What feminine pads should my daughter use?
It’s Friday and our period talk for today is ‘what feminine pads should my daughter use?’ As moms know, there are many different types of feminine pads. They come in different lengths and thicknesses to match various amounts of blood flow.
Thinner “mini” pads are for lighter flow and thicker “maxi” pads are for heavy flow or overnight. Most feminine pads now come individually wrapped in plastic so they are easier to carry and keep clean. We recommend your daughter become familiar with the different feminine pads before she starts her period.
Your daughter may also ask about tampons especially if she is active in sports or other physical activities like dancing. If your daughter decides to use tampons remind her to change them frequently and to use the size that matches her flow. Girls just starting their periods will have a lighter flow and tampons are meant to absorb liquid. If her flow is light, it may be uncomfortable pulling out the used tampon. This may turn your daughter off from tampons. So talk to her about the appropriate times to use tampons. And remember that every box of tampons will also come with information on avoiding Toxic Shock Syndrome – important information for your daughter to know.
This is also a good time to teach your daughter about disposing of used feminine pads and tampons. They should never be flushed down the toilet. There are special disposal bags available such as ones included in The Dot Girl First Period Kit. The used pad or tampon should be placed in the disposal bag and placed in the garbage can.
If your daughter does not have disposal bags handy, she should fold up the pad as best she can and wrap it several times in toilet paper before throwing it in the trash. A tampon can also be wrapped in toilet paper before putting it in the trash.