How Old Are Girls When They Get Their Period

How Early Is Too Early To Start Menstruating When Is Too Old

First Period – Girl Talk Episode 1

While the average adolescent will get their first period sometime between the ages of 10 and 15, having an earlier or later first period is not necessarily a sign that something is wrong. Some children may have their first period when they are just 8 or 9 years old. Similarly, some people might not get their period until they are 15 or 16, especially if other female family members were late bloomers. Children usually have their first periods about two to three years after their breasts begin to develop and between six to 12 months after they begin to experience vaginal discharge these can be helpful signs to watch out for if you are concerned whether your child is too old or too young to be experiencing their first period.

If your child begins to show signs of puberty before about the age of 8, such as developing breast buds, make sure you help them understand the changes in their body, and consider making a visit to your pediatrician. Your child may be experiencing early puberty, and a healthcare provider can help you determine whether or not there is anything to be concerned about. Similarly, if your child has reached age 15 and has not yet begun their period, consider making an appointment. Factors such as weight , stress levels and exercise frequency and intensity can influence when a child begins their menstrual cycle.

How Long Does A Woman Usually Have Periods

On average, women get a period for about 40 years of their life.6,7 Most women have regular periods until perimenopause, the time when your body begins the change to menopause. Perimenopause, or transition to menopause, may take a few years. During this time, your period may not come regularly. Menopause happens when you have not had a period for 12 months in a row. For most women, this happens between the ages of 45 and 55. The average age of menopause in the United States is 52.

Periods also stop during pregnancy and may not come back right away if you breastfeed.

But if you dont have a period for 90 days , and you are not pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor or nurse. Your doctor will check for pregnancy or a health problem that can cause periods to stop or become irregular.

What Are The Symptoms Of Menarche

Leading up to your first period, you may notice these symptoms:

  • Tender or sore breasts .

During your period, you may notice red or brown blood on your underwear or in the toilet after using the bathroom. You may bleed so little that you only see a few spots before your period ends. Or, your bleeding may start light, get heavier, and then become light again before it ends.

Everyone experiences periods differently. And first periods are especially unpredictable. Dont worry if your symptoms or your period are different from someone elses.

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Tips For Talking With Kids About Puberty & Periods

Thereâs no question that talking about periods and body changes can be awkward and uncomfortable for everyone, but girlsâ health depends on us getting past our own discomfort to provide accurate information and support from a young age.

Research confirms that girlsâ confidence plummets during puberty and reaches its lowest point around the time of her first period. Itâs also well established that public education on puberty and reproductive health is inconsistent across school systems and often limited to a one-time discussion .

The best way to ensure our children grow up confident and informed about their bodies and how they work is have more of these conversations at home. To help you support your children, let me share 3 tips that make awkward conversations a lot easier and more effective!

What Age Is Menarche

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Youll likely get your period between ages 11 and 14. In the U.S., most people experience menarche around 12 and 12 ½. Another way to predict when youll get your period is to think back to when you noticed changes in your breasts . Menarche usually happens 2 to 2 to 2 ½ years after your breasts begin to develop.

You can get your period as early as 9 or as late as 15. Many factors influence when menarche begins, but its common to get your period at around the same time your mother or birthing parent did.

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Why Have My Periods Not Started Yet

Your periods will start when your body is ready. This is usually between age 10 and 16, or 2 years after your first signs of puberty.

Possible reasons for delayed periods include being underweight, doing lots of exercise , stress and a hormone imbalance.

See a GP if your periods have not started by age 16 . Your GP may suggest a blood test to check your hormone levels.

You may be referred to a specialist to find out what’s causing your delayed periods and discuss any treatments that might help.

Will I Have Periods Forever

You wont have a period for the rest of your life, but youll probably have it for quite some time.

Most people will have a menstrual period until they go through menopause. Menopause occurs when the hormones that increased to trigger your first period begin to decrease.

Menopause typically begins between ages 45 to 55.

Stress and other underlying conditions can also cause your period to stop.

If you begin experiencing any unusual symptoms alongside a missed period, talk to a doctor or other healthcare provider.

If you want to stop having a period, you may consider talking to your healthcare provider about hormonal birth control.

Certain forms allow you to skip your period whenever you like or stop it entirely.

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Signs Of First Period In Your Daughter

The good news is your daughters first period wont just arrive completely out of the blue her body will offer up a few little clues first. These are the main signs that her first period is imminent that you should both be on the lookout for, but do make her aware that these changes can happen in any order though.

What Does It Mean To Get Your First Period

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Your body begins to produce adult levels of hormones during puberty. A period happens when your brain sends a signal to your ovaries to release hormones called estrogen and progesterone.

Every month, starting around the first period, estrogen and progesterone hormones prepare your body for a possible pregnancy. This causes the lining of your uterus to build up. This buildup is to prepare for a fertilized egg to attach and begin development.

After about a month of buildup without an egg attaching, the buildup will break down and bleed. This blood is what is seen during a period. This cycle repeats every month and is called a menstrual cycle.

Its common for a cycle not to be regular after a first period. Periods may be hard to predict occurring every 3 weeks, every 2 months apart. This often lasts for the first 1 or 2 years after a first period.

There are apps that can help track periods. Using an app to track in the first couple of years can help spot if anything is very irregular. You can use information from the app to start a conversation with a doctor.

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What Role Do Genetics Play In Height

Your height has a lot to do with how tall or short your parents are. Growth patterns tend to run in families.

When looking at the growth of children, pediatricians often ask parents about their own height, family height history, and growth patterns.

There are a couple of different ways to predict how tall a girl may grow. One of these methods is called the mid-parental method.

To use this method, add the height in inches of the mother and father, then divide that by two. Then, subtract 2 1/2 inches from that number. To determine the predicted height for a boy, youd add 2 1/2 inches to the number.

For example, if a girl has a father whos 72 inches tall and a mother whos 66 inches tall, the predicted height for the girl would be found with the following calculations:

  • 69 2.5 = 66.5
  • So the predicted height for the girl is 66.5 inches or 5 foot 6.5 inches.

    This number is a rough estimate, however. You may see a margin of error of up to 4 inches in either direction.

    In general, the taller the parents are, the taller the child will be, and vice versa.

    When To See A Doctor

    If your daughter doesnt fall within the average age range for puberty and menarche, it could be a sign of other health concerns. Its wise to take her to the doctor if shes experiencing menarche before the age of 11, or if shes displaying any of the following symptoms:

    • Delayed menarche
    • Lack of breast development by the age of 13
    • A gap of four years or more between initial breast growth and menarche

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    What Do I Need To Do To Prepare For My First Period

    There is nothing in particular you need to do to prepare for your first period, besides having feminine hygiene products and over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen on hand. If you happen to get your period with no access to menstrual products, toilet paper will work in an emergency. If you get your first period at school, your teacher or school nurse will have a pantiliner or pad on hand.

    There are a variety of menstrual products available to you:

    Disposable pads

    These absorbent pads have an adhesive backing that sticks to the inside of your underwear. They are available in different lengths and absorbencies, and some have adhesive wings that wrap around the sides of your underwear. Disposable pads should be changed every 4-6 hours and are thrown out after a single use.

    Pantiliners

    These are small, thin, disposable absorbent pads that can be used on their own on days of light flow. They can also be used in combination with a tampon, in case of leaks or discharge.

    Reusable pads

    These are usually made of cotton, bamboo, or other natural absorbent fibres, and are often available at health food stores. They can be washed with detergent and reused. Some have velcro tabs to secure them around your underwear.

    Tampons

    Menstrual cup

    The Early Middle Ages

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    Average Age: 14

    Theres not a ton of historical records about the age of first menstruation before the Middle Ages. In his book, Womens Bodies, Edward Shorter estimates that most ancient Roman women got their periods between the ages of 13 or 14.

    Similarly, historians believe that girls in the Middle Age got their first periods around the same age, according to The Age of Menarche in Medieval Europe, published in the September 1973 issue of Human Biology. Records from the era report girls getting their period at ages as young as 12 and as old as 15, but the articles writers quote research suggesting that 14 remained the average age of first menstruation until the Renaissance.

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    How Does My Menstrual Cycle Change As I Get Older

    Your cycles may change in different ways as you get older. Often, periods are heavier when you are younger and usually get lighter in your 20s and 30s. This is normal.

    • For a few years after your first period, menstrual cycles longer than 38 days are common. Girls usually get more regular cycles within three years of starting their periods. If longer or irregular cycles last beyond that, see your doctor or nurse to rule out a health problem, such as polycystic ovary syndrome .5
    • In your 20s and 30s, your cycles are usually regular and can last anywhere from 24 to 38 days.
    • In your 40s, as your body starts the transition to menopause, your cycles might become irregular. Your menstrual periods might stop for a month or a few months and then start again. They also might be shorter or last longer than usual, or be lighter or heavier than normal.

    Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have menstrual cycles that are longer than 38 days or shorter than 24 days, or if you are worried about your menstrual cycle.

    What Are Periods

    Your child will go through many changes in puberty. One of the most significant milestones is your child’s first period.

    Periods are part of the menstrual cycle. They happen because of changing hormone levels in the , which affect the .

    Heres what happens in a menstrual cycle:

    • The hormone oestrogen is produced in the ovaries in cysts or sacs called follicles. The oestrogen stimulates the follicles to produce eggs. Usually only one egg matures and is released. When the egg is released, the ovary produces a second hormone, called progesterone.
    • The egg moves from the ovary to the fallopian tube and travels towards the uterus.
    • In response to the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, the uterus makes a lining to prepare for the arrival and implantation of a fertilised egg.

    This last step is what we call a period. Most of the blood and tissue comes out in the first couple of days, but some people have bleeding for up to seven days. The amount of bleeding varies.

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    What Is A Period

    A period typically happens about every month and is the process by which the uterus sheds its lining. This is in response to changes in the hormones throughout the body. Hormones from the pituitary gland in the brain communicate to the ovaries and the body. This causes the ovaries to release the hormones estrogen and progesterone into this body. Estrogen and progesterone cause the ovaries to mature and release an egg by process called ovulation. Estrogen and progesterone also cause the lining of the uterus to build up in preparation for possible pregnancy.

    Once the egg is released from the ovary, it travels down the fallopian tube towards the uterus. If the egg meets a sperm as it travels, it can attach to the lining and will develop into a fetus/pregnancy. If the egg does not meet a sperm, it will travel into the uterus and with more changes in hormone levels, eventually be shed with the lining of the uterus as a period.

    This process happens repeatedly and usually takes about a month for the lining to build up again and break down.

    Menstruation can be scary and unknown for many girls, but it symbolizes that they are growing up. Make sure to explain very clearly what a period is so your child feels prepared.

    First Menstruation: Average Age And Physical Signs

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    When will girls get their first period? The ages vary, but there are two signs of puberty that generally precede first menstruation.

    Physical Signs That Precede First Menstruation

    While girls vary in the ages that they are when they start their periods and when the other signs of puberty occur, the order is fairly consistent. The two things that are most closely tied to the age when a girl starts her periods, that she can readily assess herself are: first real bra and armpit hair. A “real” bra means one with a cup size attached to it, as opposed to small, medium, large distinctions. Armpit hair is self-explanatory. Any amount will do. At this point, a girl will probably start her periods within 3-6 months, if she hasn’t already.

    It also occurs right after the growth spurt of adolescence. So, if a girl grew, grew, grew, last year and has slowed down then periods are right around the corner.

    Average Ages And Average Time Between Stages

    Take this as the starting point or adolescence. Here is the sequence and time frame of events for an average girl. The girl will also begin her growth spurt about this time. She will notice pubic hair about 6 months later. About 6 months after that she will be in her peak growth spurt, growing faster that she ever has. She will probably get her first training bra at this time. About a year after all this , she will get a real bra and armpit hair. First period will come about 4 months before or after these events.

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    Why Should I Keep Track Of My Menstrual Cycle

    If your periods are regular, tracking them will help you know when you ovulate, when you are most likely to get pregnant, and when to expect your next period to start.

    If your periods are not regular, tracking them can help you share any problems with your doctor or nurse.

    If you have period pain or bleeding that causes you to miss school or work, tracking these period symptoms will help you and your doctor or nurse find treatments that work for you. Severe pain or bleeding that causes you to miss regular activities is not normal and can be treated.

    What Are The Signs Of A First Period What Are Some Of The Common Symptoms

    For many people, their first period comes as a complete surprise, but there can sometimes be signs that it is arriving, such as pimples, bloating, mood changes or cramps. Usually, a first period is preceded by other puberty symptoms, such as the growth of pubic hair, breast development, and body shape changes.

    A first period may be light or heavy right away, and period blood can range in color from brown to dark red. First periods can include many of the usual symptoms of a period, including cramping in the abdomen, back and upper legs, bloating, acne, breast tenderness, mood and sleep changes, and digestive issues such as diarrhea.

    Often, when a person begins menstruating, their cycle doesn’t become regular right away. For the first few years, it may begin at a different time of the month, or a person may experience different premenstrual or menstrual symptoms, including heavier or lighter bleeding. For most people, their cycles get more regular with time, and the onset and symptoms become more predictable.

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