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

superpup

I started at school when I was 10. I can remember being in the girls toilets crying whilst another girl went and fetched the teacher. She then took me to the nurse who sent for my Mum to come and collect me. I was terrified and thought I was bleeding to death.

She got me home and gave me some pads that she had already bought for me as she told me she knew that I would be starting soon, as she'd looked out for 'spotting' (sorry if TMI! ).

I now think about it, like !!!!!!?!!! If she knew about it and was expecting it, why didn't she at least warn me! I was really frightened.

I made sure that my girls knew what to expect before they started and they both told me as soon as it happened.

I do remember a few days after I had started that I had a swimming gala for the school and I was mortified that I couldn't do it. My Mum showed up in my room with some lillets and explained that they went 'up there'. I got hysterical and said that there was no way I was using them. Dad loitered about looking sympathetic but in the end I made do with a bit of loo roll in between races and a towel round me at all times. Another girl spotted a telltale trickle running down by leg and quietly told me saying that she'd started her periods as well, which made me feel a bit better.

Caroline73_2

Am I loads younger than everyone else? I started my periods in the mid 80's and used tampons from my first period. I assumed most people did...towels were for 'old' ladies like my mum (who must have been in her mid thirties then,lol)

I don't remember ever being told about periods but I knew what it was when it started, and remember telling my mum when she came home from work that I had started.

JBD

Mado wrote: »

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.

It wasn't really a case of being a meanie. Life didn't revolve around our periods. We just got on with things. Life is much more centred around women and girls generally nowadays, at least in my household, and I suspect in many others, the females generally took a back seat. I know for a fact that PMT was completely unheard of when I was growing up[ in early 70's], in fact I have never had any allowances made for me either for periods, pregnancy, or for female 'hormones' generally. Thankfully things are better for girls and women nowadays and it is much more pleasant and comfortable generally.

BitterAndTwisted

Caroline73 wrote: »

Am I loads younger than everyone else? I started my periods in the mid 80's and used tampons from my first period. I assumed most people did.

Eh, I think my adventures with tampons belong in a different thread on a different board, preferably not one visited by men. Suffice to say I had no idea how to use them or how to insert them properly even after examining the blasted leaflets in the packets. It all seems quite sad now how woefully ignorant I was at the time.

snapping_crocodile

I was only 11, and a young 11 when i started. I remember (appropriately :rolleyes:) being in biology when the agonising stomach cramps started. I hated going to toilet in school, and only went if i really had to. So i avoided the toilet until i got home and then i noticed my minnie mouse knickers were beyond saving :rotfl: I cried out to my mum cos i was in agony and shock!! She told my older sister to give me some of her pads (mum had a hysterectomy when i was 2!) and gave me a big cuddle. Think that was it?!

KiKi

My mum did nothing, except make sure that there were pads under the bathroom basin at ALL times so I never had to ask her to buy them.

And I was VERY VERY grateful that she never made a deal of it, didn't try and talk to me about it, or tell anyone else (that I knew of!). I would have been mortified. She would have gotten some very stroppy teenage moodiness if she'd have tried to do anything 'nice'!!

Edited to add: she did buy me a book (left it on my bed, didn't give it to me personally for fear of embarrassing me...) called "Have You Started Yet" by Ruth Thompson, which was VERY practical and helpful in terms of thinking about pads or tampons, painkillers, stories from other girls about how they felt etc. That was really useful, but I had that before I started mine.


KiKi

jimsmum

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

OMFG id rather rip my ovaries out than wear one of them :eek::eek::eek:

unlucky you lot who are old and remember it :rotfl::rotfl:

hieveryone

My mum was always quite open with me, but never really had a proper 'chat'. I used to read 'Shout!' magazine and they always had an advert about sample packs of towels, holders etc. You had to have a parents signature to get the sample and I was obviously so naive that I asked my mum to sign it instead of forging it lol!

So she knew I knew and that I wanted to be prepared. I remember starting and telling her though and then became obsessive that maybe I hadn't started after all and had to keep checking lol!!

Oldernotwiser

jimsmum wrote: »

unlucky you lot who are old and remember it :rotfl::rotfl:

Not so much of the old, young missy!

morocha

Aw.. just give her time.
I remember my mum did nothing.. just gave me some pads... and i felt all over the place. Didnt want to be a grown up and find it very upsetting. my dad brought me flowers and i felt so embarrased i didnt want him to know.
I just wish my mum handled the situation like sometimes completely normal and expected so i woudlnt have felt embarrased about it.
My little one is too small yet... but i will prepared her sooner and will take her to a special treat day with mum... a spa or something, so she feels really special.