Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: How to buy everything you need
• Method 2 of 3: What to Expect
• Method 3 of 3: Common Problems
• Tips

Most girls start menstruating between the ages of 9 and 15. However, it is impossible to know exactly when this will happen to you. You may be scared and uncomfortable, but you can prepare for your period ahead of time. By purchasing all of your hygiene products in advance and knowing what to expect, it will be easier for you to reschedule your first menstrual period.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: How to buy everything you need

1. 1 Choose a hygiene product. Pads, tampons, and menstrual cups can be used to protect clothing from blood stains. Girls usually start with pads, but you should try different products to see which one works best for you. Pads and tampons come in a variety of sizes. There are remedies for abundant and scanty secretions, and this information is contained on the packaging of the product.
   • All hygiene products have instructions. Read the instructions before use.
   • Over time, you will learn how to use these hygiene products. Do not be discouraged if at first you experience difficulties - over time, everything will work out.
   • Do not use perfumed products. They can irritate the skin and vaginal mucosa. Do not apply perfume or deodorant to the vaginal area.
2. 2 Learn to use a tampon. A tampon is a compressed cotton wool that is placed in the vagina. You will not feel the tampon inside you. Women insert a tampon into the vagina in different positions: sitting on the toilet, squatting down, or lifting one bent leg up. Find a comfortable position and insert the tampon. There should be no pain when inserting the tampon, but you may feel uncomfortable at first.
   • Wash your hands before inserting the swab.
   • Relax your muscles. It will hurt to insert the tampon if the muscles are tense.
   • There are tampons with applicators. They will make it easier to insert the tampon.
   • Change your tampon every 3-4 hours.
   • Do not use one tampon for more than 8 hours. A pad is more suitable for a night's sleep.
   • Tampons can be used if you are swimming or playing sports.
   • Pull the string to remove the tampon.
   • Do not flush tampon applicators down the toilet.
   • If something doesn't work out for you, ask your mom or another loved one to help you.
3. 3 Learn to use pads. The pads are attached to the laundry using an adhesive surface. Use pads with wings - they better protect your clothing from leaks.
   • Replace the gasket every 3-4 hours.
   • It is better to sleep with a pad at night.
   • Do not flush the seals down the toilet. Wrap the pad in toilet paper and discard it in the trash can.
   • Do not swim with a pad. It will become saturated with water and swell.
   • If something doesn't work out for you, ask your mom or another loved one to help you.
4. 4 Try using a menstrual cup. The bowls are made of rubber, silicone, or plastic. They are inserted into the vagina. The bowl is shaped like a small bell and can be reused. The cup may seem large and uncomfortable to you, but it will fit in your vagina. You will not feel it when it is inside. The bowl is more difficult to use compared to the tampon and pads, and you will have to practice.
   • Read the instructions for the bowl. It will tell you how to insert, remove and clean it.
   • Always wash your hands before inserting or removing the bowl.
   • Menstrual cups can be left inside overnight, but not more than 12 hours.
   • To reach the bowl, grasp the base with your hands and squeeze the bowl. Then, gently pull it down and empty the contents into the toilet. Rinse the cup with warm water and a non-corrosive, unscented soap and re-insert into the vagina.
   • If something doesn't work out for you, ask your mom or another loved one to help you.
5. 5 Use a panty liner for extra protection. You can use a thin pad with a tampon or menstrual cup. The pad will protect clothing and linen from leaks. You can use panty liners if you have little flow and don't want to use tampons, panty liners, or a menstrual cup.
6. 6 Prepare a set for the school. The kit should include the hygiene product that suits you (pad, tampon, bowl) and extra linen. You can also put on a change of clothes. Carry this set with you in your backpack or school bag.
   • Talk to your mom or another adult with whom you can discuss this. An adult will help you prepare.
   • If you are going to spend the night with a friend, also bring a kit with you.

Method 2 of 3: What to Expect

1. 1 Talk to your doctor. At your next check-up, ask your doctor to rate your progress. The doctor will be able to make an assumption about when the first period will come. This will allow you to get ready in time. Ask your doctor any menstrual questions that concern you.
   • Don't be ashamed of questions. Doctors are asked questions all the time, and their goal is to help you.
2. 2 Pay attention to physical signs. Before your period starts, you may experience chest pain, cramping, bloating, and acne. However, before the first menstruation, these symptoms may not be present.
   • Ask your parents for a warm heating pad or pain relievers.
   • The older you get, the easier it will be for you to recognize when your period is approaching.
3. 3 Find out the onset of your period. Most often menstruation occurs at the age of 12-14 years. Menstrual blood will begin to flow from the vagina. Blood can be of different shades of red and brown and may contain clots. If you are 15 years old and your period has not yet arrived, you should talk to your parents about it and see your doctor.
   • If you feel moisture, go to the bathroom and check to see if your period has started.
   • The first menstrual period can only last a few days and be very scanty. You may only notice reddish and brown spots. They are usually observed within 2-7 days.
   • If you suspect that your period is about to begin, wear panty liners. This will protect your clothing from stains.
4. 4 Calculate the day of your next period. The menstrual cycle begins on the first day of your period. As a rule, the cycle is 21-45 days, on average - 28. Mark the day of the beginning of menstruation in the calendar or in a special application. You will soon see a pattern in your cycle, and it will be easier for you to calculate the day that your next period will start.
   • Mark the day your period starts and count down the days until your next period starts. This will determine the length of your cycle.
   • At the very beginning, menstruation may not start every month. A regular cycle is established over several years (sometimes this period reaches 6 years).
   • If your period starts earlier than 21 days or later than 45 days, see your doctor. You should also see a doctor if the cycle has been regular, but has recently begun to get lost.

Method 3 of 3: Common Problems

1. 1 Be prepared for leaks. It is possible that blood will leak through the hygiene product. This is normal and it happens to many. If you are at home, change immediately. If you are not at home, tie a sweater or jacket around your waist to hide stains, and replace your tampon or pad as soon as possible.
   • If you have your own locker at school, you can keep extra clothes there.
   • Wash your laundry and clothes under cold water as soon as possible and put them in the washing machine. The stain is likely to rub off.
2. 2 Know what to do if you don't have a tampon or pad. If you don't have a tampon or pad with you, talk to your nurse, friend, or teacher. As a last resort, you can call your parents and ask them to bring you everything you need. If you have no other choice, roll up toilet paper or tissue paper and place in your laundry to avoid staining your clothes.
   • Toilet paper or tissues will only protect you for a short time. Try to find a tampon or pad as soon as possible.
3. 3 Change your tampon or pad at school. You may need to go out during class to replace your pad or tampon. Ask permission to exit. You can tell what you need to go to the first-aid post.
   • Many toilets have trash cans where you can dispose of used pads and tampons. If your stall doesn't have a bucket, wrap the sanitary product in paper and throw it into the bucket in another stall.
   • All girls have their periods. You are not the only person at school who needs to replace your tampon or pad.
4. 4 Know that you can do what you normally do. Many girls worry that they will not be able to swim or play sports during their period, or that other people will notice that they are having periods. All this is not true. No one will be able to understand that you have your period, unless you yourself say so.
   • People around you will not smell your menstrual blood. The most important thing is to change hygiene products on time.
   • If you need to swim or play sports, use a tampon. It will be more convenient for you to move with it.

Tips

• It's normal to feel uncomfortable and nervous before your period starts. You will get used to it over time.
• If you are bleeding profusely, you may need to change your tampons, pads, or clean your menstrual cup more often.