Help!! Tweens, periods, swimming...

[lizzywednesday]

... I have seen a lot of recommendations for putting a small amount of lubricant on the end of the applicator to make insertion easier. ...

It really works! Tampax used to have a starter kit for teens where they included a tiny tube of lube with sample packs of different absorbencies, a booklet about puberty/periods, and coupons for Tampax products. The year my mom chaired the Swim-A-Thon, they donated STACKS of them to my swim team, so I had a collection for emergencies.

[twowhat?]

Yes, I suggested she put some Vaseline on the end so it didn’t feel so dry and scratchy. She looked at me like I had 2 heads and said maybe she’d try it again. She didn’t tell me much more.

On a positive note, she wore the new Knix swim bottoms for about 7 hours in and out of the pool hanging out with friends and said they did a great job with her period which was light yesterday. I bought her the boyshort swim bottoms. She’s wearing another pair canoeing for 6 hours today.

Thanks for posting about her personal experience with the Knix swimwear!!! I need to get my DD a pair in case it takes a while for her to work out tampons.

[twowhat?]

Updating! So DD loves the Thinx BTWN starter pack that I got her. She seems to like the Shortie style best, she says it feels like the protection extends farther up the back in this style (it might just be how this fits - I have to compare all 3 styles once they're out of the wash). She has slept in all 3 styles with no leaks!

AND! Success with tampons! I bought the smallest thinnest ones I could find at Kroger (I believe they were Kotex U regular absorbency). We took out a couple of tampons and I showed her how to use the plunger, etc and then let her try handling one (without inserting) to get the feel of unwrapping, extending the plunger (these were a compact kind with the plunger you have to extend). And then it was time to try. I think trying on a medium+ flow day helps, as the blood makes things more slick up there. We didn't watch any YouTube videos, I just went in the bathroom with her and coached her through it. The trick was figuring out WHERE to insert it. Things that helped (sorry, this is graphic!):

"You must wash hands well before you start"
"You want to insert it where you normally feel blood leaking out"
"It helps if you really relax, don't clench like you're trying to hold in your pee. Relax as if you are letting out your pee"
"The tampon is too big to insert into your urethra (where your pee comes out) so don't worry about that" (she was worried about this)
"You want to insert it in the hole that ISN'T your anus (butthole) so just press it in and if it starts to go in, and it's not your butthole, then you've got it" (this ended up being the most helpful thing!)
"If you accidentally touch your anus with the tampon, you will need to start over with a clean one"
"It helps to sort of spin the tampon around, to get it wet with blood and then it'll slide in easier"
"You want to make sure you get the entire plastic applicator inserted inside you (all the way up to where you're holding it) BEFORE you press the plunger"
"While holding the applicator still (don't let it slide out), press the plunger until you feel a little resistance, and at that point you can press the plunger the rest of the way and let the plastic applicator slide out"
"Tuck the string between your outside folds" (personal preference - I like doing this because it keeps the string close to the body, not dipping into the toilet, and not a wick for dripping pee)

Her first try she didn't get it up far enough and said she could feel it so we removed and tried again with a new one. Second time she got it up far enough so that she couldn't feel it and she was VERY happy with how comfortable it was and how it took away the "leaky" feeling! We then talked about the importance of wrapping up all waste in toilet paper and throwing it in the trash or receptacle. I also coached her through what to do in a public bathroom to keep her hands clean (wash, use paper towel to open/close/lock stall door (or elbow/foot, then TP, if there's no paper towels), put paper towel on top of trash receptacle, place used tampons, wrappers, pads, etc on top of paper towel (or TP if there's not paper towel), insert tampon, and once all done THEN gather up the trash and throw it away). Wash hands well again.

Hope this helps someone!!

[Myira]

Updating! So DD loves the Thinx BTWN starter pack that I got her. She seems to like the Shortie style best, she says it feels like the protection extends farther up the back in this style (it might just be how this fits - I have to compare all 3 styles once they're out of the wash). She has slept in all 3 styles with no leaks!

AND! Success with tampons! I bought the smallest thinnest ones I could find at Kroger (I believe they were Kotex U regular absorbency). We took out a couple of tampons and I showed her how to use the plunger, etc and then let her try handling one (without inserting) to get the feel of unwrapping, extending the plunger (these were a compact kind with the plunger you have to extend). And then it was time to try. I think trying on a medium+ flow day helps, as the blood makes things more slick up there. We didn't watch any YouTube videos, I just went in the bathroom with her and coached her through it. The trick was figuring out WHERE to insert it. Things that helped (sorry, this is graphic!):

"You must wash hands well before you start"
"You want to insert it where you normally feel blood leaking out"
"It helps if you really relax, don't clench like you're trying to hold in your pee. Relax as if you are letting out your pee"
"The tampon is too big to insert into your urethra (where your pee comes out) so don't worry about that" (she was worried about this)
"You want to insert it in the hole that ISN'T your anus (butthole) so just press it in and if it starts to go in, and it's not your butthole, then you've got it" (this ended up being the most helpful thing!)
"If you accidentally touch your anus with the tampon, you will need to start over with a clean one"
"It helps to sort of spin the tampon around, to get it wet with blood and then it'll slide in easier"
"You want to make sure you get the entire plastic applicator inserted inside you (all the way up to where you're holding it) BEFORE you press the plunger"
"While holding the applicator still (don't let it slide out), press the plunger until you feel a little resistance, and at that point you can press the plunger the rest of the way and let the plastic applicator slide out"
"Tuck the string between your outside folds" (personal preference - I like doing this because it keeps the string close to the body, not dipping into the toilet, and not a wick for dripping pee)

Her first try she didn't get it up far enough and said she could feel it so we removed and tried again with a new one. Second time she got it up far enough so that she couldn't feel it and she was VERY happy with how comfortable it was and how it took away the "leaky" feeling! We then talked about the importance of wrapping up all waste in toilet paper and throwing it in the trash or receptacle. I also coached her through what to do in a public bathroom to keep her hands clean (wash, use paper towel to open/close/lock stall door (or elbow/foot, then TP, if there's no paper towels), put paper towel on top of trash receptacle, place used tampons, wrappers, pads, etc on top of paper towel (or TP if there's not paper towel), insert tampon, and once all done THEN gather up the trash and throw it away). Wash hands well again.

Hope this helps someone!!

Thank you so much for writing it out, you are awesome! I will have DD read your instructions when she tries again.


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[gatorsmom]

Updating! So DD loves the Thinx BTWN starter pack that I got her. She seems to like the Shortie style best, she says it feels like the protection extends farther up the back in this style (it might just be how this fits - I have to compare all 3 styles once they're out of the wash). She has slept in all 3 styles with no leaks!

AND! Success with tampons! I bought the smallest thinnest ones I could find at Kroger (I believe they were Kotex U regular absorbency). We took out a couple of tampons and I showed her how to use the plunger, etc and then let her try handling one (without inserting) to get the feel of unwrapping, extending the plunger (these were a compact kind with the plunger you have to extend). And then it was time to try. I think trying on a medium+ flow day helps, as the blood makes things more slick up there. We didn't watch any YouTube videos, I just went in the bathroom with her and coached her through it. The trick was figuring out WHERE to insert it. Things that helped (sorry, this is graphic!):

"You must wash hands well before you start"
"You want to insert it where you normally feel blood leaking out"
"It helps if you really relax, don't clench like you're trying to hold in your pee. Relax as if you are letting out your pee"
"The tampon is too big to insert into your urethra (where your pee comes out) so don't worry about that" (she was worried about this)
"You want to insert it in the hole that ISN'T your anus (butthole) so just press it in and if it starts to go in, and it's not your butthole, then you've got it" (this ended up being the most helpful thing!)
"If you accidentally touch your anus with the tampon, you will need to start over with a clean one"
"It helps to sort of spin the tampon around, to get it wet with blood and then it'll slide in easier"
"You want to make sure you get the entire plastic applicator inserted inside you (all the way up to where you're holding it) BEFORE you press the plunger"
"While holding the applicator still (don't let it slide out), press the plunger until you feel a little resistance, and at that point you can press the plunger the rest of the way and let the plastic applicator slide out"
"Tuck the string between your outside folds" (personal preference - I like doing this because it keeps the string close to the body, not dipping into the toilet, and not a wick for dripping pee)

Her first try she didn't get it up far enough and said she could feel it so we removed and tried again with a new one. Second time she got it up far enough so that she couldn't feel it and she was VERY happy with how comfortable it was and how it took away the "leaky" feeling! We then talked about the importance of wrapping up all waste in toilet paper and throwing it in the trash or receptacle. I also coached her through what to do in a public bathroom to keep her hands clean (wash, use paper towel to open/close/lock stall door (or elbow/foot, then TP, if there's no paper towels), put paper towel on top of trash receptacle, place used tampons, wrappers, pads, etc on top of paper towel (or TP if there's not paper towel), insert tampon, and once all done THEN gather up the trash and throw it away). Wash hands well again.

Hope this helps someone!!

This is SO helpful, and you for posting this!

[Melaine]

Thank you so much for writing it out, you are awesome! I will have DD read your instructions when she tries again.


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Yes TwoWhat that was absolutely fabulous! Thank you for writing it out. Need to share with my girls. Hope they are ready to try them soon.

[AnnieW625]

I found Tampax Pearl light at my Target yesterday. They had the Kotex U ones as well but they didn’t have the full size applicator ones only the small compact ones and imho I find those ones super hard to deal with and I have been using tampons for eons so I went with the full size applicator. Dd1 said she tried a regular one yesterday but she still isn’t 100% comfortable with it yet.


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