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My Daughter with Down Syndrome is approaching puberty... not looking forward to it.

LaWanda - posted on 01/17/2009 ( 5 moms have responded )

I was wondering if there are other parents out there that are going through or have been through this same thing. My daughter is now 11 and starting to show the early signs of puberty. I am really not looking forward to periods and all that (I still remember how long potty training took and how not fun that was). She is overall very healthy and active (too active!!!). She is VERY stubborn and is going through a bit of a "NO!" phase again. I thought we just got out of the last one. She sends part of her time at her dad's house (we are divorced) and when she is over there her older 14 year old sister has to bath and look after her. She has been doing this since she was 10 and her sister was 6. Any tips that can be offered for us is appeciated.

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Kristin - posted on 01/24/2009

My daughter, who has DS, will be 12 years old next month, and she began her period when she was 10 and a half. She was learning how to change her pads, and we were doing ok with it. After a few months, however, the length of her period went from one week to two, and then it was continual for an entire month, so we decided to put her on Femcon Fe. It's a chewable birth control pill. She takes it continually (her gyn told me that you can do that with any bc pill, not just Seasonale), and now she doesn't get a period at all.
There are pros and cons to every choice, and I know that many of my daughter's friends are very capable of changing their pads and keeping clean. I think if you discuss the issue with your daughter's gyn, he/she should be able to give you more info and options.

Darlene - posted on 01/24/2009

My daughter who is 23yrs old and not on BC only because of cancer issues that run in the family. She is Mentally Delayed, I was able to teach her to be able to clean and change herself when needed. She does get cramps and will tell me that she has them. I give her ibuprofen or tylenol for the cramps. I will tell you that she is more stubborn during her period than any other time. My daughter also has epilepsy which having her period doesn't seem to bother her. Her seizures are under control. I would suggest though that if you decide not to put your child on bc that while she has her period you keep her at home and explain to her dad the reason she is staying home for that week. My daughter now after years of therapy and such is high functioning. Your daughter seems like you should be able to teach her to care for herself during her time of the month with no problem. Just hide the pads and give them to her to change herself when she needs to. The only reason I say that is because my daughter will change herself every 2 minutes weather she needs to change or not, so during the 7days she is on her cycle she will go 3 big bags of pads. Gets kinda expensive. Then I usually start right after her and then my hubby has to run to the store to get more. A whole nother conversation though.

Jennifer - posted on 01/19/2009

Yes it is an oral contraceptive. I just flat told her pediatrician that we defintally needed to put her on something because I dont see how she would keep her self clean. She sometimes still has trouble after a bowel movement she freaks if she doesnt have those wet wipies. I would talk to your daughters pediatrician before she gets her period so it will all be in the works. Destiny started and had one period and then was put on the pill. She has not have a period since. She did not have to have an ob exam either which would have totally freaked her out. Another reason she is on birthcontrol is she has seizures and the bc pill helps stabilazes her hormones.

LaWanda - posted on 01/18/2009

Thanks for your insights Jennifer. Was it hard for you to talk a doctor into putting your daughter on this form of birth control? It does sound like it would help with things. Especially since extreme monthly cramps run in my family. (my 14 year old daughter will take up to 5 advil at a time for hers... and it doesn't always help). Is it an oral contraceptive? I would love to hear back from you.

LaWanda

Jennifer - posted on 01/18/2009

My daughter is 16 with Developmental Dyspraxia and epilepsy after she started her period she was put on the birth control seasonale and we keep her on it 365 days a year. She does not get a period. Unfortunally despite how delayed our children are, this is the area are children are actually always normal and right on time. They will act like a normal regular sassy teenager, with talking back even if they are hard to understand they will still talk back and get in the last word, slamming doors and the whole bit. But as of the periods and the mess the birthcontrol has been a big help at our house and it does help even out the hormones and keeps Destiny from getting the cramps, bloat and headaches.