· By Monica Williams
3 Things To Know If Your Daughter Recently Started Her Period
- It may take many years for her to get “regular,” and that’s ok. A menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of bleeding in one month to the first day of bleeding in the next month. The average menstrual cycle is about 28 days, but cycles that are 21–45 days also are normal. According to the the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology (ACOG), it may take 6 years or more after your period starts for your cycle to get regular. During this time frame, she can skip a month or have two periods per month.
- So, using a “period tracker” can be frustrating and confusing during this irregular phase. Since most period tracking apps and calendars are based on something close to a 28 day cycle and can even alarm newbies and their parents. What can be extremely helpful is helping your daughter to track her moods on a calendar where she marks her period. If she finds that she gets more frustrated than normal some number of days or weeks before her period, it can help her start to understand how her changing hormone levels affect her mood, and then learn how to be aware of this relationship and then how to control what can sometimes feels like your body is "doing it own thing."
- It is important for her to use a lightweight pad everyday to school to avoid any embarrassing accidents. Since it is difficult to know when her period will return, a pad everyday will help prevent any potentially embarrassing accidents. RedDrop’s Everyday Pad is a perfect solution for this time. It is thin, so it isn’t noticeable even under leggings but powerful enough to absorb at least a tampon worth of flow. You can pick them up here.
- She needs to be taught how to properly clean herself - it’s not as obvious as you might think. All young people’s bodies begin to smell differently as their hormones start to change and their bodies mature. It may seem obvious to you and you may expect that they already know how to wash their private parts, their armpits or even their face. Be patient with them while being thorough about exactly how to wash. Either demonstrate or provide a detailed checklist and prepare yourself that it will take more than one discussion. RedDrop provides a video that explains on an anatomical model both what a girl’s external reproductive parts are called and how to clean them here, you can share this with your daughter. If you prefer you watch the video and refresh your memory and then can download an illustration here and you can explain it to her yourself, in-person.
