? for mothers with pre-teens

[dreamin_disney]

dd11 just started her period uugh!~ She had a lil bit of cramps yesterday so i gave her an advil round pill. She was unable to swallow it. I have midol but its the bigger pill.

My budget question is what can i give her for her next period. IS there a smaller pill we can try? I dont want to buy awhole bunch of meds.

might as well ask this too. I bought 2 different types of pads. I only use ALWAYS for myself when i do get a period(abnormal periods skip many months). DD is on the thin side so i bought her the petite and i bought her the regular. IS there a good one for pre-teens i dont know about?

 

[ilovejack02]

Is Aleve smaller ? I usually skip advil as it tends to make me bleed more. Maybe a coated pill would be easier to get down. Or depending her weight and age, can you use children's liquid tylenol ?

Can't help with the pad issue, I hated them as a kid , so after first period I went straight to tampons.

 

[robinb]

I taught my DD to get pills down with mini m&m's and apple sauce. If that doesn't work you can always calculate the amount she would need in Junior chewables or liquid medicine. My DD is not as mature as your DD so I can't recommend a pad ... maybe look in a teen magazine for what's advertised? I know mine will go right to tampons because she's a competitive swimmer.

 

[badblackpug]

We use tampax, too, so I can't help you with the pad. Ibuprofen is generally good for muscle pain. I would keep trying to teach her to swallow pills, because she is probably at adult dosing and you will be buying lots of liquid. In case you want to go the liquid route the dose for Ibu is 10mg per kg of weight with a max of 400mg. Tylenol dose is 15mg per kg with a max of 650mg. Weight in Kg = weight in pounds divided by 2.2.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Practice helps as does the applesauce. If push comes to sshove you can get the liquid. Hopefully next one is better. I liked a stayfree pad that was more like cloth. But never started up again after the baby, so can't remember specifically.

 

[ilovejack02]

Practice helps as does the applesauce. If push comes to sshove you can get the liquid. Hopefully next one is better. I liked a stayfree pad that was more like cloth. But never started up again after the baby, so can't remember specifically.

Who knew applesauce ??!! My I will use that trick when my youngest is at the age to take pills instead of liquid.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

I learned it when I interned in a nursing home!

 

[Irishgrl6975]

I have no suggestions on meds but as far as pads go, just let her pick ones she wants to use and decide what she likes best. I don't mean go out and buy 6 kinds at once, but if my daughter didn't like the first brand she would get a different brand the next time we bought more. She eventually settled on ones that she likes best!

 

[StephMK]

My kids do better with pills when they drink w/a straw to get them down. Someone on here one time mentioned a first period kit that has several samples of different styles. DD16 uses Always too & does fine w/the thinner ones.

Ugh, not ready for DD10 to get to that age. We've had the talk but still... Hope your DD is taking it well.

 

[MariDisney]

If you can get her to swallow the pills (I can't help there, DD 10 hated liquid meds and has been swallowing pills since she was 3 or 4) our pediatrician recommended that she take ibuprofen every 6 hours round the clock from the moment she suspects her period is starting until it's completely over. We've been doing that for a few cycles now (she's had her period over a year) and it's really helping with the cramps.

I let her experiement with a few different kinds of pads, and she's decided she likes the "old fashioned" thick ones rather than the ultra thin. She also likes the long length ones. I think it gives her more piece of mind that she won't have a leak (which has happened a few times...once at school, not a good situation).

She's been trying to use tampons, and we have the thinnest "lites" but so far she can't quite do it. I'm trying to help her, but she's pretty scared. Any advice on that? I just went straight to them and did it. But, DD can't make herself. I have tried putting some KY on the tampon, but no go.

 

[laurafergie]

We did Always Slender Ultra Thins with the wings - then I just got the regular ones. I second swallowing the pill with applesauce or something similar.

 

[Tink-n-MrIncredible]

My DD's doctor recommended midol(go to the website and get coupons)

My DD just recently started and she likes Always Infinity with wings. If you register at the companies usually they will send you free samples. My DH just loves it everymonth when he gets updates from Kotex. I purchased several different brands and styles, she chose the one she likes. Also try the website Being Girl.

Some one had suggested I make a first period kit for my DD. This is what I did. I got a cute bag and put the following items in it: a small calander, color pens, chocolates ( my DD's favorite), midol, pads and tampons (she decided not to try them at this time), a little case to carry them in her purse or school bag, wipes and bubble bath.

Good luck to you and your DD.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My mom put a pill into a bite of ice cream. She fed me the ice cream and I had to swallow with my eyes closed. That trick did not work with my dd---she would hunt through every bite.

Another idea--if you can find an uncoated tablet, you can use a pill splitter to cut the pill so that it can be a smaller piece she has to swallow.

Lastly---it'll cost you---but get the liquid children's version of the same med. Usually, they have dosage info for all ages. I take Children's benadryl at times and it has dosage for adults. You will just go through the bottle faster. Motrin for ibuprofin and Tylenol and generic equivilants are all sold in liquid form.


Good luck. I was once pill-phobic. Horse pills and uncoated chalky yucky pills are the only ones I have trouble with now a days.

 

[ilovejack02]

I let her experiement with a few different kinds of pads, and she's decided she likes the "old fashioned" thick ones rather than the ultra thin. She also likes the long length ones. I think it gives her more piece of mind that she won't have a leak (which has happened a few times...once at school, not a good situation).

She's been trying to use tampons, and we have the thinnest "lites" but so far she can't quite do it. I'm trying to help her, but she's pretty scared. Any advice on that? I just went straight to them and did it. But, DD can't make herself. I have tried putting some KY on the tampon, but no go.

It may take time, I hated pads so much that I was willing to go with tampons, first go round. Prob helped that my mom used them and I had "seen" her use them from a young age... oh those days when you bust up on mom in the bathroom when you aren't supposed to LOL. My girlfriends that hated pads came to me once they knew I used tampons for advice and help, somehow worked better than mom helping.

I was on board because I was a swimmer and also spent lots of time out on our boat and at our camp. If you wore a pad you were out of luck for hitting the water.

 

[sbpebbles]

Being petite myself I prefer Always with wings or kotex pads..again it's really going to be a personal preference so let her experiment with different brands until she finds the one she likes..I agree with others when they say you can register with the different companies and they will send samples..I remember when i was her age I went to a payphone and ordered my Tampax sample because i didnt want anyone to know i was getting my period and it came in the mail very discretely so no one knew what was inside..Personally I never went to tampons though until after my first child, i was always afraid of them after my mother told me a horror story about her friend getting TSS...so if she's not ready for that don't rush it..

I'm sorry I don't have any experience with the meds...I use to take Midol and it seemed to work when i was that age...good luck!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

On tampons, I am convinced that the cardboard applicators were invented by evil people. I would use the ones with plastic and try for the smallest size you can find. I have always hated tampons....but found that I mostly hate those dumb applicators. I now prefer OB as there is no applicator. Though as a teen, I would have found that intimidating. But I do find it much easier to insert. Too embarrassed to try and explain my issues as a teen.

as for pads---I am not sure I understand the issue. When I had begun my cycles, they sold "teen size"....which for me was too small for what I needed. I wasn't a big girl, but I was not thin. So I wore regular size.
One brand also sold a variety pack. Not sure if they still do, but that way you can try a brands different products to see what works best. I used always for YEARS...but always had an issue with the dri-weave.
Switched to a product that didn't have that and was more like just plain cotton. That was after my first baby when I didn't have the issue with hospital pads. I now use Poise as they do come in a variety of sizes like traditional pads.

If you find that she tries something and doesn't like it, I wouldn't make her finish the pack. I'm sure some organization like a woman's shelter would
accept them.

 

[dreamin_disney]

Thanks for all the feed back.

I'll have her try the apple sauce.
I didnt think of liquid cause i'm so use to pill but i buy whatever works.

DD took it ok because i've been talking to her about it. She is actually 11 and 8 months so alomst 12 but more like an 11 yr old. She said the blood makes her want to faint. So i told her its her being in shock. Poor kids she doesnt want her Dad to know, which i can understand. She starts school nextweek so thank goodness it happend this week. She must have sensed it because a week ago she said if she starts hopfully she's on vacation.

I have always been abnormal with my period 1-3 per year unless i'm on the pill or provera. I've been scared to try tampons. DD said they discussed tampons in 5th grade puberty class. She said she is scared to use those. WHich i know she is not ready for those. Once she gets older and wants to swim and be active in sport we may have to think about it. She;s scared if the string break and it gets stuck she has to go to the Dr.s to get it out. It was also my fear but i never told her. Does that really happen???????

so far she is doing fine on the pads and I got the one with wings. I do think a long thin kind would be good for extra protection.

I really try talking to her about it to prepare her because grwoing up my mother didnt dicuss it with me and it was so scarey

 

[MomToOne]

As far as pills go, you can also just crush the pill between two spoons, then add a bit of water or OJ to the spoon, and have her swallow it that way. It doesn't taste great, but it gets the job done.

My daughter learned early to get tablets down (by about 7) because she regularly had to take some pills, and due to time/location constraints I often had to have her just chew them to get them down. Yuck!!! But it gave her lots of incentive to learn to swallow them without chewing!

 

[hambirg]

Well. . .I was an early bloomer. . .so I had the talk with my daughter when she was about 9. Luckily she didn't start until the summer she was 11. . .almost 12. BUT she was away at horse camp! They called the first night to let me know. . .I was freaked thinking they were calling me to tell me she broke her neck!! She got a special package of supplies. . .including chocolate. . . and the awesome part is that they let her take a shower every night in the nurses station. When I finally got to pick her up she told me, "It's not a big deal, Mom. So don't make a big deal about it! BUT those pads feel like diapers." I always use Always overnights. I have heavy periods and my job isn't friendly in the "I gotta change way." So I'm not sure what they are called, but I bought her the pink Always kind. . .slender something. She used those for years. . .she's 14 . . .but just recently told me she likes the green ones. . .better coverage.

Just as a side note. . .I never really used tampons. I have used them in those emergency situations. . .but they were never comfortable for me. My friends always told me that I wasn't inserting them far enough. . .but come to find out years later my OB/GYN told me even though I'm not a petite woman that I'm extremely small in there. . .and yeah. . .the normal tampon would be too big for me. I have NEVER had some of those female issues my friends have had. Hell, I don't even get cramps at all. I'm not dissin anyone that uses tampons. .. I'm really not. .. but I think the fact that I never had any issues has something to do with that. One of my good friends that also doesn't use them and has never had any female problems just asked me to talk to her daughter that is pushing her hard for her to buy her some. Idk . . .you use pads. . .I just know that backflow cause fibroids and that can lead to endometriosis. . .my friends that were the heaviest tampon users had the most period problems. .. .please don't flame me.

Oh yeah. . .somebody. . .I think Bayer makes a powder fizzy type of anti-inflammatory. I had a ton of it when Walgreens had it free on RR. That might help your daughter. Also. . .no caffeine and a hot water bottle helps.

 

[DVCLiz]

Well. . .I was an early bloomer. . .so I had the talk with my daughter when she was about 9. Luckily she didn't start until the summer she was 11. . .almost 12. BUT she was away at horse camp! They called the first night to let me know. . .I was freaked thinking they were calling me to tell me she broke her neck!! She got a special package of supplies. . .including chocolate. . . and the awesome part is that they let her take a shower every night in the nurses station. When I finally got to pick her up she told me, "It's not a big deal, Mom. So don't make a big deal about it! BUT those pads feel like diapers." I always use Always overnights. I have heavy periods and my job isn't friendly in the "I gotta change way." So I'm not sure what they are called, but I bought her the pink Always kind. . .slender something. She used those for years. . .she's 14 . . .but just recently told me she likes the green ones. . .better coverage.

Just as a side note. . .I never really used tampons. I have used them in those emergency situations. . .but they were never comfortable for me. My friends always told me that I wasn't inserting them far enough. . .but come to find out years later my OB/GYN told me even though I'm not a petite woman that I'm extremely small in there. . .and yeah. . .the normal tampon would be too big for me. I have NEVER had some of those female issues my friends have had. Hell, I don't even get cramps at all. I'm not dissin anyone that uses tampons. .. I'm really not. .. but I think the fact that I never had any issues has something to do with that. One of my good friends that also doesn't use them and has never had any female problems just asked me to talk to her daughter that is pushing her hard for her to buy her some. Idk . . .you use pads. . .I just know that backflow cause fibroids and that can lead to endometriosis. . .my friends that were the heaviest tampon users had the most period problems. .. .please don't flame me.

Oh yeah. . .somebody. . .I think Bayer makes a powder fizzy type of anti-inflammatory. I had a ton of it when Walgreens had it free on RR. That might help your daughter. Also. . .no caffeine and a hot water bottle helps.

I'm not flaming you, but I don't think there is ANY scientific evidence that this is in any way true, and I don't even know what you mean by "backflow." As many of us have learned the hard way, there's no such thing as a tampon that can cause anything to "back up."