Are there certain types of conversations that make you cringe? I know there are a few for me. I try to be pretty open and honest with my children but I’m pretty sure there will be a few toe curling conversations in the future. Ava at 2 is still too young to ask many questions but Kyle has always been very inquisitive. He knows he can come and ask us anything and that we will always try and answer him, or find the answer if we don’t know. When I was pregnant with Ava he wouldn’t accept a simple explanation of how the baby got in and out of my tummy. We were a bit baffled at how to go about answering him, he was almost seven at the time. We decided on the proper terminology, science side. He took it all in then got a bit bored with it all and stopped asking.
He’s zooming towards the tween years at the moment. He told me the other day about the lessons they have been having at School, ‘the gross ones Mummy’ so I made sure I sat and listened to what he had to say. I want him and the other two to know that it’s okay to talk about body changes, how they’re feeling and anything that may be worrying or upsetting them.
Whilst I will be having conversations with him, no doubt very soon, they will maybe be a little different to the ones I will have with my daughter. Obviously their different body parts will play a big role in the future conversations. When I think about the future talks I will have with Ava the obvious ones like puberty, periods, sex and relationships come straight to my mind. I hadn’t really thought about talking to her about problems that might occur like thrush, cystitis and BV. I’m hoping she will be able talk to me about any problems without finding it too embarrassing to actually tell me. Canesten® know the importance of normalising conversation about intimate health and common intimate conditions, between mothers and their daughters. Promoting female intimate health through better knowledge means women can self-diagnose and self-treat knowledgeably and with confidence, which is what I want for her.
I can remember puberty being a time where I really wasn’t sure what was normal and what wasn’t. I tended to worry about things myself rather than asking. I’m still like that a bit now and as a worrier it’s something I don’t want for my children. I was lucky that my first experience of cystitis wasn’t until I was older. Not so lucky however that it was so bad I needed antibiotics, which unfortunately seems to be the norm for me if I ever get it. The last time I had it was after driving to Devon and not stopping when I needed the toilet. It’s always a good excuse now to make James take a break though as I think he felt a bit guilty! Cystitis is easier to talk about for some reason than thrush, which luckily I’ve only ever had once, mildly, when taking some strong antibiotics which is a common side effect. Knowing the signs and symptoms means I can self treat, or get help to treat the problem in the early stages.
Today I’ve teamed up with Canesten® to offer one of my readers the chance to win a £50 Amazon voucher. Canesten® want to encourage us to have conversations with our daughters about their intimate health and are asking you the question;
Enter via the Rafflecopter form below where full terms and conditions can be found. Good luck!
Disclosure: This post has been supported by Canesten® but all thoughts are my own.
My 5 year has cystitis this week which has spread to a kidney infection. Thankfully the antibiotics have kicked in and she is getting better now.
I was brought up by my Dad so I didn’t really have someone to talk to about all the female stuff, not someone who had experienced it anyway.
I wish I had not been too afraid to ask my parents questions instead of relying on “advice” from my friends, who it turns out were as clueless as me!
not to be so embarrassed and ask questions
I wish I had known about most things but my mum wasn’t comfortable talking about intimate health.
That it was ok to talk to my mam or teacher without feeling ashamed or embarassed
i wish i had someone to openly talk to and ask questions
Actually I think Mum & School covered it all for me
That there really is no shame in asking my mum or any other female relative for advice or help instead of trying to find out through friends who didn’t really know what they were talking about either!
Not to feel embarrassed and talk more to my mum about sexual health.
Its ok to ask questions no matter how silly
Not to be embarrassed or scared to talk about it.
Its ok to ask for more advice.
that everyone has the same problemns
I wish I knew that discharge was completely normal for most people. I used to feel so embarrassed and worried until I was eventually told by friends they they got it too sometimes
I wish I knew that it is very important to gain knowledge about intimate health and that it is a natural body change that happens to all girls so completely normal. I remember feeling embarrassed to talk about these things and feeling awkward.
I have a teenager and she has always been too embarrassed to talk to me about intimate health, despite me being very open. I bought her a book in the end so at least she would have a reputable source of information. I wish she knew it’s ok to talk about these things and hopefully as she grows older she will start to feel more comfortable about it. I did teach her from an early age to always wipe front to back 😉
don’t be embarrassed -my mum was such a prude!
I wish I knew that it shouldn’t be embarrassing to talk about and everyone is having the same problems
i wish i knew that it was ok to be like everyone else and their problems
I wish I hadn’t been embarrassed to ask my parents questions
That these issues can affect anyone at anytime , and its a natural part of being human
not to be embarrased
I wish I’d had the Internet when I was younger so I could research anything that was worrying me !
I wish I had asked more about it rather than been too embarrased
My mum gave this this little booklet about periods when I was young. I remember being so embarrassed and scared asking her to buy me a bra for the first time.
That tampax are easy to use and you can use them from being a teenager! Changed my life switching from horrible massive pads!
That it was alright to talk about it!
I wish the internet existed back then to save from feeling too embarrased to ask questions!
I would have stopped playing football much sooner than 46
Not to be embarrassed about asking questions or advice, instead of worrying and feeling alone.
I am that old the subject wasn’t even covered at school! My Mum did explain one or two things, usually because
she had noticed rather than me asking. It is the role of parents in my opinion to explain and guide their
children, there are so many more educational and information resources out there to help. Thank you
i wish google was invented lol
I dont have to be embarrassed and that i can talk to someone
Never be embarrassed about ask questions
I wish I’d know that it was common for women to have intimate problems, and not to worry about visiting the doctors because they’ve seen it all before.
I wish that I could have known there was nothing to be embarrassed about and that I could have talked to my parents about it. Also I wish I could have just googled the info that I needed!
That it’s okay to talk about these things!
I was very lucky and had a Mum I could talk to about anything, I am now the same with my children 🙂
I hope that my daughter will be able to talk to me about any ring
I wish i felt able to ask what was normal and what wasn’t but i was too embarrassed
I wish I knew about period, sex and relationships but my parents never told me anything I was left to get on with it.
I was lucky that I went to an all girls school so our sex ed classes focused on topics such as intimate health which pretty much covered everything we needed to know
To not be embarrassed, and that everyone is so different, so everything is normal, I was always to embarrassed to talk to my parents about these things
Never be afraid to talk about it – break the taboo
Not to be embarrassed to ask about things.
That it’s ok to talk about it
Not to be too embarrassed to talk about it.
Wish I had realised it is not taboo to discuss intimate issues! Went through too many of my early teenage years being able to talk about my worries regarding puberty and changes
That thrush can last for years
I had a book given to me by my mum about periods, sex, etc. at 13. I don’t know why she couldn’t actually talk to me a few years earlier, but it was many years ago I suppose …
that there’s nothing to be embarrassed about
I wish I had known I could have talked to my mum about anything without her judging me, but I was too embarrassed so it was not until I was much older that I was able to be open and she was most helpful and a great listener
not to be embarrased to speak to someone about it
I wish I knew that everything is normal and not to be afraid to talk to a doctor or nurse!
I would have liked to have been told anything really, wasn’t something we ever discussed
That everyone else had the same worries and concerns that I did.
thats its a normal thing to happen
I wish I’d known that tampons are easy to use and so much cleaner than using pads!
I wish I’d been able to talk to my mum about anything but she was from a generation that simply did not talk about things.
Not to be scared about it.
Everyone is different
I cannot really think of anything to say that has not already been mentioned above.
That there is nothing wrong in talking about it, and your not unique
I wish I knew what was normal and what wasn’t
I wish I asked questions so I knew That everyone was going through the same as me
I would have liked to have been less embarassed. I hated discussing anything like that!
That friends were usually as uninformed as I was, and it would have been much better to talk to mom.
that it was ok to ask questions and not be embarassed
That I didnt need to feel embarrassed about asking a simple normal question!
I wish I had of known how common thrush was and what caused it etc
not to be so embarrassed and ask questions
There isn’t something I wish I’d known as I found it all out, but I only found it out because one of the other girls at school wrote my name and address on one of those little forms for the Tampax booklet. Otherwise my extremely religious parents never would have told me. It was quite a shock when that parcel arrived in the post.
That it doesn’t mean you’re dirty if you get thrush or other infections
I wish I’d had the confidence to talk about intimate health with my family and friends at a much younger age.
I wish I knew that it was ok to talk about it – it felt like a taboo subject!
I wish I had known to ask more questions. I suffered with thrush for ages because I didn’t know what it was or who to ask about it.
Don’t be afraid to speak to doctors if you have any concerns- you know your own body better than anyone!
That no question, big or small, trivial or serious, is too embarrassing to discuss with other people
That everyone has doubts about there body and you are never alone.
These things were taboo when I was young. I’m glad my kids feel that they can talk to me about everything.
I wish I had discussed it more with my friends at an earlier age
To not be ashamed to talk openly about it.
I wish I hadn’t felt embarrassed and alone with what I was feeling.
That everyone asks questions at some point, its normal!
Not to be embarrassed and just ask questions, as that’s what parents are there for partly.
Most people have had the same problems as you!
I wish i would have known what thrush was, how to treat it and that it is very common and nothing to be embarrassed about!
my mum didn’t talk about this kind of thing so everything & anything would have been a bonus, so its made me determined to make sure my kids don’t feel like they can’t as questions
That it was ok to talk about problems
Not to be embarrassed to talk about things.
It’s not embarrassing to ask or show interest if you want to know more.
I wish I knew that I didn’t need to be embarrassed and that these hints are OK to talk about.
I wish I had learnt it all without embarrassment from my mum.
That everyone is different, your normal might not be their normal
I wish I knew more about periods before mine arrived at 12! I was horrified and felt so weird – I wish everything was easier to talk about and that it wasn’t seen to be a bad topic of conversation.
I was lucky enough to have very open parents, so there were no taboos in our household.
I was lucky I learnt things early
To not feel embarrassed
its better to talk about it than ignore it. talking can take 5 mins, ignoring can last forever
i wish I’d known about thrush, I spent too long suffering without feeling like I could talk about it.
Not to be embarrassed about asking questions and things like thrush and cystitis are nothing to be ashamed of
Not to feel embarrassed about it
I wish I had known that it was ok to even talk about it!
Sex can lead to cystist
My mum has always been an amazing listener so I was very lucky, and I hope when my two girls are older they can talk to me about anything xxx
that it will change over time and it will be ok
To ask my questions at a more earlier stage
To speak about it more openly.
I wish I knew anything about intimate matters, my parents never talked about such things.
that it was ok to talk about it and ask questions, nothing to be embarrassed about
I wish I’d known how important condoms are in protecting against the HPV virus. And I also wish I’d not been so uncomfortable about having a smear test as they are so important. I had a horrible cervical cancer scare a couple of years ago and needed invasive treatment as I’d not had one for 12 years!
To not be embarrassed and talk more
I wish that my Mum hadn’t been embarrassed to talk to me and then I wouldn’t have been so naive when I started dating boys
i wish it hadnt been quite a bad thing to talk about when i was younger i found out about periods from my best friend, parents just didnt talk about things like that when i was younger
I was very lucky and could ask my mum anything
Not to be embarrassed
To keep pushing when you know somethings not right! And to not be embarrassed listing all the symptoms if you have to see a doctor. I’ve had doctors who wouldn’t listen but now I’ve done my research, stood my ground and found the right doctor the problems finally being sorted!
My mum was amazing I’ve never been ashamed to ask anything
I wish I’d had more access to information – it was hard to ask someone and/or look it up in a book – the internet makes this so much easier
I wish I’d known what to expect about periods and what was normal.
Just not to feel embarrassed about anything
That it shouldn’t be a taboo and that it’s okay to talk about it.
That we all have the same worries
That Doctors have seen it all before, and not to be afraid to go to them if you have an intimate problem. I used to worry so much when I had any thing wrong down there !!!! thinking I had some terrible disease. If I had been taught not to be embarrassed it would have saved me so much anguish.
I can’t think of anything.
To not be embarrassed about it and that its normal to have questions
I wish I had known more about periods and tampons
Wish I’d known where to go for anonymous advice
That it’s ok to talk about it.My 7 year old has been brought up like this and i’m so glad she is able to talk to me and not suffer in silence
I wish id known that the embarrassment from asking questions wasn’t necessary – everyone goes through it!!
I wish I knew that washing with soap was not a good idea! Also washing and peeing after sex will help stop UTI’s and other things x
Anything really, my mum never discussed it with me so I sort of figured it out as I went along.
dont be afraid or embarrassed about health issues talk to family who you are close to get any help you may need
I wish I had known more about how my body worked and how messing about with fake hormones would cause unnecessary issues in my adult health 🙁
That it’s nothing to be embarrased about.
That nothing intimate should ever embarrass you
I wish school had covered it more so it didn’t feel like such a taboo subject
don’t be scared to ask for advice, everyone has these issues at some point
It happens to everyone and to just ask what you don’t understand
I wish I’d researched more about an intimate health issues as there are so many products or medicine out there to help
That it’s OK to talk about and not embarrassing.
Not to be embarrassed to talk about it
I wish I knew about how the cycle worked
It is normal, nothing to be shy about.
That it was ok to ask anything you’re not sure about and don’t be embarrassed
That there were people you could talk to outside of family/friends!
not to be so embarrassed and ask questions
That it isn’t embarrassing to talk about it.
that it should be spoken about openly and not seen as a taboo subject and something to be embarrassed about
That it was ok to talk to my mum without feeling ashamed or embarassed.
why i never used to brush my teeth when young i will never know
Anything and everything. I knew nothing!
That I can get free confidential advice anywhere
i wish i had someone to ask those questions to
No one should be embarrassed and should ask questions as people will help and answer for you.
I wish I’d known that it really isn’t something to be embarrassed about and it’s okay to talk about it.
I was always quite confident about it, I wish I’d known how difficult some people find to talk about, so that I could have reached out to them more.
I wish that I was told not to be embarrassed and that we all experience the same issues.
Not to be embarrassed with body changes and to ask questions.
Not didnt know a great deal as a kid and being a bigger shy lad never asked questions about it
I actually feel I was very well informed about intimate health and had a good education in the matter, I suppose I wish that others were not embarrassed to discuss it.
School covered everything well so I knew roughly what to expect. However, I wish we’d had better personal products available.
To not be embarrassed to ask questions; we all experience the same things at some point.
I wish that I knew a mid-cycle discharge was not unusual and was in fact completely normal and nothing to worry about.
I found out more from magazines
Not to be embarrassed to ask parents.
nothing to be embarresed about!!x
I wish I knew more about periods. I knew about them and I knew what they were but I still thought my life had ended when I started!
That everyone else has the same worries and questions.
One thing – TALK!!
Not to be embarrassed to talk to someone about it.
Wish I had known to look out for thrush and get early treatment!
That heavy, painful periods are not normal and can be a sign of a problem and the pill may only make it worse. Also, some people have real difficulties getting pregnant even when young… I did!
that thrush isnt something to be embarrassed about
not to be afraid of asking questions
That intense itching round your upper thighs is probably thrush, not an STD.
I felt self-conscious when I was at school talking about personal things
My mum told me everything i needed to know and i was also given a book all about puberty,periods,etc which helped a lot.
I had parents who were young parents in the 60’s so never really got embarrassed about talking openly about sensitive subjects so I grew up with the same principles, it’s not embarrassing if it’s a natural occurrence or part of everyday life, my children are very open with their questions on sex, puberty and have friends that come to them for support rather than them go to their parents, there’s something to be said for flower power I guess! :0)
My mum felt quite open but I wish it wasn’t such a taboo thing and that people didn’t make me feel embarrassed to talk about it!
Wish I knew more about most things! I was very shy and my mum was very similar x
Can’t think of anything really, we had talks at school about womens health and books to read. Mum was a very good source of advice too
Great post and competition
I wish I had known that different soaps could have a massive impact on me!
I wish i had known that I could buy Canesten by picking it up from the supermarket shelf. I bought it in a chemist and the man was difficult to talk to.
I wish I could have talked more to my mother about it as I just felt itchy due to tight jeans and man made fibres in underwear and I was too embarrassed. I just suffered in silence.
To go to the doctor if things aren’t right and don’t leave it.
Not to listen to school gossip/rumors
My mum found it all very embarrassing, all I got about periods was a packet of sanitary towels and was told that I might be needing these soon. And off she went. I didn’t mind, didn’t want to talk about it with her anyway. I hope my daughter didn’t find me quite so hopeless.
I wish I’d known that it is ok up talk to your parents about intimate health
How certain products such as soap can upset the PH balance of your intimate areas. Nowadays there are so many more natural products and information out there.
I wish i knew that its ok to talk about your body.
My mother had me late in life, an only child (as she herself was) she had ery Victorian views on life & I could never talk to her about such things.
I wish I’d been able to talk to someone who wasn’t judgemental.
I should have known it was natural to talk about it and not to feel so awkward about asking questions that I was confused about
I wish I had the courage when I was 12 to talk about intimate health especially for all the questions I had about periods and boobs!
I wish I had access to the internet, I lived with my dad and never felt like I could have a minute alone with my mum when I did see her, I remember having my first period, I was at my nan’s house and my sister started clapping and dancing around like it was the best thing ever where as I was sat there not knowing what on earth to do! Luckily my dad would buy me lady things and always asked me to let him know if I needed more or different ones.
I wish i wasn’t too Embarrassed to ask questions instead of relying on google.
Wish I’d known more about ke gel exercises
not to be too frightened to ask questions
I wish I’d known I could go and talk to a pharmacist in confidence and not had to wait until thrush got so bad I needed to go to the doctors
That it’s ok to ask questions – also that cranberry juice is a saviour!
I wish I knew that everyone has these problems at one time or another
Wish I’d known not to feel embarassed about talking about such things
i wish we had google then
I wish I had known it was ok to challenge my doctor and not just be fobbed off. When I was young i just accepted things and this led to my problem taking years to diagnose.
I wish I knew it wasn’t as such a taboo subject that I had built it up to be and that I could have spoken to my mum rather than guess and worry! x
That it’s ok to ask anything you’re not sure about and don’t be embarrassed It’s your Mom you are talking to and she won’t emarrass you or make you feel bad about what you are asking. In fact sh’ell be glad you had the sense to ask in the first place
Medical professionals have seen & heard it all before so don’t be embarrassed!
That you don’t have to wash with harsh soap’s down there, as it cleans itself lol x
Not necessarily what I wish I knew, but I wish I hadn’t had gyne problems as a small child. The examinations made it difficult to move into the more adult gyne realm and not be afraid.
That you are no different to any other girl so don’t be embarrassed. XX
Not to be embarrassed asking my doctor
Wish my mum had told me more about the realities of life.
I really wish I could speak openly to my parents more when I was younger because that’s something I want to cherish with my children in the future that they can speak to me about anything.
Do not be embraced by any question you ask
I wish I had been brave enough to leave embarrassment at the door and find out the answers from those who actually knew!
That it was ok if I didn’t develop as quickly as some of my friends, and not to be worried about being left behind
I wish i’d have been more informed
I wish I’d known if there were more options regarding periods and sanitary wear. My Mum bought me a pack of Dr Whites and a belt. It felt like I was wearing a huge wad of cotton wool! (very uncomfortable).
That all women are in the same boat, intimate issues are nothing to be embarrased about
I wish i had been told not to be embarrassed to go to the doctor.
I was embarassed to talk about things but do wished i had asked more questions
I wish it wasn’t such a taboo subject, its as if it shouldn’t be talked about but it should be spoken about freely with no embarassments!
I wish I had known/believed that to a doctor all health problems are the same and nothing to be embarrassed about.
everyone is going through the same thing so theres no need to be embarassed!
Listen to advice form other girls / women and don’t be afraid to ask questions
listen more to the advice I was given
That you have to ask questions or you’ll never know!
That it’s nothing to be embarrassed about!!!
not to be embarassed about natural things
That its okay to ask questions about the intimate stuff!
I wish I had more chance to talk with my mum regarding personal matters openly
I wish I’d known that it was a dirty subject and their was no shame in talking about these things.
I wish I had been less embarassed about everything really.
I wish I was more opened about intimate health with my mum or health professionals
Almost everything! It wasn’t really talked about properly at all and I was too shy to ask questions.
I wish I knew that it’s alright to talk to others about personal problems
Everything. School covered sex issues but Mum didnt want to talk about it and I was shy to ask questions
I wish I knew the changes were all normal and had someone to talk more openly about it all to.