Rules of intimate hygiene that you need to teach your daughter

• Menstrual hygiene products
• In the old days, menstrual hygiene products were very primitive. Women were forced to make them themselves from fabric such as felt, gauze, and cotton. Such pads were reusable; after thorough washing and ironing, they were used again.
• Fortunately, now there is no such need; the market is replete with various means for the convenience, comfort and cleanliness of girls and women. The most common remedy used during menstrual periods was and still is pads. Soft or dry, with or without wings, cellulose or with gel absorbent - everything for women’s comfort. The next most popular, as well as the time of their creation, are tampons. When used correctly and replaced promptly, they are more hygienic than pads for obvious reasons. With tampons, a woman feels more confident, lighter, and can play sports, dance, and even swim. During menstrual periods, pads and tampons should be replaced with new ones as they are filled, but at least every 4 hours during the day.
• A new, ultra-modern product for monthly hygiene is a menstrual tray or cup. It is inserted into the vagina like a tampon and held there by muscles. The bowl is made of silicone, latex or elastomer, the range is available in several sizes, and is reusable. With the cup, just like with tampons, you can play sports and swim. It is not recommended for use by young girls due to the possibility of damage to the hymen. Like other types of hygiene products for menstrual periods, the mouthguard has found both supporters and opponents. Despite all the controversy, in our time a lot is being done to ensure that girls and women feel clean and comfortable on menstrual days.

Puberty and menstruation

— My daughter is 8 years old, she began to complain of pain near her nipples, her temperature rises in the evening - maybe these are signs of growing up?

— S.V. : Swelling and tenderness of the mammary glands may occur, but it is still better to see a pediatric gynecologist to rule out mastitis and clarify the diagnosis.

— A 9.6-year-old girl in the spring began to notice breasts, hair growth in the armpits and labia majora. At the end of August, the first menstruation appeared... Those around me at this age have none of this. Is this premature or is this the norm. Physically, he’s also taller than anyone, height 155, weight 60. Now they’ve added sports and adjusted their diet, and the weight has dropped.

— S.V. : This is normal, don't worry. It’s good that you added sports and adjusted your diet! Since my daughter was overweight, this is not very good for further sexual development.

— My daughter (15 years old) has low hemoglobin (84), we were sent to an appointment with a gynecologist (in my opinion, she has very heavy periods, plus cycle instability), I was not able to go to the appointment with her. At the appointment, they took a smear, talked to her (according to her words), sent her for an ultrasound (we’ll definitely go) and prescribed Duphaston. I drank it in the early stages of pregnancy. What is this for? From the 16th day of the cycle. I'm afraid to give her hormones.

— S.V. : Do not be afraid to give hormones to regulate the cycle, since it is impossible to quickly cure a cycle disorder, and your daughter has very low hemoglobin. Be sure to do an ultrasound to clarify the diagnosis. We prescribe Duphaston from days 16 to 25 of the cycle for 3 months, plus your daughter needs an iron supplement to treat anemia. During menstruation, take Tranexam to reduce blood loss.

— My 12-year-old daughter started menstruation six months ago, but it is irregular, it can start after 20 days or in the summer, for example, it hasn’t happened for 2.5 months at all... and in terms of duration, it can last for 3 days, or it can actively go for 7 days. How normal is this at the moment, how long does it take to establish a regular cycle? Or should I see a doctor now and get examined? The pain is mild or moderate, there are no special complaints, height and weight are normal.

— S.V. : During the formation of the menstrual cycle, this is normal; regulation usually occurs within two to three years. You can come for a consultation about menstrual pain; the gynecologist will give recommendations.

— My daughter will turn 15 in a week, and she still hasn’t had her period. Our gynecologist says that signs of puberty are present (breasts, hair growth), but due to my low weight (37 kg), menstruation will come later. Does my daughter need drug stimulation?

— S.V. : Your daughter is underweight, which is why she does not menstruate. You need to consult an endocrinologist to correct the girl’s weight, since by replenishing the body weight deficit, the daughter’s menstrual cycle will also normalize.

- My daughter is 15 years old, she has been menstruating for 2.5 years, but she has a short cycle (on average 23 days) and irregular - from 20 to 24 days. We took 2 courses of Cyclovity, but the regularity did not improve. This year, 2 courses of Duphaston from days 16 to 25 of the cycle - on the tablets the cycle was normal for 28 days. As soon as we finished drinking, everything went wrong again. My daughter’s physique is asthenic; with a height of 163 cm, she weighs 45 kg. What would you recommend?

— S.V. : Your daughter is underweight, so the main recommendation for you is to gain weight; you can take duphaston from the 16th to the 25th days of the cycle for 3-6 months.

— My 9.5-year-old daughter has slightly swollen breasts and it hurts when accidentally touched. Has puberty started yet?

— S.V. : Yes, this is possible at your age.

— I’m very interested in the topic of a girl’s puberty, my 13-year-old daughter started having periods, but they come irregularly, sometimes they come, sometimes they don’t, sometimes 3 days, sometimes a week, sometimes heavy, sometimes a little. And discharge is present in the middle of the cycle. As far as this is normal at the moment, there are no special complaints, height and weight are normal. And which discharge is considered normal and which is not in a teenager.

— S.V. : During puberty, irregular menstruation is possible, but to exclude pathology of the reproductive system, I advise you to do an ultrasound of the pelvis. Normally, the volume of menstrual blood loss is 50-80 ml, the duration of menstruation is 4-6 days.

— My daughter has early puberty, at the age of 10 her periods came, and they are going steadily, all other signs of maturation also appeared. She's a big girl and overweight. With a height of 152 cm, now at 11 years old she weighs 58 kg. Already stretch marks. An endocrinologist checked my hormones, they are normal, it’s just wrong and he eats a lot, we need to correct this. An ultrasound of the pelvic organs diagnosed a “bicornuate uterus.” How dangerous is this for the reproductive system? Can the situation change as the girl grows up? How is it possible to correct this?

— S.V. : It’s good that your daughter has a stable cycle. You wrote absolutely correctly that you need to adjust your weight and nutrition. A bicornuate uterus is a congenital malformation of the uterus, it occurs quite often, it can be complete or incomplete, and the prognosis of pregnancy will depend on this, of course, there are features of the course of pregnancy and childbirth, but modern technologies, if necessary, make it possible to correct a bicornuate uterus surgically, I would advise you to repeat an ultrasound of the pelvic organs at an older age for your daughter to clarify the diagnosis.

— My daughter is 10 years old. In the summer, before washing, I saw a stain on her panties with a little blood, more like ichor. There were and are no other changes (no menstruation either). My stomach didn't hurt. She asked if she touched her, but she said no. Is this normal or should I go straight to the appointment?

— S.V. : In girls 10 years old, bloody discharge on panties can be caused not only by menstruation, but also by diseases of the intestines and urinary tract. Try to examine the girl.

— My daughter is almost 12 years old, 5 months old. I started my period ago, the cycle is immediately constant, my stomach does not hurt at this time. What worries me is that the periods themselves are very heavy and last for 7-8 days. There are also pink stretch marks on the hips.

— S.V. : Stretch marks may indicate a girl’s sudden growth and weight gain, and the abundance and duration of menstruation must be adjusted, as this can lead to anemia in the daughter. Be sure to do an ultrasound of your daughter’s pelvis.

How to properly wash a girl

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You need to wash your baby after changing the diaper (but not necessarily after each, if the change occurs frequently) and after defecation. The best option is warm running water from the tap. The stream of water should pour onto the pubis, but not onto the labia. You need to wash in the direction from the pubis to the anus, but not vice versa, otherwise there is a high risk of infection.

After washing the child, you need to dry it with blotting movements. There is no need to rush to put on a diaper - air baths are very beneficial for delicate skin. This is the prevention of diaper rash and hardening of the child. If it is not possible to wash the child, you can use wet wipes - the directions for wiping are the same.

Also, do not forget that the mother’s hands must be clean before washing or wiping. An important issue is underwear . It should be 100% natural fabrics, and children's clothes should be washed strictly separately from adult clothes.

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Features of the menstrual cycle in adolescents

As a rule, in the first year after the start of menstruation, the duration of the menstrual cycle for most teenage girls is approximately 28–30 days. The periods themselves last on average from three to five days (in some, quite rare cases, up to 7 days). However, you should not expect that a teenage girl’s menstrual cycle will immediately become regular - this phenomenon is observed only in about twenty percent of girls. And only twenty percent have a menstrual cycle that becomes immediately regular.

For all other girls, during the first year the intervals between periods can be large and vary in duration - from one and a half to three months. If the break between menstruation lasts more than three months, then the girl should seek help from a gynecologist as soon as possible, since such a pause may indicate a fairly serious malfunction in the girl’s body.

The intensity of bleeding during your first period, as well as the amount of blood lost, can vary greatly. And first of all, this factor depends on the individual characteristics of the female body, as well as on the hereditary factor.

A girl must understand that in her body, with the advent of menarche (first menstruation), the maturation of eggs begins, which can develop into a future child. But, due to the fact that she is still small, these eggs do not move to the next stage of development and are excreted from the body entirely naturally in the form of menstrual bleeding.

It must be emphasized that this phenomenon occurs in all women without exception. It is thanks to monthly cycles that a girl in the future will be able to become a mother and give birth to offspring.

Postpartum discharge in a newborn girl

Many mothers believe that newborns simply should not have any vaginal discharge, so when they see whitish or bloody mucus, they are alarmed. This physiological process should not cause concern, but only if it was noticed in the first few weeks after birth. Discharge during this period causes the so-called sexual crisis of the newborn. They may have a white, yellowish or bloody tint, which is absolutely normal and should not frighten parents.

This condition lasts up to two weeks, although it can last up to two months. In addition to the discharge, there is swelling of the labia, engorgement of the mammary glands and rashes. Such phenomena are associated with an excessive amount of female sexual secretion, which the baby received from the mother at birth. It is through such frightening symptoms that it leaves the child’s body

The discharge does not cause discomfort in the baby, but still, when it appears, it is necessary not to forget about enhanced intimate hygiene of the newborn girl. You should wash the baby according to the same rules as described above. But the procedures need to be carried out more often than usual, using warm boiled water or chamomile decoction for this purpose.

Positive sense of self

The girl's mother, grandmother or other female mentors should instill in her that being clean and tidy is a pleasure. By maintaining hygiene, you prevent many diseases. And being healthy means using time for self-improvement and interesting things, without spending it on fighting illnesses.

Cleanliness and health give a girl self-confidence. This is also facilitated by external attractiveness, neatness and a sense of proportion in clothing, cosmetics and perfume. A confident person will achieve much more in life than an insecure person.

Be a role model for a girl. This will be a good educational technique for her. Seeing your behavior, habits, manners, she will imitate you, trying to be like you. A mother as an example will be a better option than a dubious heroine of a film or an unreliable girlfriend.

As an adult, the girl will understand that healthy habits will serve her well. Maintaining personal hygiene will make her more attractive in the eyes of the opposite sex. In addition, this will contribute to the arrangement of the young woman’s family life.

Why girls can't sit in the cold

When a baby sits on a cold bench or on a concrete fence, her genitals begin to freeze. Accordingly, both the ovaries and the uterus begin to freeze.

What does this usually lead to? These organs contract sharply from the cold, and blood circulation in them also decreases.

The longer the girl spends sitting on a cold seat, the longer the process of hypothermia of the internal organs will be. And such hypothermia leads to inflammatory processes in both the uterus and ovaries.

Doctors have repeatedly explained that human feet are adapted to walking on a cold floor. The feet of a child (and an adult) immediately become cold, the blood vessels on their skin close, which prevents excess heat from being removed from the body.

But the vessels located on the butt do not narrow when in contact with cold surfaces.

Therefore, you can be calm about the fact that preschoolers and schoolgirls run around the house barefoot, but when they sit on the tiled floor in the bathroom with their bare butt, in this case it is necessary to lift it from the floor and explain that they should never sit on cold surfaces.

Tricky thong

Separately, I would like to say about thongs. Yes, it’s fashionable, it’s probably sexy and beautiful, but it’s absolutely unhygienic. A thin strip of thong is a link between the rectum and vagina and provokes the development of inflammatory diseases of the genital organs. That is why in Europe it is prohibited to produce thongs in children's sizes. Girls should know that panties must be cotton. Let them not be afraid that they will look like pensioners in such underwear. Nowadays, many fashion brands produce cotton and lycra briefs that look great and are invisible under clothes.