What You Need to Know About Pads to Help Your Daughter Feel Empowered About Her Period

This is a sponsored post as part of my partnership with Always

When you shop for pads, do you:

• Do a quick scan for familiar packaging, grab it, and run.
• Send your husband or significant other with a photo of your product of choice.
• Shop at your closest big box store because hooray- limited choices mean an easy decision!
• Go online and add your favorites to your cart and have them delivered by the fairy.
• Take your time and check out the newest offerings, turning over packages to carefully read about the newest in pad technology.

If you are more of an A, B, C, or D kind of woman, you’re not alone.

It’s a fact that as humans, we’re creatures of habit but we shouldn’t be when it comes to our period and the pads we use.

Yes, we are talking periods today so grab a drink, take a seat, and get ready to learn why you need to switch things up when it’s that time of the month and why it’s important to be knowledgeable so we can empower our daughters to feel confident about their periods.

4 Things You Need to Know About Pads to Help Your Daughter Feel Empowered About Her Period

1. You’re probably wearing the wrong size pad 

If you’re still wearing the same pads you got when you first got your period, it’s time to re-evaluate. Are you wearing the same size as back then?  Back in 1983 when Always first introduced pads, there were only two pad sizes available at the store.

Thankfully times have changed and there are a wide variety of sizes available to accommodate different sizes and flow so it’s time to stop reaching for the same old box of pads at the store.

This month Always® launched Always My Fit. The Always My Fit system is designed to help you find the best coverage based on both your flow and panty size. Always pads are now numerically sized 1 through 5 to help you find your best coverage for day and night protection.

A handy chart can be found on the top of every Always pack and can be used to help you find your right day and night fit. Go ahead and figure out what size you are. I’ll wait!

2. The pad that works for you probably isn’t right for your daughter

Now that you know what size you are, it’s easy to understand why the pads that are right for you aren’t quite right for her. The old one-size-fits-all model is out the window and these days Always come in all different sizes to accommodate your size and flow.

As you can see, size does matter when it comes to pads! The array above shows you the different sizes available as part of the Always My Fit line.

If your daughter has started her period, here are some tips to help her find and always use the correct size:

• Hand her a package of Always My Fit or go to Always.com and show her how to find her correct pad size. If she comes back to you with a single number, encourage her to have another look since she might need different sizes for day versus night and light or heavy flow days
• Take her shopping to purchase the pads that are the right fit for her. It may be embarrassing to stand in the aisle but thankfully the new Always My Fit system makes it easy to spot the right number you need to grab and go since Always is the only brand that offers a numerical fit system!
• Encourage her to revisit the Always My Fit chart when she starts to run low on pads. Talk to her about how her number might change as she gets older and her size and flow changes.
• Keep lines of communication open about pads and periods so she feels comfortable letting you know what numbers she needs so you can be sure to purchase the right pad sizes.

3. Leaks happen but they don’t have to

Believe it or not, 60% of women wear the wrong size pad. 80% of women experience leaks every month. The good news is that 100% of women and girls can change this by finding the pad that’s the right fit.

Always scientists have spent years researching one of the most common reasons for pad leaks and wearing the wrong size pad is one of the leading causes. This research led to the development of Always My Fit that was designed to help girls and women find the right front to back coverage to avoid leaks during the day and at night.

As our girls approach puberty, one very important lesson for them to learn about their periods is that the better a pad fits, the better it protects. We can help our daughters and the young women in our lives be more confident about their periods if they don’t have to worry about leaks.

If your daughter has started her period, let her know that leaks:

• Can occur due to the wrong size pad
• Shouldn’t be a concern that stops her from being herself and doing the active things she loves
• Are manageable thanks to Always My Fit. If leaks are happening, revisit the Always My Fit chart!

4. Normalizing the conversation about periods helps empower our girls

Was this post uncomfortable to read? Was it hard to think about talking about your daughter about her period? Is it strange to think about having a conversation about pads? Chances are that if it was outside your comfort zone, we need to work to change this.

Talking about your period doesn’t have to be hush-hush. By doing so, we’re creating a stigma around getting your period, having your period, and the products that we women need. You don’t have to bring it up all the time, nor do you need to shout from the rooftops when Aunt Flo comes to visit, but the more comfortable you are talking about your period, the more comfortable your daughter will be too.

Creating open lines of communications about periods is a good thing but it’s also important to be mindful about how you talk about your period. It might not be all sunshine and rainbows for you during that time of the month but how we frame our time of the month is how our daughters perceive getting their periods. Be real. Share the truth about how it feels to have your period but without excessive drama, shame, or things that could scare your girl.

It’s also important to educate the men in your lives. Have a talk with your husband or significant other about how you want to rely on him to normalize the conversation about periods for the benefit of your daughter. Don’t hide the fact that women get periods from your son. Boys need to know the honest truth about periods as much as girls do.

Things you can do to normalize the conversation about periods includes:

• Having pads readily available in all the bathrooms of your home. Not only does this help you and your daughter but if your son has a female friend over, she might be too embarrassed to ask but let’s hope if she opens a drawer or looks under the sink that she will find what she needs.
• Helping your husband feel comfortable buying pads. Sit down and talk with him about how asking him to buy pads is just like you going to the store to buy protection. It happens. It’s important to know what kind to buy so acquaint him with the Always My Fit system and your number so he’ll know exactly what you and your daughter need.
• Checking in with your daughter periodically. You don’t need to know her cycle but a periodic check in helps your girl feel more comfortable and lets her know the door is open for a conversation if and when she needs it.

The Always line of feminine products includes Always Infinity, Always Ultra Thins, Always Maxis, Always Radiant, Always Liners and Always Feminine Wipes. Visit Always.com for more information.

Disclosure: I am an #AlwaysAmbassador and receive compensation for my participation in the program. The giveaway is not administered by Always in any way.