Tampon use?

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At what age did you, or your daughter(s), begin to use tampons? I have gotten widely differing medical views and am trying to decide when to introduce them to my DD. Also, how much instruction did you give or receive and what was helpful? Thanks.
 
I started using them the first summer after I started my period. I wanted to go swimming and couldn’t. My sister talked about how they worked, handed me one and sent me on my way. I used and use them during the summer when I swim. I still used/use pads for the rest of the time.
At the time I was really worried about putting something in me. I couple of reassuring words from my sister and mom and I was on my way.
All of my OB/GYNs have been ok with my using them. There have been a couple of emails that have been around telling of the dangers. It does not leave fibers inside. No one has had surgery to remove the leftover fibers. And Toxic Shock, although once a problem, is not if you use them according to the directions. Example: don’t leave one in all day. The current emails are urban tales.
Good Luck.
 
i started at 12 or 13.

i would recommend a reusable menstural cup though. there is the the diva cup or the keeper. you can buy them online
 
I started using them at the age of 12…no instruction from mom just what came in the box.
I use them all the time now except for the few weeks after giving birth when I had to use pads (UGH!)
 
I haven’t ever used one. :o I’m too chicken. Maybe I just heard only the bad stories about them, I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem right to stick foreign things up there… :bigyikes:
 
Haven’t used one since a girl in my state died of toxic shock syndrome.
 
I was probably 14. It was summer and we were going on vacation. I carried on about wanting a hotel with a pool so my dad went out of his way to find a hotel with a pool and then the first day we were there I got my period. There was no way I’m telling my dad I have my period. I bought a box at a shopping mall we stopped at and crammed it into my purse. I figured out how to do from the directions in the box. The for the most part only time I used them as a teen was when I went swimming. I still use pads much more then tampons. Pads are so thin these days it’s not like they’re uncomfortable.

My daughter’s only 10 so we haven’t crossed that bridge yet. I would think you’d hold off until there’s a regular flow. Usually in the begining it’s quite light. TSS from what I understand is related to over dryness (to much absorbancy) and is extremely rare. So don’t use super’s unles you really need them. As far as directions the paper in the box is pretty direct. I couldn’t give any better an explanantion then that.
 
I figured out how to use them on my own by getting into my mom’s supply very early on (when I was 11 or so) it was necessary for swimming and other sports where a pad was not a possibility.

I figured out how to use them by reading the instructions.

I would recommend introducing them to your daughter as an option from the get go so that she will not need to sneak them or be embarassed to ask about them… or have an embarassing situation at the pool etc. I can remember girls in my class stuffing wads of toilet paper into their vaginas during a swimming party. It was highly embarassing for them. They were both at a swimming party and on their periods at the same time. They were both crying and I asked if I could get one of the female adults, but they said no. One of them learned to do that from her sister who was a year or two ahead of us. I hope none of them had infections as a result. When i heard them doing this I decided to just do it the right way and use my mom’s tampons.

Girls can be very private about this, and shy about asking so I will just introduce them to my daughter at the same time as pads and show her the instructions and explain so that she doesn’t have to ask. It only makes sense for swimming and other activities (gymnastics, cheerleading) where girls wear close fitted clothing or are very active.

Your daughter should probably wait for as long as possible before she uses them. If you haven’t already done so, make sure she has the appropriate size pads and tampons. My mom didn’t do this and I was a rather petite 11 yr old! It took her a few months to realize how big the pads were for me and she started buying some smaller for me. Make sure she knows to use the lightest absorbancy tampons possible and to change them frequently. She should also change them every time she uses the restroom to keep them clean. (keep the strings clean, etc.) Some girls dont’ know this!
 
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spacecadet:
i started at 12 or 13.

i would recommend a reusable menstural cup though. there is the the diva cup or the keeper. you can buy them online
Click to expand...
Not to sound completely out of the loop… but what on earth is a reusable menstural cup?
 
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Peace-bwu:
Not to sound completely out of the loop… but what on earth is a reusable menstural cup?
Click to expand...
This is just one “brand” of menstural cup…

*The Diva Cup is another menstrual alternative. This soft, menstrual cup collects the flow rather than absorbing it, so the vaginal tissues aren’t dried out as they can be by disposable tampons. The Diva Cup holds up to an ounce of fluid and should be emptied several times a day; simply rinse and reinsert. Detailed instructions come with your order. Made of silicone, The Diva Cup is great for women with latex allergies. *

*This is just one “brand” of menstural cup…

The Keeper menstrual cup is a great alternative to tampons. This soft, natural gum rubber menstrual cup collects the flow rather than absorbing it, so the vaginal tissues aren’t dried out as they can be by disposable tampons. The Keeper holds up to an ounce of fluid and should be emptied several times a day; simply rinse and reinsert. Detailed instructions come with your order. The Keeper menstrual cup is not recommended for those with latex allergies…
.CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO…*
 
Karin said:
This is just one “brand” of menstural cup…

*The Diva Cup is another menstrual alternative. This soft, menstrual cup collects the flow rather than absorbing it, so the vaginal tissues aren’t dried out as they can be by disposable tampons. The Diva Cup holds up to an ounce of fluid and should be emptied several times a day; simply rinse and reinsert. Detailed instructions come with your order. Made of silicone, The Diva Cup is great for women with latex allergies. *

This is just one “brand” of menstural cup…

The Keeper menstrual cup is a great alternative to tampons. This soft, natural gum rubber menstrual cup collects the flow rather than absorbing it, so the vaginal tissues aren’t dried out as they can be by disposable tampons. The Keeper holds up to an ounce of fluid and should be emptied several times a day; simply rinse and reinsert. Detailed instructions come with your order. The Keeper menstrual cup is not recommended for those with latex allergies…
.CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO…
Click to expand...

Sorry, I prefer natural for most things “down there” related, but this would not be one of them…LOL – I started my second cycle at about 15 or 16 I think? Sophomore year. My mom told me I should wear pads so I know what’s going on, how much, what to expect etc. After a cycle, she said there was no reason not to use tampons, just follow the instructions closely and call out if I needed help (she was just outside the bathroom the first time) – I had no trouble, and never looked back – I CANNOT STAND to be without them!!! I hate pads, never wear 'em except after baby, and grumble the entire 6wks!!! LOL. I’m all about the wonder and miracle of the female reproductive cycle and how it works and all, but that part of it is one I would rather pretend doesn’t happen…lol
 
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leaner:
Sorry, I prefer natural for most things “down there” related, but this would not be one of them…LOL – I started my second cycle at about 15 or 16 I think? Sophomore year. My mom told me I should wear pads so I know what’s going on, how much, what to expect etc. After a cycle, she said there was no reason not to use tampons, just follow the instructions closely and call out if I needed help (she was just outside the bathroom the first time) – I had no trouble, and never looked back – I CANNOT STAND to be without them!!! I hate pads, never wear 'em except after baby, and grumble the entire 6wks!!! LOL. I’m all about the wonder and miracle of the female reproductive cycle and how it works and all, but that part of it is one I would rather pretend doesn’t happen…lol
Click to expand...
:rotfl: I totally am with you on this one.
I was only explaining what a menstrual cup was…there are some out there that love them and swear by them though. I say each their own!
 
Karin said:
:rotfl: I totally am with you on this one.
I was only explaining what a menstrual cup was…there are some out there that love them and swear by them though. I say each their own!
Click to expand...

actually i’m the opposite. it is down there that i’m more wanting natural things and in other ways i don’t care so much…actually the natural aspect is not the main reason i use it…it is the comfort. tampons are sooooooo uncomfortable and always caused me so much irritation down there. the diva cup never does. i never feel it (it took about 3 cycles to get it inright every time) the other reason is i only have to empty it twice a day which i do inthe shower (yes i shower am and pm when AF is in town) no more going to a public bathroom to take out a nasty tampon:D
 
also…i just bought 2 of my sisters one (both teenagers) and they are thrilled and can’t wait to use them
 
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spacecadet:
actually i’m the opposite. it is down there that i’m more wanting natural things and in other ways i don’t care so much…actually the natural aspect is not the main reason i use it…it is the comfort. tampons are sooooooo uncomfortable and always caused me so much irritation down there. the diva cup never does. i never feel it (it took about 3 cycles to get it inright every time) the other reason is i only have to empty it twice a day which i do inthe shower (yes i shower am and pm when AF is in town) no more going to a public bathroom to take out a nasty tampon:D
Click to expand...
Well I use “organic” cotton tampons, never had any irritation of any sort using them and when inserted “correctly” you never now it is there:) . So the only difference is you “empty” your cup and I change my tampons with a “clean” one:) oh and I guess you can use yours till the plastic cracks and needs to be replaced 😃
 
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spacecadet:
also…i just bought 2 of my sisters one (both teenagers) and they are thrilled and can’t wait to use them
Click to expand...
Like I stated earlier…some folks prefer pads, others tampons and others cups**…to each their own**👍
 
i’d never heard of organic tampons. that is pretty cool. so is there no risk of toxic shock syndrome with those???
 
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spacecadet:
i’d never heard of organic tampons. that is pretty cool. so is there no risk of toxic shock syndrome with those???
Click to expand...
See…you learn something new everyday (regarding organic cotton tampons that is)🙂
*Continual research into TSS has given no clear answer to the cause of the syndrome but there is a theory that the use of synthetic fibres is a major contributing factor.Dr. Philip Tierno Jr., director of microbiology and diagnostic immunology at Tisch Hospital/NYU Medical Center, and Dr. Bruce Hanna, associate professor of pathology at NYU Medical Center, tested 20 varieties of tampons and concluded that, while all-cotton tampons produced none of the deadly TSS toxin, all the other tampon brands–Playtex, o.b., Tampax, Kotex–amplified the production of the toxin.``The propensity for all-cotton tampons not to amplify TSST-1 in vitro suggests they would lower the risk for tampon-associated TSS.’’*Therefore, organic cotton tampons have a huge advantage as no synthetic fibres, herbicides, pesticides, chemicals and bleaches are used in any stage of their production.
SOURCE

The Great Tampon Debate
The average woman will use as many as 11,000 tampons in her lifetime. However, unknown to most women, rayon and rayon/cotton blends, which are chlorine bleached, are widely used in the manufacture of traditional brand name tampons. There is evidence that even low levels of dioxins may be linked to cancer, endometriosis, low sperm counts in men and immune system suppression. Dioxins, a potentially harmful by-product of the chlorine bleaching process, have been found in tampons. Additionally, results of studies published in Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology suggest that the use of all-cotton tampons may reduce the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome when compared with rayon and rayon-blend tampons. In the study, all-cotton tampons did not produce the dangerous TSS toxin Staphylococcus aureus, while all other varieties containing rayon amplified production of the toxin TSS-T1
SOURCE
 
Wow, that is good to know, Karin, thanks for posting it! I hate using pads, I hated the diva cup and tampons have always been my alternative. I don’t particularly enjoy those either, but they at least don’t hurt, keep it all neat and clean–except I have read that continual use of tampons can be carcinogenic. But I have never sought out organic tampons before, but I will after this pregnancy! I bet Wild Oats or Whole Foods would have them.
 
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