Pool Time at Day Camp and Menstrual Period

Teach her how to use a tampon, then she can swim with her friends and not feel left out.

I get that she is young, some might say too young for tampons...but I disagree, she has started her period now and needs to learn how to deal and cope with all of it.

I agree with the others teach her how to use tampons. Don't make her be liek I was when I was 17 and my mom never thought me how to use them and I was supposed to go to a water park with my best friend and started and she had to teach me how to use them. Don't make her have to sit out. That's not fair to her!!!

I know you maybe afraid of the tampon in someone so young. But trust me, it will be for the best. My mom didn't like tampons and didn't let us use them. I had many incidents of leaking and getting blood everywhere. It was extremely embarassing, and I still remember the feelings. If used properly they are extremely safe. I like Playtex because of the plastic case. I found it easy to slide in. I also found that when I was learning it was easier for me to put my foot up on the toilet.

Teach her how to use tampons and let her use them to go swimming with her troop. There is nothing worse then the embarassment of not being able to swim with your friends because of your period. Having to answer why you can't go swimming. Kids are mean and it is quickly spread that Little Suzy can't go swimming because she is on her period, ewww..that's gross. There is no reason a 10 year old can not use tampons. They do not cause you to loose your virginity or any other myths that go along with them. They make ones for teens that are slinder that might be a good choice.

ETA: I just read your SWH. Try OB tampons. They do not have an applicator. These are the ones I use and I find them much easier to insert then ones with an applicator. You can also put a tiny amount of KY on the tampon to help insert them. She might have a light flow and so it's a little dryer, the KY helps with that.
I had far too many embarrasing moments because my mother refused to let me use tampons until I said I'm doing it anyway at the age of 16. I know how bad it can feel being left out. I hope she can get them to work for her.

Our daughter is like yours. She started young.. After the first month, she said, ok, now tell me about tampons, I hate pads.

And so I purchased some to the slims by Tampax. I had her practice pushing the tube.

Then I stood outside of the bathroom door and told her to sit on the potty and to reach down and find the place where her urine comes out.

Then I told her right behind that is were the blood comes out. That is where she needed to insert.

I also told her once it is inside, she should not feel it and it would not get lost in there. After just a few minutes, she said "I think I got it"..

She was so happy and proud to be able to do this..

Have her practice before she goes to camp, even if she is not having her period.. Make sure it does not bother her.

Tampon.

There is no reason she should be left out of swimming due to her cycle. Most girls do use tampons.

Mine started using them the first month of her period. I think she wore a pad for 1 day and then asked for a tampon. It is super easy and she should do well with it. Just make sure she knows proper usage.

Why can't she go in the pool? Have you introduced her to tampons? I think there is a teen Playtex version.

I started on tampons 2 months after I got my period (I was a little older but still) because I was mortified at the thought that people would know I was sitting out from activities because I had my period and had to use a pad. She is old enough to use them, she just needs to practive a bit. I find OB works best for me because my uterus is tilted.

If she is having problems using the tampons, then try the playtex pearls because they are plastic and the applicator is easier to use. Also, give her some type of lube to use if she needs it. I still need to use it sometimes because things just don't slide as well as they could. I agree with letting her try them a few times before she is in a hurry and they are waiting for her to go swimming.

tampons or now is a great time to get her use to a diva cup or something similar. No reason to skip out

Yes, time for tampons. My mom taught me to use tampons right away, and I am so glad that she did. I never had days that I couldn't do normal kid activities because of my period.

Re. tampons - start with the light or regular flow and slender. Don't use the heavy absorbency as they might be too absorbent. She should wear a pantyliner or very thin pad, because there can be overflow with a tampon and that is embarrassing.

I googled TSS, and the risks are much lower, if not non-existent because the tampon absorbency has been changed to prevent it. It is more likely that there will be enough flow where she will have to change it at least once a day. Wearing one overnight is fine, especially if she puts one in at bedtime and removes it in the morning - much less messy when sleeping.

Tampons always worked fine for me. It would suck to have to miss out on fun stuff because of a period!

I would avoid tampons since at only ten years old she's at a high risk for TSS. Being only ten, she should be having only very light periods so she should be able to wear a thin panty liner in her suit and then the swimming will stop her period for a few hours.

A tampon should work okay just for swimming. It would be horrible if she would have to skip swimming.

She may need some lube to help her get started with the tampons. A good anatomical resource and a hand mirror may also help her understand what everything is "down there". As a midwife I can tell you that you would be amazed at the number of grown women that have little to no understanding of their own female anatomy, I have encountered more than one woman that thought urine and menstrual flow all came from the same place. If you are really worried about TSS only have her use the tampons during swim time and switch back to pads for other times. But honestly the super light absorbancy with the junior tampons would make that risk miniscule. I was a little older, but used tampons from the very beginning, I was 12. The rate of TSS is estimated at 1-2 in 100,000, and over half of those cases are not associated with periods/tampons. The ones that are usually involve the use of super-high absorbancy tampons and tampons left in place for a long period of time. It is recommended to change every 4-8 hours, which is why some people use pads at night. I never did that, I just put in a new one before bed and changed again first thing in the morning.
You can not necessarily comment on individual responses, you can click on the member's name and can send them a private message. You can also respond/comment in the area you did ("So what happened") but that will only be seen by people that read your question after your update. I wish people that replied could be notified of an update by the original poster, but that does not happen -- yet anyway.

I would give her a tampon. They have the Juniors and slims. Boy things are different from when I started my period!!!

I would also make sure that she changes them frequently - like every couple of hours.

A little thing like a period never stopped me from swimming.
A tampon should work fine.
There's no seal on that area, and even with a tampon, it will get soaked with pool water, which means, yes, blood gets into the pool, though it's not seen (and it doesn't stop).
A diva cup would seal it, but even the smallest size would be a challenge I think for a 10 yr old to use.

I can't wear tampons. I get UTIs. My daughter wears them and loves them. I didn't let her wear them until she was older 14/15. If she can wear them great but to me 10 is a little young. Its so hard at this age being the first one and not being able to participate in the activities. If you don't want her to wear the tampon for a long time, let her wear them just to swim.

Get her tampons and get her in the pool. It is archaic to think girls can't swim when they are menstruating. I got my period the first time when I was on vacation. My mom gave me tampons, told me how to use them, showed me the diagram in the Tampax box and voila. The trick newbies don't know is to insert as far as possible and then deploy.

There is no way I would let a 10 year old use tampons due to the risks you mentioned. Plus her body is still forming. I would be telling her that pads is what she gets.

The teachers just need to know she is not going to be swimming these days and then when she is done she can go back in the water.

If Tampons are not an option, do they still sell Instead? Maybe a little messy, but it's a non-pad option that may be easier for her. It all depends on the person. I would encourage her to only use them during swim time for now, since you think she won't remember.

Bummer, I can remember these days. I didn't get mine till I was 14 but didn't use tampons till I was 17 (I can't remember exactly why, I think it was just too scary or something). Back in those days though they didn't have all the slim tampons that they have nowadays, so give those a shot. If shes just not into using them, thats totally ok. My cousin had a pool and she would just sit on the side of it and not go in when she was on her period. I was the last of my friends to get my period and I remember wishing I would get mine (I know, really crazy!), and envious of all my friends that had theirs already.

Wow, can she use tampons? I go swimming with my period with no problems.