnastics. She actually tried to use one last year when we were on vacation but felt to unconfortable. I am hoping when the time comes for daughter #2 who is a gymnast things will be different since she is different tolerance to pain and does not let things hold her back.
 
I have no advice to offer as I am reading these post intently for advice for when I have to deal with my dd. With her personality that is so going to be her. For those of you who have been there, done that - thanks for sharing your advice and experience with the rest of us ;)
 
My dd went through this last year. Here's what works for her. At practice she wears regular underwear, a thin pad and workout shorts over the leo. Since the work out shorts are pretty much the attire for all the girls, no one ever has to know. She will not use tampons (she tried to no avail). But, at meets we have found that the pads out now days are so thin, no one can tell if she is wearing one. It helps that the bottom of her comp leo is black too. Your daughter could wear the nude colored underwear offered by most leo companies under her comp leo too if an extra layer is needed. Good luck.
 

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