*Ladies only*What nice things did your Mum do when you started your periods?

elastigirl

Me and my mum were and still are very close however she isn't a girly girl and not good with anything like this. I learnt everything from school and had to get and pay for pads myself out of pocket and newpaper round money bit harsh really but i think we both were prob too embarrassed. I did tell her and she did give me my first pad but that was it i had to just get on with it. That's life! She also never took me bra shopping and i so needed them i remember i had to pinch one or two of hers without her knowing to tide me over as i had/have a big chest. It's sad really as she didn't even give me a kiss and cuddle when i lost twins the start of this year she just can't handle situations all she said was i lost one before i had you so you will be ok. I am the only girl from a large family. on both sides of the family everyone else is male. So she is just not used to girls but after 28 years you would think she would be used to it by now.

Wench

I started my periods when I was quite young, and was in foster care, my foster mum was brilliant about it, took me shopping for pads, didnt give me 'the talk' but helped me understand a bit of what was happening so I felt comfortable with it.

When I was back at home now, 6 months on, told me mam, i ws on me period and I needed some pads, I had terrible cramps, was in so much pain, mam just said blunty 'How do you know your on your period' So I had to explain, infront of my mums new husband, who i didnt like/get on with, that there was blood down there etc,
I felt so, urgh I dont even know the word, but, no, my mum wasnt helpful at all.

Luckily I learnt from that, and discussed with my daughter, all about how periods work, got pads in, explained changing them, what other changes your body goes through, and now at 11 my daughter is comfortable enough to turn round to her dad, and say, dad, I need extra pads, will you pop up tesco, and he does. ( he even buys her a lil box of chocolate )

Oldernotwiser

Although an American site and many examples are from earlier than any of us remember, I thought this might interest some younger members who've known nothing but wings and tampons.

http://www.mum.org/belts.htm

hells_2

elastigirl wrote: »

I learnt everything from school and had to get and pay for pads myself out of pocket and newpaper round money bit harsh really . I did tell her and she did give me my first pad but that was it i had to just get on with it. That's life! She also never took me bra shopping and i so needed them i remember i had to pinch one or two of hers without her knowing to tide me over as i had/have a big chest.

Sounds just like my mother!
Wouldn't even give me the ten bob to go down the chemists to buy anything...she would give the "go and shove some toilet roll in your knickers" excuse...:mad:
She comes from a different era (in her mid 70's now) where the 'luxury' items just weren't available. Presumably she thought that was also de rigeur in the mid 1980s when I was a teenager!!!

bestpud

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Although an American site and many examples are from earlier than any of us remember, I thought this might interest some younger members who've known nothing but wings and tampons.

http://www.mum.org/belts.htm

Those are pretty hideous to be fair!

I take it nobody wore tight trousers when having their period...!

Nor mini skirts...!

I remember being glad we had to wear black pants under our PE skirts as it saved the embarrassment of people spotting the 'brick' when the wind blew my skirt!

Rikki

She sent my Dad in with a pamphlet on periods, sex and pregnancy. :eek: To add to his embarrassment I told him I read it before.

You remember the pink one for the girls and the blue for the boys. You were too embarrassed to swap. :rotfl:

Mado

I am horrified by some of your experiences...:eek:
I always bought my own sanitary products but it was with the understanding that this was within the means of my pocket money. Some of your Mums were right meanies.

dumpy wrote: »

Oh a mention that pain killers were a good idea would have been useful.

I did mention painkillers.
But it just feels so wrong to recommend calpol melt in the mouth... I guess she will have to learn to swallow pills.

On the book front I bought her a book called "The period book" after borrowing it from the library a couple of years ago. Although it is american and some of the advice (relating to what to do at school) isn't quite relevant, it does answer a lot of questions, some of which I wouldn't have thought to mention.

Oldernotwiser

bestpud wrote: »

Those are pretty hideous to be fair!

I take it nobody wore tight trousers when having their period...!

Nor mini skirts...!

You did wear ordinary knickers on top you know - although you weren't supposed to see them, even with mini skirts.

I was always more worried about showing my stocking tops as tights didn't come in until about a year after short skirts did. Oh the bliss of one's first pair of tights!

Alikay

I fainted when I found out I'd started (I've never liked blood, but only fainted that once with my period -probably as first time was a shock!) so my mum let me stay home til lunchtime, by which time I'd been to the chemist to get supplies which were more discreet than mum's Dr Whites!

I bought some new-fangled stick-on ones that I'd heard advertised on Radio Luxemburg with a little tune "Sylphs...Simplicity Sylphs!"

Luckily she didn't make a fuss about it, and I'd have been horrified if she'd have told anyone...particularly my dad!

nuttywoman

It was never mentioned in my house , so when i started , my mum gave me Dr Whites pads, sanitary belt etc and told me i`d be like this until i was about 50 !! i was mortified !!