How to Talk to your Daughter about Menstration (Menstruation)
Every woman whose daughter has reached puberty gets a common question, how to talk to her daughter about menstration? Many women often ignore it, thinking that their daughters will come to know about it automatically by some source or the other. For example their friends may tell them or they will read it somewhere. But this is wrong. It is a moral responsibility of each mother to educate her daughter about menstration. Here comes the paragraph wise description regarding how to talk to your daughter about menstration. Hope that this will help you to talk to your daughter about menstration without any hesitation.
Before talking to your daughter about menstration, see to it that you are having appropriate knowledge of the subject. You must be able to answer the questions asked by her. So it is necessary that you know everything regarding menstration. So firstly, brush up your knowledge regarding menstration from all possible sources like books or DVD's. But how will you know that which is the right time to talk to your daughter about menstration?
The average age for the girl to start menstruating is 12 to 13 years. But it can vary. Some girls can start menstruating at an early age of 9 or 10. So it is better to talk to her about menstration at the age of 8, so that she doesn't get surprised when she gets her first period. There are some physical changes that occur prior to menstration like breast development and growth of public hair. These changes indicate that your daughter is getting close to menstration.
Since the girls just entering the puberty are often embarrassed and sensitive, it is necessary that you approach the subject tactfully. Don't give them a negative impression about menstration by cursing it. Instead, tell your daughter that getting monthly periods is a sign of entering womanhood and is a wonderful event. Therefore there is no reason of getting embarrassed. Also tell her that it is possible for her to become pregnant after getting her first periods.
Tell your daughter about the menstrual cycle, how it begins and what happens during that period. A menstrual cycle is the one that begins from first day of one period and ends on first day of the next period. An average menstrual cycle of a girl is 28 days, but this can vary between 22 and 45 days. Periods can be light, moderate or heavy and can last about 4 to 5 days. In some cases, it can even last for a week. A woman passes about 2-4 tablespoons or up to as much as half a cup of menstrual fluid during a period.
Tell your daughter about cramps associated with periods. It's not necessary that everyone will have cramps. It is also important to tell her that cramps are not long lasting and taking a hot bath usually helps in reduce the cramps. Some young girls have bad cramps and irregular periods for a while, which are usually reduced the as the woman gets older. She may even take over-the-counter medicines if the cramps become uncomfortable.
Then tell her about the different options for menstrual protection. One of the options is use of sanitary pads. Sanitary pads are worn outside attached to the girl's underwear. Another option is use of tampons, which are inserted inside the vagina. Use of tampons can be frustrating for some years right after menstration starts. But they can use it later. Since tampons absorb menstrual flow inside the body without showing anything outside, they are more comfortable. For those you have heavy flows they need to be changed every 4 hours. Tell her that she should never try to flush a pad down the toilet. Tell her that keeping extra pads is always beneficial. Ask to carry extra pads and clothes in her bag in case if the pads leak.
Last but not the least; tell her that having menstration won't change her life all that much. Earlier women used to avoid certain activities during menstration, but now-a -days women can do any activities like swimming, exercising and lead a normal life during their periods.