Tampons can be tricky at first, but they shouldn’t be uncomfortable or painful at all, insists Dr. Charles Wibbelsman, author of The Teenage Body Book. You probably need to learn precisely how to put them in place. Start by buying the slender regular sizes (they are the smallest and easiest to insert).

Now, follow these steps. 1) Sit on the toilet, or stand in front of it with one foot on the floor and one on the toilet seat. 2) Toss the wrapper (duh!), and put the rounded tip against your vaginal opening. With your forefinger on the plunger (the end point downward) and your middle finger and thumb on the upper part of the applicator, gently push the tampon inside your body, aiming toward the small of your back. Once you’ve pushed the inner tube all the way into the out tube—this pushes the cottony absorbent part into the perfect spot—withdraw both tubes, leaving the string hanging outside your body.

A few more tips: It’s easiest to insert a tampon when your flow is heaviest, like the first three days of your period, because you’re more lubricated. You may want to use pads on lighter days. Or try and over-the-counter vaginal lubricant—K-Y Jelly is a brand doctors recommend—on the end of the tampon before insertion. This is a safe way to make the whole process slicker. Once you’ve got it in right, you shouldn’t feel a thing!