Period #2 questions!

[schmee33]

Hi!

There is probably a thread somewhere on this...but I can't find it. So I hope ya'll forgive me for asking a questions that's probabaly been asked before....

Anyway, DD got her first period last month. She was happy, since it was the summer and gave her time to deal with it, without having to worry about school. Well, we are coming up on day #28 and I am wondering if anyone can share their DD's or own experience (Since I can't remember waaaaay back when for me...) Were they pretty normal right away or did they skip a feeel months. If she skips this month...should we expect something in 28 days from this months expected date??? Or are you just totally unregular for a few months??

Thanks for any help!!!

[Labbemama]

I wouldn't count on it being exactly 28 days. She might luck out though and be very regular it's one of those very individual things. I think it took a couple years for mine to be regular personally and same with my older dd. Between 30 and 40 days. But our cycle lengths tend to be around 40 days for my mom, my sister, me and dd. I don't know if that's genetic or what, but we have a longer cycle. Got shorter though after each baby I had.

Maybe get her a calender so she can circle the date of LMP and figure out what is normal for her.

[Ruthla]

I personally had my 2nd period about 5 weeks after my 1st period, and then every 5 weeks or so from then on, with very few, notable exceptions (like skipping a period my first month in college and freaking out that I might have been pg.)

But I've heard of girls going 6m or even a year before a 2nd period. Then cycles might be regular from that point, or they might be 4 weeks once, then 3 months before the next one, etc.

[canadianchick]

I can't remember what mine were like but dd had her first period three weeks ago and I was also wondering when to expect the next one.

[ma_vie_en_rose]

I remember that mine were not regular to the day for a while. I would just have her start marking on a calendar when she gets it and see if there is a pattern to it eventually.

[aniT]

I think it actually takes a year or two to get regular. I remember mine being every couple months when I first started.

[mar123]

I remember going months sometimes between periods. I wasn't regular until college.

[reece19]

I wasn't regular for at least a few months - then I could predict it nearly to the hour! Wish I still could, it was convienent.

I second the calendar - my mom had me circle the days I was bleeding every month to look for patterns, and it made things a whole lot easier. Those first few months, or even years, can seem random.

She should always keep some pads in her backpack, too! You never know when it might sneak up on you.

[angelcat]

My second one was about 21 days later. It was every 3 weeks for about a year, then went to every 4 weeks. I missed one period the first year. I odn't think I ovulated the frist 3 months or so, but I know I did regularly after that.

[redveg]

Both my DD's had their second period months after. I don't think they were regular for almost a year.

[gingerstar]

My DD skipped a month - her second was two months later. But since then she has been pretty regular.
I showed her how to track on her calendar, so she can get a sense for her timing.

[onelilguysmommy]

mine were regular right off, i started couple of weeks rom my 11th bday. my mom started when she was 9 and hers have been weird since then. it depends on the person, totally. id tell her at least wear a pantyliner, and pay attention when she wipes, she may have a trace of blood the night before, or in the morning and wont be caught with blood everywhere and be embarassed if she can learn to catch it first if ya kwim?

hope this makes sense...

[schmee33]

Thanks so much for the quick replys!!! I did get her to count out on a calender beginning with the first one...so we will just keep tracking. I hate having it so unpredictable for her....but that's life! She has stuff in her locker and backpack, so she is ready. She is just hoping not to have it for a pool party she hosting next weekend!!! We haven't tackled the tampon yet... any suggestions on that one??

Thanks again ladies {{{{hugs}}}}

[DoingDoing:Julie]

well, mine wasnt regular either. BUT my little sister got hers and didnt get it again for a year! I think I've heard of that happening in a couple of other cases as well.

[DoingDoing:Julie]

Originally Posted by schmee33

Thanks so much for the quick replys!!! I did get her to count out on a calender beginning with the first one...so we will just keep tracking. I hate having it so unpredictable for her....but that's life! She has stuff in her locker and backpack, so she is ready. She is just hoping not to have it for a pool party she hosting next weekend!!! We haven't tackled the tampon yet... any suggestions on that one??

Thanks again ladies {{{{hugs}}}}

Uh . . . in my opinion tampons are for athletics, swimming, and fancy dresses ONLY! And I would be nervous about introducing it that early. However . . . if it happens, just deal with it. I would definitly give her the run down on tampon saftey first, and then let her try it out. She'll probably use it wrong the first time though . . . I know I did!!!! Boy could I not understand why ladies wore them! Poor babe! Periods can be so stressful when they arrive during a party!

[mamato3cherubs]

I cant help with experience of my dd as my preteen is a boy, and dd is too young, but i remeber my own experiences very well.

My first period was really light, i used a "teen" pad my mom had bought months before and stashed for me. I hated it right away.

Although I know it is totally not the common, my second was right at 28 days after my first. much heavier, like a normal period. My mom always used tampax and just asked me right away (i didnt tell her about the first one, hid it well too) if I wanted to try the tampax instead of the pads. end of the first day. I jumped on it. I was already stressing about the pads being obvoius under my clothes and having them shift and leak and what not. Hated the feel of it there and wanted to run out of the class to the bathroom every 15 mon to check on it.

She was willing to teach me how to use them, but I had already taken the insert out of her box and read every word. I told her so and that I was pretty sure I could figure it out. Only took a couple trys to get it right and I was a much happier menstrating 11 year old after that.
I felt so awful for my best friend whos mom refused to let her daughter use them, she had this thing about virgins not being able to use tampons, so on and so forth. I remember being stuck without when my period came a few times at her house. It was hell. Her mom refused to even give me a ride to get them from my house. anyways, thats another story.

As for the safety I understand, and it is important to let her know how to be careful, change often enough, and not use them if it is so light that a panty liner is plenty. I ended up much prefering my diva cup and cloth pads after i had kids, and am all for advocating everything that is better about them, but at this point in life she is not likely to be receptive to that sort of thing.
It could make a huge difference in her experience and how she feels about these changes to her body. I know there are probably plenty of women that will say "it was no big deal" to just use pads but for me it was. If it was my daughter I would do jus tas my mom did and ask her what she thinks about it all.

I second the communication about watching for the signs. teh secon one was when I started feeling crampy and stuff too. But I went on to have very heavy painful periods within the first 6 months, so maybe that is why.

and i hope she skates out of having it be an issue for the pool party coming up

[harrietsmama]

Mine was pretty irregular at first, and like many in my family, *heavy* and long. I thin by my 6th one it started to hit the 30 to 33 days pattern, but I also usually had 11 day periods. If my daughter does that I will be giving her some herbs to smooth it out and make it lighter and less crampy!!

[gingerstar]

Originally Posted by schmee33

Thanks so much for the quick replys!!! I did get her to count out on a calender beginning with the first one...so we will just keep tracking. I hate having it so unpredictable for her....but that's life! She has stuff in her locker and backpack, so she is ready. She is just hoping not to have it for a pool party she hosting next weekend!!! We haven't tackled the tampon yet... any suggestions on that one??

Thanks again ladies {{{{hugs}}}}

I tried to introduce the idea of tampons to my DD, (age 10) who is a swimmer, but she basically covered her ears and said "I don't want to know!"
I will probably just have some available in her bathroom, for if/when she wants them. She would rather just read the insert, I'm sure.

[ma_vie_en_rose]

From my experience with tampons, I read the insert. Of course, I was a lot older when I used them. My mom would not allow me to until HS (I started at 13yo). Let me tell you how humiliated I felt when I had to wear a pad as a gymnast.

[aniT]

Originally Posted by ma_vie_en_rose

From my experience with tampons, I read the insert. Of course, I was a lot older when I used them. My mom would not allow me to until HS (I started at 13yo). Let me tell you how humiliated I felt when I had to wear a pad as a gymnast.

My mom wouldn't let me use them either. Neither would another friends mom. But a second friends mom only used tampons. Friend2 never had to wear pads.. so we all started using her tampons (i bet her mom was happy!!) After about two months bot freind1 and my mom caved since they realized we were going to use them anyway.

I have offered them to my 13 year old daughter, but she thinks they are gross and disgusting.