Could My 7 Year Old Daughter Be Hitting Puberty?

This is about right. Also, with the change of hormones, she will start developing body odor. Discuss this with her as well. I was in 3rd grade when I got my first training bra. I wasn't the only one who was wearing them but the boys can be jerks at this age so talk with her about that as well. Oh, the joys of a daughter! Wait until they come home and tell you they are "in love"! Yikes!!!

My daughter hit puberty at about the same age that I did. She didn't start getting pubic hair until she was 12 and she didn't start her period until age 14. We do try to consume organic milk and meat to avoid the cows with added hormones but I know that when we eat out we are probably getting meat and dairy with the hormones and we try not to obsess about it.

Dear H.,

I have 2 daughters ~ one 9 and one 13. My 9 yr. old (who is very private) has all the outward sign of maturing and is no different from most of the other 9 yr old girls in her class.

Her big issue right now is that she wants to shave her legs ~ Ah ~ no way kiddo. I'll admit, she does have a lot of dark leg hair, but come on, 9 just seems way too young for me.(I'm still hoping to put this off till middle school!)

Back to your questions ~ right after her 9th birthday my youngest came to me and said "Mom, do you know that I am the only girl in 3rd grade who dosen't wear a bra! I asked her if she was intertested in getting one so she and I went out and bought a few sports type bras for her. (Some of her classmates started wearing them in 2nd grade.)

When she was around 7yr. old, (2nd grade) I first noticed "chest buds" and a few hairs on her private parts when she was showering. (I don't know if this is related, but she also seemed to have a lot more hair on her legs, etc...)

A few days later, I privately mentioned these "changes" to my husband and he freaked! He insisted on us buying only hormone free milk in hopes of delaying puberty. After he realized that hormones were in most of the meats & cheeses that we were eating he realzed that he couldn't totally protect his little girls from everything and ultimately, in his eyes, from "growing up" too soon.

When my oldest daughter was around 10, she started to spot. (She was a little chubbier than my younger daughter so we really didn't notice the signs of maturing until she was 8.) Sorry for my being so frank here but by age 10 she had a much fuller pubic hair area and was wearing an
A-B cup. She spotted every once in a while and didn't get a regular period until she was around 11 1/2. (After talking to other moms, most said that their daughters started to mature at a simular age as they did (or their husband's sisters did) when they were girls so I was happy that she was a full yr. older than I was when I started.)

If I were you, I would go to the library/book store and start looking into books on puberty for your daughter. You should pre-read them and pick out books that just deal with body changes and periods for now. That way you'll be ready when she stars asking questions or when you think she needs to know.

FYI ~ Some books are too graphic for 8 & 9 yr olds and go into more detail than you may wish to expose your daughter to at this time.

When she is ready & starts asking questions, (or if you think she's ready for you to start bringing up the subject) try to be as positive as you can be. Go slow and let her take the lead on how much she wants to ask/know/hear.

You may not realize it, but her self esteem and body image issues are also starting to develope too.

We want our children to feel good about themselves and about the changes that they are going through ~ not to be confused and afraid about what's happening to their emotions and to their bodies.

My advice is to be calm, be informed and when it's time, gently guide your daughter through this stage in her life. After all ~ it's just a part of growing up ~ as a parent, that it. :)

Take care, AL

P.S. The American Girl book "The care and keeping of you" is good. It's not a cover to cover read ~ my daughter keeps it in her room and only reads the parts that interest her. You may want to just pick out a few parts to start with.

I think you have to go with your gut. The same thing happened with my now-10-year-old. I noticed some pubic hair shortly after she turned 7 (she had also been showering alone but had an irritation that she wanted me to check on). I was conflicted--I knew it could be considered normal, but I just didn't think it should be happening so early. Her sister was almost 10 and still didn't have any kind of hair. So, I took her to the pediatrician and he ran some tests but couldn't find anything glaringly wrong (a couple of her levels were slightly off), so then we did an ultrasound of her ovaries and adrenal glands, but still, everything seemed okay. The pedi told me to bring her back if she started developing breast buds...sure enough, just before she turned 8, there they were. So we went back and at that point he felt it was probably normal 'for her,' but b/c my mother has thyroid disease and my husband has type 1 diabetes, he sent us to an endocrinologist just to be safe. Sure enough, the endo tested her thyroid (the pedi hadn't done that yet), and she has Hashimoto's disease (the same as my mom), which means that her body was basically destroying her thyroid gland. Her symptoms of precocious puberty were atypical for her disease, but not entirely unheard of. We got her on medication (synthroid), and her development slowed way down. She is now 10 and looks like her peers. No period, and just this year (5th grade) started wearing a bra. So, my take is, if you have a genetic tendency towards early puberty in your family, and you instinctively feel that this is normal for your daughter, then just keep an eye on her--and make sure you tell her what's coming down the road! If you don't have a family history and this seems like it just isn't right--and especially if you have other family members with endocrine disorders--then take her in and get her checked out. It can't hurt, and it may well uncover something important, as it did in our case. Good luck!

Hello H.,

You and I are facing the same concerns....but maybe I can give you a bit of "H." in the period area......my daughter will soon be 9 in October. I noticed hair around the age of 6...when she turned 8 I noticed a little of underarm hair. As of now she hasn't started her period...and just a sec while I knock on some wood!! She started to develope breast buds around late 7 early 8...I was a late bloomer and didn't begin my cycle until 12...however, her dad's side of the family are early developers and also hairy. What I did do was purchase the book American Girl....it describes what girls will go through also make both of you comfortable with the new changes....

Good Luck!

Rule of thumb - daughters hit puberty (shaving, periods, bras) about the same time the mother's did.

Our daughter started wearing a bra full time during 3rd grade, started shaving under arms this spring, and her legs this summer. Two years ago I noticed a few hairs in the nether regions and prepared myself and her for changes that will start taking place.

If you think she needs to start wearing a bra because of developing buds - by all means purchase under shirts or sports bras (we went this route to start with). If you think she needs it - she probably does.

American Girl has a fabulous book out for girls that talks about anything and everything regarding development,etc. It's an easy read for them and an easy book for you to explain from.

Good luck - the fun has only begun.

Each girl is different and though 7 is a little early for a training bra it is certainly possible. I know when I was young I started my period at 13 or 14 however my own daughters started theirs earlier at age 10 and 11 and my granddaughter at age 9. Girls are developing faster these days and it is normal today to start puberty at a much earlier age. So your daughter is maybe a little earlier than some but it is perfectly normal.

My daughter is too young for puberty (4yo). I began wearing my first training bra in second grade. I was soooo embarrassed. I had spotty, completely irregular periods beginning in fourth grade. By sixth grade the periods set a schedule. I didn't get hair until fifth grade though. Don't be too scared about this. Might be time to start the "your body is changing" discussion but you don't need to go into sex just yet.

H. this helps.

Girls are matering to early now a days and a doctor I saw on TV said in his opion it is the growth hermones in the food, so buy Organic foods, maybe you can stop that early matering.
The age of 12 is the age that most materatured years ago.

I have heard several reports lately of girls and boys maturing earlier these days due to all the hormones in milk, chicken and other foods. I have not actually witnessed any children I know maturing (breasts, period) in this way - I've just heard about it. The thing is, you just never know, so I would begin to prepare her about these things in advance just in case. I had breasts early on and was in a C cup by the 6th grade and I started my period when I was in 7th grade (12). So just because one thing starts early, it doesnt' necessarily mean that everything will. Good luck and God bless.

OMG!!!! All these responses are scaring me!!! I have a 5 yr old daughter and I wasnt expecting to have to deal with that till 13! I'm only about 2yrs away from puberty?! But she's my little baby!!! I didn't start my cycle till I was in 7th grade and begged my mom to buy me a bra in the 6th because all the other girls has them not because I needed one. My son is 9 and this lets me know that its time to also talk to him about his hormones as well as females. (you know how us women can get when its that time of the month!) It might help him understand what they are dealing with.

H.,
I hate to bust your bubble, but my oldest started getting hair on her girl parts when she was six, she is now 9 and hasn't started yet and still doesn't need a training bra. BUT.. a friend of her's started her period last year at age 8. I have done a little research on this topic... and if the girl is a little chunky or has "extra fat cells" (is what they call it) then they will be prone to start early. I took my daughter off of the milk with the antibotics (just to try to slow it down) and we work out a few days a week. My daughter doesn't have any fat on her, but i wanted her to understand healtiness a little early, and if this also delays her period... then more the better.

You will undoubtedly get a lot of responses saying that non-organic milk is to blame due to the added hormones that the milk industry gives its cows... Others will say its the amount of soy and estrogen-like imitators in our diet due to vegetable oil, etc... I'm not saying this is or isn't true...

However, an alternate explanation for girls hitting puberty at an earlier age is that children in general tend to have a heavier weight than 20-30 years ago. Hence, girls will hit puberty when they physically maintain a certain percent of body fat.

My older daughter is 14 now she got her training bras about 4 or 5 yrs ago. She asked me to teach her how to shave her legs and underarms at about 9 because we also are hairy and she didn't like it. It will be 4 yrs ago in January that she started her cyle.
My other daughter is now 9, I just got her training bras this year. She still hasn't shown any interest in shaving her legs but her hair is not as noticable as her sister's and so far doesn't have hair under her arms and she hasn't started her cycle yet.
May this give you some idea of what's coming. God bless!

I was 8 when I got my training bra. Almost 9 when I got my period. I was skinny as a twig, so my weight had nothing to do with either of these early occurrences. It was just time. Go help her out mom, if you're confused and asking questions, you know she certainly will be! :) good luck!

now and she's 7 1/2 years old. I was an early "bloomer" as well.

Is she overweight? My 6 YO niece looks like she needs a bra too. But she's overweight. Weight can play a part in hormones, too....so hair growth and early periods may occur.

S., mom to 4 girls!

H.,

The BEST is yet to come. You are NOT READY but it is HERE !

On the subject explain to your daughter that her BODY is changing and take one step at a time as things arise and PLEASE DO NOT MAKE THESE CHANGES PUBLIC issues with your friends as this time in her life are very important to her and she might be scared with these CHANGES.

My daughter an adult of 34 yrs started her period at about 9 yrs and had bra size 34 B in middle school. As soon as she started her period we discussed the BIRD AND THE BEES in DETAIL and if she had any QUESTIONS she should come to MEEEEE. The door was wide open to discuss any issues that she did not understand at any time. I also took her to Planned Parenthood office and explained that she could get CONDOMS FREE. I explained BIRTH CONTROL - BETTER SAFE THAN SORRRYY ! Explained there is RESPONSIBILITY (BABY) in having SEX and it is NOT FREE for anyone that ASK FOR IT. RESPECT YOUR BODY. "You will get BURNED if you PLAY with FIRE." Also, about SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES. You could say she was the SEX expert in the 70's and her girlfriends' mothers keep MUM on this. What were they waiting for them to get pregenant and then talk to them? I am CATHOLIC but I BELIEVE in abortion for a teenage girl including my DAUGHTER because she would be PAYING the PRICE ALONE.

Also, I have an adult son, 39 yrs and the SAME ruling applied to him and we as parents were VERY VERY OPEN with them. It is funny but when my son started getting an erection at about 9 yrs, he very frankly told me and I explained and DID NOT LAUGH OR JOKE that his body was changing. That is when my husband stepped in and took him fishing, etc. and had their MAN talk.

In speaking with them, they THANK us for keeping them informed and NOT OLD FASHIONED. Also, our discussions were BETWEEN US NOT the whole family.

God bless and Good Luck
Ms. M.

I was 12 when I got my period, but my friends daughter got hers at 9! And I have seen those little baby breasts in girls as young as 8 especially if they are on the over weight side. I would say, you should be getting ready, and have that "Talk" by the time she turns 8! She is going to be an early bloomer! Bless you both, S.

7 is a little early. I would switch to organic or hormone free milk and dairy.

i was 9 when i got my period,i dont remember life with out boobs or pubic hair! most of the chubby girls got there periods first. some think it has to do with the hormomnes being injected into chickens, milk and other products.