How were you told about the onset of periods

My mum God bless her gave me a little booklet about growing up and she had carefully sellotaped the pages beyond that (presumable that was the dreaded SEX stuff) me being the good little girl I was, I never even tried to peep at the rest
The main advice or let me rephrase that the only advice I CAN REMEMBER is ‘make sure your Dad never sees anything, you wrap it carefully. in newspaper and put in the bin we don’t talk about it to men’
Now my mum was a sweetheart and my dad the kindest man possible so presumable that was the thinking of the day they were not old fashioned they were both up to date
Having no siblings I didn’t even know about anatomy and had to find out what men looked like by art books in the school library ?? much older a friend mention ‘johnnies’ and I had to get my information bit by bit that way I really was green

I really couldn’t face telling my mother, I used to manage by going to the school office and asking for one.
When I eventually plucked up courage, and I remember it clearly, she said I would find a packet of pads in the airing cupboard every month, no need to mention it again, especially not in front of my dad or brother.
My best friends family talked openly about such things. I don’t know how I’d managed not to know anything, but I was only just eleven.

My mother told me, before it happened, I was probably about 11, what to expect and the biological facts as to why women had them. Although when I was very young I remember her going into a certain shop for a package wrapped in brown paper, and picking up on a subliminal message between her and the shop keeper that this package was to remain non visible neither should the contents be discussed. which at that time kept me wondering.

I'm another who was told nothing - just handed a pack of the dreaded Dr Whites and left to get on with it.

Another good catholic home. My mother gave me a little booklet from the Catholic Truth Society that hatched and matched and talked about the temple of my body, which, looking back, wasn't such a silly description, then sat down with me, asked me whether I had any questions and gave me some sanitary towels, a belt and explained how to use them.

I had already worked it all out anyway, from what other children said, from reading women's magazines and just noticing what was for sale in chemists shops and reading what was printed on packets of sanitary towels.

A friend, who was being brought up by her grandparents was told nothing and was told by her grandparent's cleaning lady, who saw the blood stains on her sheets. Later on, when she was about 15, a couple of friends and I sat her down in a quiet corner and told her the basic facts of life because it was clear that her grandmother wouldn't do it.

I managed to piece together the "story" from listening to other girls at school. My mother bought me a book which I think was titled Design for Living. When she put it in front of me I expected it to be about architecture!

I started on Good Friday when I was 13 and was convinced it was a religious sign of something - not sure what exactly but it was scary. I was outside cleaning my bike and had to pluck up courage to tell my Mum who was not the easiest of people to talk to about intimate things.

Eventually I managed to say that I thought I had started my periods and she just said she had thought I would. She gave me some torn up towels and 2 nappy pins and told me to pin them to my vest. She didn't tell me what to do with them when used though and I agonised about asking before deciding to rinse them through and dry them overnight on the hot water cylinder in the bathroom. It all felt shameful and secretive and made me very nervous and apprehensive.

I couldn't bring myself to ask her about supplies so used to leave a note on my bed for her to find saying please could I have some Dr Whites and some would then appear as if by magic. It was very difficult as I didn't have enough pocket money to buy my own. All this despite having 2 much older sisters who must have gone through something similar. Disposal was always a problem until I hit on the idea of wrapping used ones in toilet paper and taking them to school to put in the sanitary bin in the toilets there.

My own DD and DGDS have had a much better time of it thank goodness!

I knew about periods, from friends, and my older sister had them. Her used sanitary pads were put discreetly into our aga type burner, but it was all done with embarrassment.

I actually started at school when I was 13, I had some money but no three old pennies which was what you needed to buy a towel from the machine in the toilet. A friend and I went to the staff room, it was dinner time, my form teacher, a rather dishy young male teacher came to the door, I made some excuse as I was sure if I asked to change my money for pennies he would know why! (How idiotic, he was married with a baby).

A friend lent me the pennies, I bought a towel, feeling quite mature! When I got home, Mum rigged me up with what I needed but never really explained much. I always had a spare sanitary towel in my satchel from then.

I progressed to Tampax later on.

“No belts, no pins, no pads, no odour”.

Should say, things were obviously different with my own daughter. As for boys not knowing about such things, can remember being in Boots with DS when he was about 6, and he suddenly yelled across the shop, “Mum, do you need any Tampax?”.

I wasn't. It appeared when I was ekeven, I shouted for Mum, she said,,"That's part of growing up" and went and got me some Dr. White's and one of those belts with safety pins,

I didn't get a sex talk at all, and for several years I thought that I'd pregnant if any male came too close to me while I was "On". I can remember asking her to tell my kid brother to stop jumping out at me, I believed that would cause pregnancy. She said, "It doesn't happen that way" but offered no clarification of how it did. Fortunately, I was a very trusting child and that explanation was good enough for me.

In Third Form Biology, I learned to draw the reproductive systems of rabbits.

I was rather slow. I was 14, nearly 15. All my friends had started. I had boobs and hairy legs, which my mother refused to let me shave! I looked like a dude in a poodle skirt and Bobby Sox! But for my first show of my new status as a woman, I immediately told my mother and her reply was, "Oh, you've got piles".
I had to go to the neighbor lady and ask her for confirmation and a pad. Her reaction was a hug and a congratulations and having a talk with my mother.

I asked my mother what was the machine selling in the ladies. She got out a book dealing with the reproduction firstly of animals and then it went onto humans.
A year or so later it was taught in at science class at school,

Forgot to say mum wasn't a fan of tampons for young girls starting out, she thought the risk of forgetting one was a bit too high having witnessed toxic shock syndrome more than once, so it was bulky Kotex for me to begin with. I think she relented after a year.

How grateful am I to have had a midwife mother who told me at around 10 what to expect. A calm explanation of the passage from puberty to adulthood and the likely journey to the wonders of pregnancy and childbirth and all that entailed. She regarded every baby she delivered as a miracle to be celebrated, and thought the process by which each was created equally wonderful. So funny that fellow pupils still believed all the myths and folklore and dismissed my inside knowledge. I can remember the excitement when my first period appeared, that in later months faded to annoyance at the bother of them!

I was nearly 15 about to leave school. I was given ripped sheets initially and told to keep away from boys. I was shy that was the last thing on my mind! Even though I had three elder sisters I was none the wiser. My mum gave me money for Dr Whites and a sanitary belt.

Unexpected visitors arrived at our home when I was about eight. I was sent to the chemist with a note and money. I came back swinging the packet of Dr Whites and asking what they were - in front of the visitors!

My mother was 11 when she was sent home from school, totally hysterical when she started bleeding. Her much older sister threw some rags at her and told her it was the curse! Not very helpful!

My father gave me a booklet explaining everything. I didn’t tell him I’d discovered it ages before hidden in a cupboard. I was horrified. When my periods started I told mum and dad. I think they were reading the Sunday papers in bed. They were really pleased and dad said that I was now a woman. But weren’t Dr Whites awful! Someone at school told me about tampons.

When I was about 10 my Mum gave me a booklet to read then it was a case of ‘any questions’. She also tucked a pack of STs etc in my chest of drawers where they remained for future use although I did have a few practice runs trying to work out the strange belt contraption! At school -a convent boarding school - we had a talk from the headmistress, who was pretty ancient, who informed us that if 2 bicycles were kept in a shed a load of tricycles did not appear. However, if a male & female rabbit were in the shed, then lots of fluffy bunnies were to be expected. . OMG.

I was 13 and had been told nothing. I discovered i was bleeding when i was going to bed and called Mammy. She sent my dad up to me. He must have been mortified!

Then my Mam called my aunt to examine me to check where the bleeding was coming from - oh the embarrassment of it all.

Me: 'Mom I'm bleeding'
Mom: 'All girls of your age get that.
Put one of these on'.
That was it.

I was told nothing either. Looking back so very unfair. I muddled through with cotton wool and tissues for a couple of months until my mother realised and bought me Dr Whites. I made sure my two daughters were fully prepared and that they understood what was going on and why.

I was living with my grandma and auntie. When I was just 13, I started to bleed at school. I was scared, thought there was something seriously wrong with me. When I got home, told my auntie, she bought a sanitary belt and sanitary towels, showed me how to use them, said this will happen once a month until you`re 45, and keep away from boys. Until I was about 17, that was all I knew!

The girls in my Sports class were given booklets explaining such things at age 11. I fear it was too late for some of the girls and I hope education is available at an earlier age now.
I don’t remember my mum telling me although I may have forgotten.

I was told nothing despite having 3 older sisters. Eventually my Mum realised I’d started and gave a belt and pads I’ve no idea why no one explained things to me.

My mother told me what to expect as she didn’t want me to suffer as she had done. Her mother hadn’t prepared herfor her first period and she feared she would bleed to death!

My mother asked my neighbour, who was about 10 years older than me, to explain it all. By the time my daughter started her periods, she knew it all. There was no need for me to explain anything to her.?