When Will I Get My Period
No one can say exactly when you’ll get your first menstrual period, but it will be sometime duringpuberty. Puberty is the time in your life when you begin to become an adult. This means a lot of growing and changing both inside and out.
Some girls start puberty at age 8, and others may start as late as 13 or 14. Each girl goes at her own pace. So don’t think you’re weird if you start puberty a little earlier or a little later than your friends.
At the beginning of puberty, you’ll notice that your breasts are developing and hair will start to grow on your genitals . A little later, hair also will grow under your arms.
For most girls, their first menstrual period, or menarche , begins about 2 years after she first starts to get breasts. For most girls this is around age 12. But it can be as early as age 8 or as late as 15. Talk to your doctor if your period started before age 8 or you are 15 and havent started your period.
A good sign you’re getting close to the time when your first period will arrive is if you notice a discharge coming from your vagina. It might be thin and slightly sticky or thick and gooey, and can be clear to white or off-white in color. Usually, this happens about 6 months before you get your first period.
Keeping Track Of Periods
Its good for your child to keep track of their periods with an app, calendar or diary. If your childs periods are fairly regular, an app or calendar can help your child know when their period is likely to come. This way your child can prepare for things like sleepovers, school camps or swimming carnivals.
What If My Period Doesnt Come Or If It Starts When I Am Very Young
If you have not had a first period by the age of 15, or its been more than two to three years since your breasts started developing and you have not had a period, its best to talk to your doctor. If you get your period very young, at nine or ten it is usually just simply that you developed early. However, its a good idea to see your doctor to rule out other underlying medical conditions.
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Can I Get Pregnant
The short answer? Yes. Pregnancy is possible anytime semen comes into contact with the vagina.
Although the onset of menstruation is widely regarded as the start of your reproductive years, its possible to become pregnant before youve had a period.
It all comes down to your hormones. In some cases, your body may begin to release ovulation-causing hormones long before it triggers the start of menstruation.
And when you do begin menstruation, its possible to get pregnant if you have sex during your period. It ultimately comes down to where you are in your menstrual cycle.
Talk to a trusted adult or reach out to your healthcare provider if:
- You havent started your period by age 15.
- Youve had your period for about two years and it isnt regular.
- You experience bleeding between your periods.
- You experience severe pain that prevents you from completing daily activities.
- Your bleeding is so heavy that you have to change your pad or tampon every one to two hours.
- Your periods last longer than seven days.
If you call to make an appointment, tell the person whos scheduling it that youre having problems with your period.
They may ask you to write down details about:
- when your most recent period started
- when your most recent period ended
- when you first noticed your irregular bleeding or other symptoms
Pmdd Causes And Risk Factors
Researchers donât know the exact cause of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Most think it may be an abnormal reaction to hormone changes related to your menstrual cycle.
PMDD affects up to 5% of women of childbearing age. Many women with PMDD may also have anxiety or depression.
Studies have shown a link between PMDD and low levels of serotonin, a chemical in your brain that helps transmit nerve signals. Certain brain cells that use serotonin also control mood, attention, sleep, and pain. Hormonal changes may cause a decrease in serotonin, leading to PMDD symptoms.
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So When Is Day 1 Of Your Menstrual Cycle
If youre having trouble figuring out whether the light bleeding or spotting youre experiencing means its your Day 1, theres a general rule of thumb for natural cycles that can help make it clear:
If you have spotting or light bleeding one day and this bleeding occurs again the next day, the previous day was your Day 1. Thats because it means that estrogen dropped low enough the day before to trigger the shedding of your uterine lining so you have continous bleeding. Its just taking awhile to get a heavier flow.
If you have spotting or light bleeding one day, then no bleeding at all the next day, it was likely breakthrough bleeding, which can occur in some women leading up to their period. This means it was not your Day 1. You would wait until heavier bleeding or continuous bleeding begins to count that as your Day 1.
The above rule of thumb applies to natural cycles only since hormone birth control can cause spotting and bleeding between periods.
If you have a natural cycle, you may also experience spotting or light bleeding at ovulation in the middle of your cycle. This is a result of the egg breaking away from the ovarian follicle and has nothing to do with your period.
If you have a health issue that impacts your hormones or menstrual cycle, you may experience different menstrual bleeding patterns. So, talk with your gynecologist about your specific flow.
What Do I Need To Know About My Period
Menstruation is when blood from your uterus drips out of your vagina for a few days every month. You start getting your period during puberty, usually when youre around 12-15 years old.
Your menstrual cycle is what makes your period come every month. Its controlled by hormones in your body. The purpose of the menstrual cycle is to help your body get ready for pregnancy. Your menstrual cycle = the time from the 1st day of your period to the 1st day of your next period. Learn more about how your menstrual cycle works.
Most people get their period every 21-35 days around once a month . The bleeding lasts for 2-7 days its different for everyone. Your period might not always come at the same time each month, especially when you first start getting it. It can take a few years for your period to settle into its natural rhythm, and some people never get regular periods throughout their lives.
Missing your period can be a sign of pregnancy if youve had penis-in-vagina sex without using birth control. But there are other reasons your period might be late, too. Learn more about what to do if you miss your period.
There are lots of ways to deal with the blood that comes out of your vagina when you have your period. You can use pads, tampons, period underwear, or a menstrual cup to collect the blood, so it doesnt get on your clothes. Learn more about using tampons, period underwear, pads, and cups.
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You Probably Tell Your Boss When You’re Not Feeling Well In Any Other Capacity
You can probably remember the last time you were suffering from a splitting headache and you popped into your boss’s office to say, “Hey, I’m feeling under the weather, so I’m going to lay low if you need me.” It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re leaving the office, it just means you’re letting them know you’re not performing at your highest. Hopefully, they ask if you’re OK, tell you to reach out if you need anything, and send you on your way.
Menstruating is a bodily function that can temporarily affect you, just like a headache or seasonal allergies might, yet we’re much more inclined to keep it under wraps. If you start to think of your own period symptoms as a health issue, which it is, you’ll eventually be able to speak about it to your boss the same way you would about any other ailment.
Insomnia And Pms: The Estrogen Connection
According to a 2007 National Sleep Foundation poll, 33% of women say their sleep is disturbed during their menstrual cycles. Another 16% report missing one or more days of work in the past month because of sleep problems.
The menstrual cycle is divided into two main phases: follicular and luteal . Kathryn Lee, RN, PhD, associate dean of research at the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing and women’s sleep expert, explains that during the follicular phase, estrogen builds up until ovulation. “Estrogen is almost like an energy supplement,” Breus says. Then at ovulation, around day 14, “estrogen is suddenly kicked up another notch, and we see a tremendous number of sleep disturbances for women.”
After ovulation, your progesterone rises. Lee calls this “the soporific hormoneâ — in other words, one that can make you drowsy. Then, just a few days before the start of your next period, estrogen and progesterone levels drop. And this is when many women have trouble sleeping. “The thinking is women who have a more abrupt withdrawal of progesterone — or maybe had a higher amount and it fell faster — have insomnia,” Lee says.
And how does Wacaser cope? “Now I know what it is and when so I can plan for it. I don’t plan any early morning meetings or calls because I know more than likely I’m not going to get any sleep.”
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Ever have spotting or light bleeding near the time youre supposed to get your period and wondered if that little bit of blood meant the start of a new cycle or it doesnt officially begin until you get a heavier flow? Theres a general rule of thumb that helps you figure it out. Learn more at MyHormonology.com/when-is-the-first-day-of-your-menstrual-cycle.
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How Often Will I Get My Period
This depends. The average person gets their period every 28 days. But, ironically, most women dont have average periods. You could start your period every 21 days or every 35 days, depending on your body. Remember, though, that during the first 2 years you have your period, it may be irregular. This is completely normal!
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How Do I Use A Tampon
Inserting a tampon for the first time can be a bit of a challenge. Its hard to know exactly how to position your body and at what angle to put the tampon in. After a few tries, you will figure out what works best for you. Its best to use slender size tampons when you are learning. If you arent exactly sure where your vaginal opening is, use a mirror to have a look at your vulva .
To insert a tampon that has an applicator:
To insert a tampon without an applicator:
Kat A Former Clue Intern Shared Her Personal Experience Of Waiting To Get Her First Period Below
“Periods can be frustrating, messy and sometimes downright painful. Nevertheless, I couldnât wait to get mine. When I was nine, my mom taught me about periods, but stressed that I shouldnât expect mine to start any time soon since she had gotten hers later than average. Still, I was determined that that wouldnât be the case for me.
When I was 10, I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, looked down, and finally, a little spot of blood! The wait was over! I was a grownup now, ready to tackle anything! I rushed down the hall to tell my mom who gave me a pad with an unconvinced look on her face. That night I was almost too excited to sleep, knowing what I could tell all my friends in the morning. You can imagine my despair when there was not a hint of red to be seen, only a small cut on my upper thigh. False alarm.
Throughout elementary and middle school I had to sit through various puberty talks and was given countless handfuls of pads and tampons from sex ed teachers âjust in case.â I had to watch all of my friends come into school ready to spill the details of where they were and how they felt now that they were âa real woman.â I wasnât as physically mature as they were but I felt absolutely sure that this milestone would make me fit in again. Days, months and years passed. I watched everyone develop, claim that they had âsynced up,â and relate to each otherâs symptoms. I felt excluded.
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Your Birth Control Warns You
If youre using Natural Cycles as birth control, youll get regular updates about the changes happening in your cycle, including when your period is due. NC° Birth Control has two parts: an app and a thermometer. The app learns the pattern of your cycle based on the readings from the basal body thermometer. Its possible to measure ovulation with temperature readings and thats how Natural Cycles can identify where you are in your cycle. So as well as learning the signs your period is coming through noticing changes in your body, youll get in-app updates too!
Did you know that if youre using hormonal birth control you dont really get periods? Instead, methods like the birth control pill often cause a certain type of spotting called a withdrawal bleed. Since you dont ovulate on hormonal birth control, this isnt technically a period, but rather a symptom of changing hormone levels.