Menstrual Cups and teens?

[crunchymamato3]

Has anyone had any success teaching their daughters to use a menstrual cup? I use a Diva Cup and have for many years. My 13 1/2 year old recently started menstruating and she's been using disposable pads, but I think she'd love to use something else, especially with summer coming up...is she too young???

[boigrrrlwonder]

No-Poo: Crusty Scalp?

I switched to No-Poo about a month ago. My scalp isn't really itchy, but if I scratch it, I noticed that a sort of crust has formed. EW! Any suggestions? Or do I just have to go back to shampoo?

[blessedwithboys]

[blessedwithboys]

ok, to the OP, i would say skip the cup for such a young lady. when i was that age i had a hard time with tampons getting caught on my hymen...ouch! LOL that was soft cotton, I can only imagine how much a cup would have hurt. btw, i've used (and loved) my diva cup for, oh, about 4-5 yrs now.

and the the second poster...try brushing you hair regularly right before you wash. that should loosen up the scales to make it easier to wash them away, you alos might want to try using some jojoba oil on your scalp after washing

HTH!

[Ola_]

I agree with holding off on the menstrual cup. I'm 29 and use the smaller size Diva and it's not all that small. It takes a bit of familiarity with the girly bits to get it in there, positioned, and not hurt yourself.

I think tampons would be fine to try though, as long as you're ok with her using disposable products. Perhaps some of the non-bleached ones like Natracare? I would definitely go with applicator ones too. Once she is comfortable with inserting them and it's going well maybe you could look into a cup then.

Also, how about other alternatives that may be easier for her than a cup, like sea sponges?

[Rebecca]

I'd use the small, organic tampons only for the days she needs them (like pool parties) and encourage pads the rest of the time. I think a cup would be hard to use for a young girl. Heck, I used the smaller sized one in my 20s (before kids) and it was not easy or comfortable. I can't imagine trying to stuff it up there as a young virgin. Ahem.

[MaBear]

I think its a wonderful idea. Let her read up on the topic and see what she thinks. I started using cups when I was 14, and I still use them now.

[lulabelleliz]

Just as I wouldn't start my teenager out on tampons I wouldn't rush the cup either. I would definitely try her out on reusable cloth pads though. I've shown mine off to my niece who's 14 and she was in love! I got mine from Mimi's Dreams where she has tons of great fabric options that teens would love!

ETA: Sponges could be another option, with a cloth back up, they are smaller and less complicated than a cup.

[lifeguard]

It could be worth a try but she may find it "icky" or really uncomfortable. Before my pregnancy I tried & tried & tried a cup but it just would not sit comfortably for me - I haven't tried it since.

I'd definitely work on giving her some kind of an option to allow her to swim & be comfortable. The sea sponges intrigue me.

[crunchymamato3]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses...my daughter is really just not that good at even disposable pads and I am opposed to tampons for her at her age...I had forgotten about the sea sponges but I think that would totally gross her out. The cup at least is "clean" on the outside. Because I never tried one before children I can't imagine if it would be hard for her to use or uncomfortable. I think I'm going to get one for her and let her try it. I found some videos on YouTube that show how to insert it and remove it correctly that might be easier than me trying to explain it. I'll let you know how it goes!