Talking Your Daughter Through Her First Periods

Your daughter getting her period for the first time is a huge milestone, and the task of talking her through that first one can seem daunting and uncomfortable. However, your daughter will need you to provide her with thorough and reliable information to prepare for what’s to come. 

So, Karen Mass, MD, FACOG, and the rest of our team at Women’s Specialty Care in Lake Forest and Grayslake, Illinois, want to provide some tips on how you can make the start of your daughter’s menstruation a much easier event for the both of you. 

Start conversations sooner rather than later

It can be easy to put off talking through your daughter’s first period with her until you feel like she’s ready. But the truth is that it’s never too early to start conversations about periods, especially if you notice the initial signs of puberty, such as breast buds, body odor, or pubic hair. These are signs that periods aren’t far off. 

Even when your kids are very young, you can explain that women bleed out of their vagina a little bit each month. Also, explain that it’s natural and not a bad thing. It’s simply how women’s bodies help them have babies. As they get older, you can start going into specifics such as how the uterine wall builds up to get ready for a baby and then sheds each month when there is no baby. 

Any questions that your daughter has as she gets older should be answered with total honesty and no stigma attached. 

Ensure she knows the basics

You probably won’t be able to make sure your daughter knows everything there is to know about periods before she gets her first one. So, make sure she at least has the fundamentals, and you can address the rest as you go along. 

Some things that are vital to know before your daughter gets her first period include:

• She can get her first period anytime between the ages of 10-15
• She’ll have a slow trickle of blood from her vagina for 3-7 days
• She’ll get her period about every 28 days (early periods may be more irregular)
• She needs to wear a period product (tampon, pad, menstrual cup) to keep her clothing clean
• She may experience some mild cramping, headaches, or breast tenderness

With this information, your daughter has everything she needs to feel empowered when that first period does come along. 

Equip her with supplies and instructions

There’s a good chance that your daughter won’t be home when she gets her first period, so make sure you give her a traveling period emergency kit that she can store in her backpack or purse. Pack it with pads, reusable period products, clean underwear, and clean pants. 

Make sure you’ve also walked your daughter through how to use each period product. Show her how to attach a pad to her underwear or tell her how to insert a tampon if she feels comfortable doing that the first time around. Also, ensure she knows how often to change her pad or tampon. 

Schedule your daughter’s first gynecology appointment

When your daughter starts her period, it’s wise to have her start seeing our team so we can establish a relationship with her. That way, if she starts having heavy or painful periods later on, we already know her health history, which gives us a head start in providing effective treatment. 

To schedule an appointment for adolescent services, simply call your nearest office location, or book online today.