Gymnasts and Periods (Menstruation)

[jccmgla]

Any parents of gymnasts or dancers here?

My older daughter is 10 and keeps showing all these new signs of puberty. I started my period when I was 10 and I'm actually quite anxious about this with my daughter. It's just life, I know, and all girls go through this, but still.

Anyways, she does gymnastics. She's on team so she practices three days a week, three hours per practice all year round. What do they do when on their period? I can't imagine she'd insert a tampon or anything right away. A pad would be so bulky in her leotard, even if she wore the little shorts over it. I saw the thread about period panties. Do they really work if you're doing splits and all that stuff? Do they make them small enough to fit a 75 lb. girl? I'm sure I'm overthinking and over worrying about this, but I want to be prepared when it comes. I've thought of asking her coaches, but I only see them at practices and they are busy coaching.

Any calming reassurances would be great. ?

[catz]

My daughter dances and all the girls there have tricks.  My dd is 14 now but learned to use tampons not super far into having her period (she got it at 12).  Period panties can be a decent solution actually.  She's just used pads and bootie shorts at times too.  She got over it pretty fast!  

[AK_Mom4]

Radiant Teen pads are an amazing product.  Super absorbent.  Pretty much invisible under leotards and tight fitting ski suits.  Stay in place even when girls are really active.  DD17 uses them any time she doesn’t feel like messing with tampons and has no trouble with leaks.

https://always.com/en-us/shop-products/menstrual-pads/radiant-pads-for-teens/teen-regular-with-wings

 

[Loowit]

My DD was a dancer for years.  She used pads, the thinnest ones she could get away with.  She tried tampons but hated them.  The hardest was when she had competitions or recitals because then she had a certain outfit that was required that didn't always work well, but she made it through.

[Sneezyone]

22 minutes ago, jccmgla said:

Any parents of gymnasts or dancers here?

My older daughter is 10 and keeps showing all these new signs of puberty. I started my period when I was 10 and I'm actually quite anxious about this with my daughter. It's just life, I know, and all girls go through this, but still.

Anyways, she does gymnastics. She's on team so she practices three days a week, three hours per practice all year round. What do they do when on their period? I can't imagine she'd insert a tampon or anything right away. A pad would be so bulky in her leotard, even if she wore the little shorts over it. I saw the thread about period panties. Do they really work if you're doing splits and all that stuff? Do they make them small enough to fit a 75 lb. girl? I'm sure I'm overthinking and over worrying about this, but I want to be prepared when it comes. I've thought of asking her coaches, but I only see them at practices and they are busy coaching.

Any calming reassurances would be great. ?

 

Most gymmies use tampons and a thin, small liner. A few girls start with pads but that doesn't usually last long. Come to think of it, the gym only allowed bootie shorts for menstruating girls. There's so much movement and twisting, DD was a L7 when she quit, I can see pads being easily dislodged.

Edited October 10, 2018 by Sneezyone

[Barb_]

Also don’t borrow trouble. It could be years before she starts her period, particularly if she is a gymnast. My mom started her period at 9. I started with breast buds at 8 (which, incidentally have nothing to do with the timing of menarche). I didn’t get mine until 13. Two of my girls were 15 before getting theirs. My 13yo was in a 32DD bra before she started hers. Girls can be all over the place with puberty. Hugs ?

[Amber in SJ]

My ballerina started a few months before her 13th birthday.  Her two older sisters, who were also athletic but didn't wear leotards in their sports, spent the first year in the thinnest pads possible before moving on to tampons.  However, ballet girl started the day of a huge party at a water slide park with friends and she had dance class the next day.  Her sisters & I explained tampons as an option, demo-ed one in a glass of water & gave her a box.  It took her 4 failed attempts but once she figured it out, she never looked back.  Sport tampons are often the best option for very active times, but they are not the most comfortable, so she only wears those at dance, and she makes sure she changes to a new one right before (sorry if this is TMI.)

She does wear period panties as a back up when she is not wearing a leotard.

Good luck, Momma.  If you are very matter of fact about it taking some experimenting then she will be too.

Amber in SJ

[fairfarmhand]

I hate periods. In my ideal world they wouldn’t start till people were ready to have babies and would quit when the baby stage is over. Ugh. 

Signed:

mom of 3 girls who probably has at least 10 more years of dumb periods herself. 

 

(Sorry this is no help. Just a silly rant.)

Edited October 10, 2018 by fairfarmhand

[Dmmetler]

My DD13 is a competitive cheerleader (so lots of tumbling) and uses period undies for practice and competitions. She is hypersensory and tampons are a no-go for her (still trying to find a brand she doesn’t feel after insertion). The suckers are expensive, but work pretty well.

[mommyoffive]

I have 4 dancers that are girls so this is on my mind.  We haven't reached it yet.  Lots of good ideas.  I think we will just have to try everything to figure out what works. 

Forgot to say.  At their ballet school girls are not allowed to wear anything but the leo. No booty shorts or anything.  Well I think a thin pad might not be noticeable, i think it would be hard to dance in.  It couldn't have wings.  It maybe not stay in place in all the things they do.  

I think we will try tampons.  But I think we are also going to try period undies and period leo.  I think even having those as backups if they go with tampons.  

Fairfarmhand, totally agree with you.  

Edited October 10, 2018 by mommyoffive

[zimom]

My competitive swimmer started her period the first time 30 minutes before a swim practice when she was 11.  Fortunately, she is such a matter of fact kid that she just figured out a tampon because she was not missing practice.  Some girls just do what they have to do.  Mom was not ready, at all!   I still want to check out the period panties for her to sleep in as back up.  I'm tired of washing her sheets all the time ?

[Suzanne in ABQ]

My dd started menstruating when she was 9 1/2.  She started using tampons when we were at All State, and she wanted to swim with her friends in the hotel pool.  She was still 9yo, so it was probably her second or third period.  I told her she'd need to use a tampon if she wanted to swim.  She had seen me change mine, so she knew what they were and what was involved.  I went to the local drug store and got her some OB tampons, and instructed her how to insert one.  She didn't get the first one placed far enough, so it felt funny.  I told her to pull it out, and try again with a new one, inserting it a little further.  She succeeded on that second attempt, and she's never looked back.  She's 13 now, and she's basically always used tampons.

My other daughter is 22, and she doesn't like tampons.  She's used them when she was swimming in PE, but she normally just avoids activities that would require them.

Everyone is different.  You know your dd, but don't assume she can't/won't use tampons just because of her age.

[wathe]

I used tampons right from the beginning. My periods started right before a class trip to a water park. I was not going to miss out!

Just as an aside:  I'm pretty sure you are asking only about blood-catching only, but  I thought I would mention that managing menstration (if heavy or painful) with oral contracptives to lighten flow, or getting rid of periods altogether with an IUS (Mirena) are legitimate strategies for adolescents.  My periods as a young tween/teen were extremely heavy and painful.  I would have been all over these options if they existed as a legit option for adolescents at the time.

[shawthorne44]

4 hours ago, ZiMom said:

My competitive swimmer started her period the first time 30 minutes before a swim practice when she was 11.  Fortunately, she is such a matter of fact kid that she just figured out a tampon because she was not missing practice.  Some girls just do what they have to do.  Mom was not ready, at all!   I still want to check out the period panties for her to sleep in as back up.  I'm tired of washing her sheets all the time ?

 

I like the period panties.   

TMI:  One day I was wearing them because my period hadn't started but was about to.  I woke up in the middle of the night thinking, "Why am I sleeping in a puddle?"   Then I realized what it was.  I carefully got out of bed and did what needed to be done.  There wasn't anything on the bed!   Of course, if I'd tossed and turned that might have been different.  

 

[Reefgazer]

My DD got her very first period 6:30 AM the day of a swim meet (which began at 8 AM).  We were running late to the meet and so I offered to call the coach and call her out sick for the meet, but she wanted to go and told me she's have to learn to use tampons right then and there.  So I gave her a quick tutorial on tampon insertion and then stood outside the bathroom coaching.  At one point, I remember telling her "just shove it right up there", LOL.  She shoved, we hopped in the car, and made the meet in time.  Anyway, this is to say your DD can probably learn how to use them pretty quickly.  DD uses them tampons only for swim; she really prefers pads when not swimming.

[ktgrok]

23 hours ago, dmmetler said:

My DD13 is a competitive cheerleader (so lots of tumbling) and uses period undies for practice and competitions. She is hypersensory and tampons are a no-go for her (still trying to find a brand she doesn’t feel after insertion). The suckers are expensive, but work pretty well.

You may have tried them, but the Kotex U ones are shorter than a lot of brands. All of them come in light.regular.super, etc but that is how wide they are. The Kotex U ones are shorter, so easier to get in far enough. I grew up using Tampax but after having kids my body changed and they were horribly uncomfortable, I could always feel them. The Kotex U ones fixed that. I get the compact ones that click into place, so they are tiny to shove in your pocket or purse as well. 

Other women have confirmed the same thing, that they work better if size is an issue. (if you can feel it it is too low in the vagina, and if it is a long tampon sometimes you can't avoid that.)

[ktgrok]

Oh, and for kids trying tampons for the first time, my mom says she was taught to put a bit of lube on the tampon (ky jelly or similar) to make insertion easier. 

[maize]

My dd is a dancer and also went straight to tampons.

[Terabith]

I was not able to use tampons until after I had kids.  Not only were they uncomfortable, they just didn’t fit in.  My kids haven’t been able to either.  It sucks.  

[Bluegoat]

13 hours ago, Reefgazer said:

My DD got her very first period 6:30 AM the day of a swim meet (which began at 8 AM).  We were running late to the meet and so I offered to call the coach and call her out sick for the meet, but she wanted to go and told me she's have to learn to use tampons right then and there.  So I gave her a quick tutorial on tampon insertion and then stood outside the bathroom coaching.  At one point, I remember telling her "just shove it right up there", LOL.  She shoved, we hopped in the car, and made the meet in time.  Anyway, this is to say your DD can probably learn how to use them pretty quickly.  DD uses them tampons only for swim; she really prefers pads when not swimming.

 

What would worry me about this is that it isn't just comfort, it can take some practice to be able to wear a tampon so it doesn't leak.  

It drives me a little nutty that there isn't a little more flexibility for girls in sports and such around menstruation.  I think it's part of the reason so many more girls drop out of those activities at puberty compared to boys - it just takes a while to learn to manage for some.

[shawthorne44]

5 hours ago, Ktgrok said:

Oh, and for kids trying tampons for the first time, my mom says she was taught to put a bit of lube on the tampon (ky jelly or similar) to make insertion easier. 

 

I wear a cup now, but when I wore tampons I could only use the ones with plastic around them.  

[mamakelly]

My dd started right before her 12th birthday. She was in the middle of Nutcracker rehearsals. She used pads for 1day, but had to use figure out tampons fast because of rehearsals. I bought her Tampax lites. They have a plastic applicator and are teeny. I explained how to insert one, showed her the directions and sent her into bathroom. It took her two tries and she figured it out no problem. 

[edelweiss]

My daughter is a classical ballet dancer. She wears a leotard for class 6 days a week. No bootie shorts allowed. So, she went straight to tampons her first period. 

[Terabith]

2 hours ago, Bluegoat said:

 

What would worry me about this is that it isn't just comfort, it can take some practice to be able to wear a tampon so it doesn't leak.  

It drives me a little nutty that there isn't a little more flexibility for girls in sports and such around menstruation.  I think it's part of the reason so many more girls drop out of those activities at puberty compared to boys - it just takes a while to learn to manage for some.

My kids quit going to summer camp and dropped swim team and gymnastics at puberty because they couldn't use tampons.  

[Bluegoat]

51 minutes ago, Terabith said:

My kids quit going to summer camp and dropped swim team and gymnastics at puberty because they couldn't use tampons.  

 

Yeah, I couldn't use them either.  I stopped doing a lot of things because of it.  At some point they went from expecting girls who were menstruating to sit out of things, to this assumption that it made no difference and every girl could use tampons from day one.

[mom2scouts]

I'm worrying about this right now too. My gymnast just turned 12 and may be getting close. Her best friend is 11 and started last week in the middle of practice. We know because her mom had prepared her and she changed her leo, but then she cried and went home because she didn't want to have to explain why.  I'm going to buy several of the sport/thin tampons and we'll try them, but I'll also get then non-winged pads and period underwear just in case. They are not allowed to wear shorts for competition or practice the week before practice 

[Ali in OR]

My dancer learned to use tampons immediately, age 12. I don't remember even showing her how--I think she learned from The Care and Keeping of You book.