How Much Does Your Daughter Know About Menstrual Hygiene?

Do you remember the first time you had your period? Were you told about menstruation before it happened or you found about it only later? Were you scared that bleeding for 4 days a stretch will make you weak or not allow you to swim and attend your gym class? Do you feel like you were prepared for it?

In a world where technological advancements have been shaping our lives, the process and topic of menstruation still is considered to be a taboo. Women and girls aren’t allowed to talk about this in open, let alone entire temples and even kitchens during the process. Do you too consider periods a taboo? If yes then how are you going to educate your daughter about the same who too might grow up thinking just like you? With a number of stigmas associated with menstruation, it is high time we start educating our daughters about the process rather than teach them to hide from the world.

Having a teenage daughter who just got her period must be a tough time for a mother so here are a few tips that will help you impart some education to your daughter about menstruation hygiene-

1. Educate about menstruation:

   You can start with the basics here and tell your daughter how all these changes in her body are hormonal and it means she has reached puberty which is a good sign of her entering in to womanhood. You can tell her how her monthly cycle is releasing excess iron from her body. Teach her the fact that this means her body is capable to bear children in near future

2. Introduce to menstruation products:

   Since your daughter got her first periods, she must not be aware of the hygiene products that are to be used. So this is a good time to introduce them to her. You can take this as a chance to share your best menstruation products with her like sanitary pads, panty liners, tampons and menstrual cups

3. Changing often:

   Once your daughter starts using sanitary pads during her periods, teach her to change the pads often in order to avoid any infection if used for a long time. Depending up on her flow, tell your daughter to change the napkin often as well as show her the right way to dispose them off

4. Gift her a kit:

   Your daughter might need your help initially during her periods since she might not know much about the process. The best you can do is gift her a kit which will work wonders for her during menstruation, which can contain a menstrual cup or sanitary pads if she prefers pads than the cups, liners, disposable bags to dispose her used pads, a heating bag to ease her cramps, wet wipes or tissues and hand sanitizers

5. Keeping a track of the process:

   Many girls experience irregular periods during the initial time and it is totally normal. This is why you can teach your daughter to keep a track of her periods so that she doesn’t get shocked by a surprise visit from Aunt Flow. Period stains can lower a girl’s self esteem which is why you can tell your daughter to keep a panty liner or a couple of sanitary napkins in her school bag along with an extra pair of comfortable panties. If she uses a smart phone, you can help her look for an app that monitors her monthly cycle. Some apps notify the user's days before her expected period. They might not be accurate all the time but at least your daughter will be prepared for her cycle before-hand

Your daughter’s menstrual hygiene depends on how well you train and guide her in her journey towards womanhood. This is a natural process which defines a women’s body to be healthy and fertile, so why feel ashamed about it? Learn and teach your daughter to be more open about menstruation and maintain proper hygiene so she can pass on the same to her future generations. Enable your daughter to welcome womanhood with open arms.

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