How To Know That Your First Period Is Coming
This article was co-authored by Laura Marusinec, MD. Dr. Marusinec is a board certified Pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, where she is on the Clinical Practice Council. She received her M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Medicine in 1995 and completed her residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Pediatrics in 1998. She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 59 testimonials and 91% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 609,509 times.
Getting your first period can be exciting and scary! Your first period means that you are becoming a woman, and this happens at a different time for every girl. While there’s no way to know exactly when you will get your first period, there are a few signs that you can start looking out for.
What Is A Period
A period, also called menstruation, is when your body removes the buildup of the lining of your uterus. This buildup of menstrual blood and tissue flows out of your vagina. The day your period starts is the first day of your menstrual cycle, which lasts until the first day of your next period.
Recognizing the signs that your period is coming helps you prepare to deal with the symptoms your body goes through during your menstrual cycle.
What Causes Menstrual Period To Come Out
Period occurs due to cyclical change of your hormones during your menstrual cycle.
What is the menstrual cycle?
The menstrual cycle is the number of days between 2 periods. For example, if your last menstrual period started on the 27th of April and your next period starts on the 26th of May, then you have a 30-day menstrual cycle.
Some women may have an erratic menstrual cycle, short menstrual cycle or long menstrual cycle.
What causes period to come out?
At birth and during puberty, the ovaries contain a fixed number of follicles that are released in each cycle. Weeks before you are born, your body stops producing follicle that develops to release an egg.
It is estimated that throughout the lifetime of women, about 500 eggs are released from the ovaries. These release of the egg is called ovulation.
Before ovulation occurs, your body increases the secretion of estrogen. This hormone works to help grow the endometrium covering the inner part of the uterus.
If you get pregnant, you will have no period because the endometrium helps provide nutrition for your baby.
However, if youre not pregnant, the endometrium breaks down coming out from your vagina as period.
Now its your turn. Do you have a headache or pains before your period starts? Are your menstrual period symptoms affecting your daily activities?
Read Also: My Period Is 9 Days Late
Should I Use A Pad Tampon Or Menstrual Cup
You have many choices about how to deal with period blood. You may need to experiment a bit to find which works best for you. Some girls use only one method and others switch between different methods.
- Most girls use pads when they first get their period. Pads are made of cotton and come in lots of different sizes and shapes. They have sticky strips that attach to the underwear.
- Many girls find tampons more convenient than pads, especially when playing sports or swimming. A tampon is a cotton plug that a girl puts into her vagina. Most tampons come with an applicator that guides the tampon into place. The tampon absorbs the blood. Don’t leave a tampon in for more than 8 hours because this can increase your risk of a serious infection called toxic shock syndrome.
- Some girls prefer a menstrual cup. Most menstrual cups are made of silicone. To use a menstrual cup, a girl inserts it into her vagina. It holds the blood until she empties it.
Is Your Period Healthy
How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign your period.
The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future.
Recommended Reading: How Can I Delay My Period
What Is The 2
The “2-week wait” is a term that has been used to describe the time interval between ovulation and implantation, or the approximate point at which a pregnancy test will yield a definitive answer. Many tests available on the market today are able to determine if you are pregnant, even before the date of the expected menstrual period.
How To Know When Your Period Is Coming
This article was co-authored by Rebecca Levy-Gantt, MPT, DO. Dr. Rebecca Levy-Gantt is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist running a private practice based in Napa, California. Dr. Levy-Gantt specializes in menopause, peri-menopause and hormonal management, including bio-Identical and compounded hormone treatments and alternative treatments. She is also a Nationally Certified Menopause Practitioner and is on the national listing of physicians who specialize in menopausal management. She received a Masters of Physical Therapy from Boston University and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 24 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 2,426,645 times.
Having your period is nuisance enough without the added stress of a surprise visit. While there’s no scientific method of determining exactly when your period will come, these methods below will help you estimate your menstrual cycle length and help you be prepared for the next one. Carrying pads or tampons around in your purse at all times is a simple but effective strategy to never be caught off-guard.
You May Like: How To Calm Down Your Period Cramps
When Do Most Girls Get Their Period
Most girls get their first period when they’re around 12. But getting it any time between age 10 and 15 is OK. Every girl’s body has its own schedule.
There isn’t one right age for a girl to get her period. But there are some clues that it will start soon:
- Most of the time, a girl gets her period about 2 years after her breasts start to develop.
- Another sign is vaginal discharge fluid that a girl might see or feel on her underwear. This discharge usually begins about 6 months to a year before a girl gets her first period.
What Happens When Your Period Stops After 3 Months
Your periods stop for more than 3 months and youre not pregnant. You have vaginal bleeding or spotting between periods or postmenopause. Your periods become very irregular after you have had regular cycles. You experience nausea, vomiting, or severe pain during your period. Your periods are less than 21 days or more than 35 days apart.
Don’t Miss: How Can You Track Your Period
Signs Of Period Coming But No Period
If you experience signs of period coming but no period, then it may be due to pregnancy.
Pregnancy may cause you to have signs of period Headache and cramps, but no period coming.
If pregnant, you may experience brown spotting before period or sometimes an unusual early light period.
Are you getting tired easily? Do you feel like vomiting? Are you craving for a specific kind of diet? Then its possible you may be pregnant.
Other causes of signs ofperiod coming but no period are stress, weight loss, contraceptive pills, obesity, weight loss, ovarian cyst and polycystic ovarian disease.
Q How To Find The Safest Days To Have Sex Based On The Period Calculator To Avoid Pregnancy
Calculating the safe period days is very simple. You have to fill in the dates of your last period, duration of your period and the duration of the menstrual cycle. And your data is ready for the next months! The dates with white spaces in the calendar are the safe day. Generally, one to seven days of the menstrual period, and the days after ovulation are considered safe or infertile.However, remember that the calculator is purely based on the details you give, and can be inaccurate if the data is incorrect.
You May Like: Why Am I Not Getting My Period
Period Or Pregnancy Introduction
One of the most frequent questions in parenting forum is about the differences between signs of pregnancy and period. It is in fact very difficult for many of us, even for experienced mothers, to tell the difference between early signs of pregnancy and signs which indicates that period is coming as symptoms of both period and pregnancy are very similar.
In summary, similar symptoms of pregnancy and period are tender breast, headache, bloating, constipation, fatigue, morning sickness or cramp. Different signs include backache which is a sign of period. Spotting and frequent urination are symptoms of pregnancy.
When Will I Get My First Period Quiz
Are you constantly thinking about your first period? This “When will I get my first-period quiz” is here for you. A period is a natural phenomenon. It can be a little scary, though, if it’s your first one. It depicts that your body is healthy and growing just fine. Though there’s a lot of emotional triggers during each phase, the mood swings quickly. Take this quiz to know how far you are from your first period.
2 or more years younger
1-year or older
I don’t think I’ve started puberty, and my mum got her period when she was the age I am now or only half a year older.
I’m startng to get bigger breasts like my nipples getting bgger!
They’re startng to grow beyond the breast tissue but don’t look lke an adult woman’s breast!
They look more womanly now and are quite bg: I can ft an AA bra now.
They’re very developed. I’ve had them for like two years or more!
I’ve had them growng for almost three or more years, but they haven’t grown huge, but they have grown beyond just the nipple.
It’s bald. Nothing.
I’ve got a few fne thin hairs growng which are a lighter color than the har on my head.
I’ve got some dark hairs, the color of my head hairs, that are quite long now and gettng thcker.
Don’t Miss: How To Stop Period For A Few Hours
Q What To Expect From Momjunctions Period Calendar
MomJunctions period calendar requires you to input the date of your last menstrual period date to calculate your monthly period. The date here refers to the starting date of the last period cycle, not the ending one.
The second input requires you to give the average length of time between your periods. Since the term varies from person to person, its not wise to assume the figure. You must be as accurate as possible to determine your most fertile days if you are planning to conceive.
Once youve shared the inputs, the period calculator will show you the result. It wont just give you a heads up on your next period start date for the next 12 cycles, but will tell you about your most fertile days and if you are late for your period cycle. Even if your period is delayed, you will know the next expected date of your period. This way, you can keep a track of the length of your menstrual cycle and the number of days it lasted.
Disclaimer:The period calculator provides the approximate dates by considering your regular menstrual cycle. If your menstrual cycles are irregular, the tool may have trouble pinpointing your day of ovulation or period. While period calculators are not 100% accurate, the menstrual cycle is still a very useful tool. MomJunction is not responsible for any associated deviations, failures or liabilities.
Do you have any question about the period calculator, menstrual cycle or any other related topic? Ask us in the comment section below!
Q Can You Speed Up Your Menstrual Cycle
- Take contraceptives on a regular basis. It can effectively regulate your menstrual cycle.
- Some doctors recommend hormone injection to stimulate your menstrual cycle.
- Sexual activity increases the blood flow to the genitals, stimulating the uterus to contract.
- Eat high levels of vitamin C rich food. Vitamin C rich foods produce estrogen in the body and build the uterine lining, contracting the uterus and causing menstruation.
You May Like: 9 Year Old Starting Period Symptoms
Q Difference Between Menstruation And Menstruation Cycle
When a woman menstruates, her body discards the lining of the uterus. The blood flows from the uterus through a tiny opening, passing out the blood through the vagina. This is called menstruation.
A menstrual or period cycle is calculated from the first day of the period to the first day of the next period. An average menstrual cycle is 28 days long, but some women may have longer or shorter cycles. It can range from 21 to 35 days in adults and 21 to 45 days in teens.
What Are The Signs You Are Getting Your Period
Women usually start noticing physical and mood changes about 1-2 weeks before period bleeding starts. Ninety percent of women have premenstrual syndrome symptoms at some point in their reproductive life. Some women have more severe PMS signs and symptoms than others.
Changing hormones are to blame for many uncomfortable or unpleasant period signs and symptoms like cramps and tender breasts. Brain chemicals are also involved, but itâs unclear to what extent.
Period signs and symptoms usually end about 3-4 days after bleeding begins.
Common signs that your period is approaching are:
Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Time To Get Pregnant After Period