would you give your teen a menstrual cup?

rumi · 07-25-2005, 10:54 PM

i jsut wonder if anyone knows whether teens are 'ready' for the menstrual cup.
of course i have 11 years before i have a teenager but just wondering if that is too early to start?

purplemama · 07-25-2005, 11:30 PM

I would ask her how she feels about it. Some girls are more squeamish about putting something up there than others. I think some teens might be ready for it, where others might get yucked out by the fact that they have to handle their own blood, you know? I think it's the same with tampons... some girls feel comfortable using them, others don't.

PikkuMyy · 07-26-2005, 03:01 AM

If she's ready for a tampon, I don't see why not - as long as she is willing to touch it to wash it for changes.

I wouldn't have been at all squeamish in that way, but I'm sure other girls are. I think it just depends on how comfortable they are with their bodies.

Alkenny · 07-26-2005, 07:40 AM

I think it depends on the girl...not only if she's comfy with her body, but I'd be concerned about her size. My DD is almost 13, but she is VERY tiny built (like 4'11" and 89 pounds), she looks more like a LITTLE girl than a woman at this time. I'd be concerned about it not fitting properly, you know?

annethcz · 07-26-2005, 01:02 PM

I've read discussions about this topics on other boards, and it seems the consensus is that cups will usually not be a good fit for girls who are not yet sexually active. The size of the girl will matter tremendously.

I wasn't squeamish at all as a teen, and yet I still had trouble with tampons, many seemed too big and weren't comfortable. As I grew up a little, tampons became more comfortable. Since menstrual cups are much larger than tampons, I think there is the possibility that they wouldn't be comfy for teens. I haven't used a tampon in a long time, but off the top of my head I'd guess that my Keeper (when folded up and ready to insert) is probably twice the diameter of a tampon.

CluckyInAZ · 07-26-2005, 01:09 PM

there is also Instead. That is what I have used for years. I haven't used a cup, but Instead seems like it would be smaller and seems to be inserted in a different way. I would never encourage a daughter of mine to use a tampon. There are two sizes of cups, maybe the smaller one would be small enough for a teen?

lilyka · 07-26-2005, 04:47 PM

I also use instead sometimes and was thinking about this question this weekend (funny it should end up here). I don't want dd to use tampons (because I cincerly think they are bad for your body) so her options will be cloth pads or a cup. I think the cup wouldn't fit her well. also it is kinda tricky and prone to leaks. I know I would not have wanted my mom explaining a cup to me when I was 11. I was more than happy to use pads just to avoid the tampon discussion with my mom :LOL hopefully those will be aceptable choices to her.

Starflower · 07-26-2005, 09:17 PM

I think I would probably see if she was open to the idea and get her to try the Instead ones first maybe if she's not sure? I don't know. Personally, I don't like the Instead because it is uncomfortable for me - kind of hurts or feels sore after I take it out, so I've never even used a whole box. I also tend to bleed very heavily so taking one out seems to always be a mess, too. I was never able to do it over the toilet. Only in the shower. And once I leaked - ack!

How do the reusable ones fit - do they just come in different sizes? Mostly curious for myself here.

I don't like tampons much but I do use them some. Mostly because I tend to get "diaper rash" from the pads - even when I change frequently - because I have long, heavy periods. I do like the organic 100% cotton (non-chlorine) ones pretty well way better than the rusual brands.

LotusBirthMama · 07-26-2005, 09:30 PM

I think I would let my DD know all the options, but would not encourage regular pads or tampons. If she didn't feel comfortable with a cup, I would offer cloth pads as an alternative. I myself don't like the cups, much to my dismay. I use cloth pads and I think after 12 years of watching me use them that she would make the natural leap to using them herself. But I guess we'll see in about 10 years or so!

BTW, am I the only one who is kinda looking forward to my DD's first blood?! I can't wait to make it a special moment and mark it with some kind of ceremony. I look back on mine and it was awkward and shameful and not treated with any kind of dignity...

umbrella · 07-27-2005, 06:26 AM

If she wanted one, yes.

I was full grown before I hit 13, so the size factor woudln't have been much of an issue for me by then, and dd seems to be taking after me, physically.

I'll just let dd know all her options. The choice is hers to make.

AntoninBeGonin · 07-27-2005, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rumi

i jsut wonder if anyone knows whether teens are 'ready' for the menstrual cup.
of course i have 11 years before i have a teenager but just wondering if that is too early to start?

I would have loved to known about menstrual cups when I was a teen. I've always been environmentally conscious. I think most teens would welcome being told about the cup, and that quite a few would buy it.

~Nay “The Intactavist Doula”

: my little booby bandito, Antonin

I love my super supportive DH

Our kitties!

partymoo · 07-31-2005, 01:30 AM

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Snow · 07-31-2005, 06:56 PM

My oldest is 16 and doesn't even like the idea of tampons, prefers pads. But if she wanted to use a diva cup (she knows I use one) that would be fine. But not at school.

Kids in jr high and high school have so little time between classes it's often impossible to go to their locker between classes, let alone to try to deal with a cup in the girls bathroom. It could potentially be very embarrassing if it spills or if someone sees it while she was rinsing it....that kind of thing. And it's important to have very clean hands when inserting it, etc. So I'd advise caution in where/when she might choose to use it, especially for the first few months when she's just getting used to it.

Ruthla · 07-31-2005, 07:00 PM

I would ask her, and get her one if she wanted one (but I'd also make sure to have pads available for backup just in case she had trouble with it or decided she didn't like it.)

When I was a young teen, I used tampons with pantyliners. I still beleive tampons are way easier to insert than a menstrual cup!

I still need to talk to my oldest about menstrual options- I know I'd be most comfortable with her using cloth pads (I'd much rather wash them than deal with icky sposies in the bathroom trash can) but it's going to be 100% about what SHE'S most comfortable using. If she wants sposie pads or tampons, I'm buying the all natural, dioxin free kind.

applejuice · 08-04-2005, 03:08 AM

I would ask, but my DD decided for herself that she wanted tampons.

mom2jolakeil · 08-04-2005, 03:50 PM

I was just coming to ask about menstrual options for my oldest dd (she's only 9, but I want to be prepared for when she starts). I wasn't sure if a cup would be appropriate (I use the Diva and cloth pads). I also wasn't sure about cloth pads for a beginner. I was hoping that maybe there's a good, enviromental option that works well and is easy to use for a young girl.

I'm subscribing to this thread - you gals are awesome

Persephone · 08-07-2005, 12:17 AM

I was a virgin when I first started using the Keeper. I think it's fine for girls who are not sexually active. But I was also really comfortable with my body, and enthusastic enough about using it that I was willing to deal with the learning curve. (I have a hard time imagining what it would have been like to try the Keeper with my first attempt at tampons. I imagine I would have been frustrated. Incindentally, I found OB tampons much more to my liking than others, because I was able to position it better than ones with applicators. )

Persephone · 08-07-2005, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snow

My oldest is 16 and doesn't even like the idea of tampons, prefers pads. But if she wanted to use a diva cup (she knows I use one) that would be fine. But not at school.

Kids in jr high and high school have so little time between classes it's often impossible to go to their locker between classes, let alone to try to deal with a cup in the girls bathroom. It could potentially be very embarrassing if it spills or if someone sees it while she was rinsing it....that kind of thing. And it's important to have very clean hands when inserting it, etc. So I'd advise caution in where/when she might choose to use it, especially for the first few months when she's just getting used to it.

I was in college when I first started using it.. that meant public bathrooms exclusively. I found it quite easy to put it in during my morning shower, and leave it there til I went to bed at night, changing it right before bed. You don't have to change it as often as a tampon, so it's possible she could just leave it in the whole school day and not worry about it at all. Even if her period was particularly heavy, she could likely wait until after school, instead of bedtime before changing it. And use a pantyliner for backup, if she felt safer that way. Of course, that's all hypothetical since you said your dd is a pad girl anyway.

Starflower · 08-07-2005, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LotusBirthMama

BTW, am I the only one who is kinda looking forward to my DD's first blood?! I can't wait to make it a special moment and mark it with some kind of ceremony. I look back on mine and it was awkward and shameful and not treated with any kind of dignity...

Yes, I am planning to celebrate my daughter's menarche. My DH thinks it's a great idea, too!

nikirj · 08-07-2005, 10:04 AM

I gave my sister a keeper when she was 16. I think that the bottom line is, post-childbirth me even liked the smaller size better. It was just too big, even for someone who was sexually active. I'm thinking that the newer ones, the ones that are softer than the Keeper, might work out better.

I'd find a good web page that explains the concept with diagrams, and ask my daughter if she was interested - it is what I did with my sister.