Daughter Beginning Puberty at 8 - Vancouver,WA

Yes! My 8 yr old stepdaughter has little breast buds and pubic hair. We also have to shave her underarms. I know kids are reaching puberty earlier and earlier, but I think a possible culprit is too much soy. There are traces of soy everywhere now, and it is filled with estrogen. They are even finding little boys are developing breast tissue/fat....

Well my daughter is only 5 so she isn't experiencing any puberty type things right now. But I remember being in 3rd grade (8 yrs old) and having breasts and was starting to get pubic hair, but I didn't start my period until I was 12. So maybe she's just developing early and her period will come later.
If she's uncomfortable, because she's being teased or just because her breasts are uncomfortable from doing school activities (I remember hating to run in PE because my boobs were bouncing and they were tender!) maybe you should consider buying her a sports bra/training bra for her.

Well, I started my period when I was 8! I got breasts early too. its been so long I really dont remember when, but I do remember being the only one who had breasts in grade school. Until 6th grade with another girl got them! yah! LOL... this was back in 1978 which was not a common thing as we see nowadays.

Puberty seems to start. Kids are bigger and growing faster. I totally agree with the other mom on here that said its in the hormones they give animals to make them produce whether its the milk, eggs and for the meat.

ok, now for a funny thing! I remember starting my period for the first time! My mom had explained that I need to change my pad often. So when I changed my pad for the first time, I left it on the counter in the bathroom!!! LOL... she saw it and showed me how to wrap it up and put in the garbage! LOL....

Grandma's take on this is:
1. Research shows that girls who live closer to the equator used mature sexually earlier than girls farther north or south. It was attributed to the fact that the days were longer and the prolonged exposure to sunlight IN THE EYES produced hormonal changes in the pituitary gland. Now girls in the climes farther from the equator are developing earlier than ever before. Why? More exposure to electric lights and TV light! (This report was in Scientific American magazine maybe 10 years ago!) Earlier bedtimes can slow down this phenemonon.
2. Another hormonal change is now attributed to the common use of plastics to store foods. Most plastics emit estrogen into our foods, especially if we heat them in plastic. Notice how many more "soft", overweight boys there are with early "boy-boobs"? Weight loss, increased physical activity and more glass microwave plates could help. And maybe slow down the maturation of little girls, too.
3. I was born in 1941, and it seems to me that I now live in a very different world. But I remember Patty in my class. She wore a bra in the 2nd or 3rd grade. B-cup! She was also the chubbiest girl in the class. It made her very self-concious and shy. I wish I had been more sympathetic with her, but I remember being jealous, too. I still am! (I never got past a B-cup, and now have had a mastectomy!) But I was very active - jungle gyms, running, dancing, sports. She just seemed to watch from the sidelines. It seems to me that if a kindly woman teacher had had a talk with all of us about Patty's development and encouraged us to include her in all our physical activites, she would have lost weight and been much happier.

My daughter started her period at 10. I expected, by the doctor's calculations that she would be tall (5'8")when she grew up as she was always 80%. I was disappointed that she would start puberty at such a young age, not only because it a burdon to bare when a girl is so young but because it also starts the bones plates to respond to the hormones It could be a genetic thing for her, I'm not tall and I started at 11 but I never was tall, just less than 50% all throughout my life. to slow growth (heights). However, you may want to talk to her doctor to see what other causes besides genetics it could be as it could affect her final height and at 8 she wouldn't seem to be an adult height.
According to some friends of mine in the biotech business, I learned that chicken has the highest density of growth hormones in its meat. The time between hatching and being full sizes for processing is unnaturally short and is one big source for hormone injection by children (aren't we taught that chicken is less fatty than beef. Beef has less dense hormones per pound, though it still has hormones.) My daugheter ate allot of chicken nuggets coming home from school everyday before I made that connection.
So maybe organic meats would be the way to go at this time.
Just food for thought, no pun intended.

My daughter also started getting pubic hair at that age. I didn't think too much of it because I started getting at age 10. However, I did not get my period until I was about 14. My daughter is 13 now and has not started yet either. I've been told that when a girl is overweight it can jump start puberty. My daughter is overweight now, but at 8 she was not. But after she started puberty, she started gaining weight. I was always overweight as a child and adult. So who knows. But it is a good idea to talk to her about these changes and whats to come. Let her know how important it is that she tells you when it does happen. Keep an eye on her eating habits. Make sure there's always something low calorie and healthy to snack on.

I would talk with her pediatrician about reproduction suppression. Synarel is a nasal spray that will supress things for a while. When I was a surrogate, I was ab;e to use this instead of Lupron to make myself not ovulate. 8 years is so very young! Also, you might try not using food that has horomones- more organic.

I got breasts in 3rd grade, and my period in 5th. By 5th I had a size A cup. It's not that uncommon. Oh and in response to the topic of dairy being the cause, it is possible, but persoanly I was alergic to milk and didn't have a drop of ANY dairy product not even yogurt until I was well into my teens. Alot of puberty is triggered by bodyfat. You have to have a certain amount of bodyfat before your body kicks in to make these things happen, that is why some athletic girls don't get their periods until they are well into their teens, or anorexics lose their periods. We are more well fed these days and bodyfat means healthy enough to have babies biologicly speaking.

My daughter started developing at 8 as well. I was a little freaked out at first too because I didn't start developing until I was 12. She seemed so much younger and I felt inaddequate to talk to her at such a young age because I didn't want to frighten her. I also knew that I had to talk to her so she didn't find out by "accident" like I did the first time. I found the book by American Girl Company "The Care & Keeping Of YOU" to be a very good resource. You can pick it up at Barnes and Noble or Borders. Bath and Body Works also carries it sometimes. I read it through with her and then let her go through it on her own. Now she is almost 12 and still hasn't started her cycle, but I know she is better prepared for it. The important thing is to make her feel comfortable and that this is a normal stage of life.

Oh is it hard, I actually got my period when i was 9 but it so confusing because the doctors said it was all these other conditions. What i would say to you is to talk to your daughter about as much as she can understand. Make her get confortable with herself because i remember felling akward, i remember having breast and all at 9 and some of my cousins and aunts would traumatize me by asking me for some because the were smaller than me and i was just starting. Just be open about it and get her to trust you its very important. Hope the best for you and your daughter

I would take her to the Dr. If everything is OK, just let nature take it's course. I was 9 when I started developing, almost 12 when I started my period. I felt weird enough, and having everyone point it out made me feel worse. As the oldest, everything that happened to me was noticed, and I felt weird and ashamed about something I had no control over. Take her in for a physical, then leave her alone.

Hi E.,

I found this article:
Slowing Down Early Puberty
Natural Remedies to Halt or Slow Signs of Early Puberty in Children

http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/early_puberty.html

I did not begin puberty until I was 13. This was the norm in the 1970-80's. I was born in 1970. There were not that many, if any, hormones in our food at that time. Thank God.

Look what is happening to our babies now. Do you think this is alright? I find it down rigth scary and very manipulative of our own bodies.

M.

My oldest daughter started at that age getting hair. I was a little shocked at first. She is now almost 11 and still hasn't gotten her period. We have talked about it, and I've showed her how to shave her armpits and stuff. Just be as open as possible with her. She will appreciate it later. Good luck

Oh boy do I know your pain, my daughter is 7 and when she was 6 I noticed breasts so I took her into the doctor and he told me that yes she was forming breast tissue. I'm not entirely suprised because I remember being 9 or 10 and in a B cup...but this is my little girl she is suppose to stay little. At 7 she is still playing with barbies and dolls and at the same time she worried about wearing training bras. I do not make her wear them but she actually likes them lol. I am definately not ready for her to grow up atleast not at the age of 7.

I was 10 when I started my period. I had size C cup breasts by then. The only thing that bothered me about all of it was that I was the only girl in class with breasts. I was also theonly one that had a period. I got alot of looks and stares from the other kids but eventually that went away because alot of the other girls started developing a year later. The talk is hard and I'm dreading giving it to my daughter. That will be a long time away for me thought, she's just 1 month old right ow. My mom never gave me the talk. I just went by what my sister told me since she already had her's. Just explain to her in a way that makes you comfortable and in a way that she'll understand what is going on with her body. But to be honest, she probably already knows what's happening. That's all my friends and I talked about at her age. What it was going to be like. That helped alot to having friends to support me while going through puberty. Good luck to you!

Why are we all so intent upon teaching our girls to shave their armpits and legs?? Is there anyone out there that actually ENJOYS the process of lathering, shaving, avoiding nicks and doing every other to every day?? So why start? The random hairs they grow in their pits won't even be noticeable for a strong few more years! I think we ought to be teaching our girls that body hair is OKAY for little girls. Once they become teenagers, they can decide for themselves whether they want to shave or not. My mom wouldn't let me shave my legs and armpits until I was 13, 4 years AFTER I started my period. I remember how I didn't even have dark hair on my legs, but started shaving because all the other girls were, and THAT'S when my hair became thick and course and dark.

Let's teach our girls that nature knows what it's doing. This might make them more attune to nature, more attune to what their body is telling them (in terms of hunger, emotions, and physical needs) and less likely to become peer pressured to do anything else...

Hi there,

I as well am a 31 year mom with and 8 year old who is hitting puberty at 8. She just turned 9 a couple weeks ago but this has been going on awhile now. She has to wear a bra everyday now and she is only in 3rd grade. I wouldnt worry. Every child goes through this and every child does it at an early age. Its sad and hard but I would treat it as though it were normal because it is. You dont want her to be ashamed of growing up to be a woman. Embrace it, its all you can do.

:-)

I was in 1st grade when I hit puberty. I had pubic hair, armpit hair, I was a B cup and I was too tall. My face started to break out when I was 8. Then I got my period around 10 or 11. My doctor said there was nothing wrong with so I just had to except the fact that I was an early bloomer. (I am now 17)

I have twin girls & around 9-10 yrs old they started puberty also.Chrissy is bigger on top & has underarm hair & pubuic hair & Carla is a bit smaller on top & no hair under arms or pubic yet.Ive noticed they get a bit moody at times the hormones kickin in OMG they r 11 yrs old right now & the pedi says they can start there period at any time oh no im NOT ready for this I will have to stop it when this happens they wont understand it at all.

I would take her into the doctor and maybe ask if she might need to see an endocrinologist. Sometimes precocious puberty can be caused by an endicrine imbalance. Although from most of the responses here it must be on the rise to have early puberty. It might be worth asking her doctor if s/he feels that there may be a endicrine issue. Mosty likely it is just fine, but I wanted to throw it out there.

My daughter is now 10, and she started getting breasts at 8. She now has to wear a bra, and started getting pubic hair as well. My family history shows that we don't normally start til age 12/13, but when I brought this to the doctor's attention he said it is normal. Girls are beginning puberty earlier for many different reasons, and many believe it has to do with all the preservatives we ingest through our food. I wouldn't worry too much, just make sure she is prepared with all the right products and sit her down and explain everything to her as best as you can. Otherwise, they tend to go to their friends (who really know as little as they do), and that is how incorrect information gets around and girls think they can get pregnant just by kissing a boy!
I try to be as open and honest with my daughter as possible that way she feels she can come to me about anything, and she tends to make her decisions on fact instead of ignorance. I've also noticed her decisions have more thought and maturity to them!
Good luck!

Hi E.,

This is becoming more common. There is speculation that it is being attributed to the hormone they give cows rBGH. Cows already produce Bovine somatotropin (bST), or bovine growth hormone (BGH), is a protein hormone that occurs naturally in the pituitary gland of cattle. However, rBGH, is a synthetic hormone in milk and dairy products. It's given to the cows to produce more. Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), is a synthetic version of BGH that is injected into a cow to artificially increase her milk production.

I switched to milk and dairy that is either organic or does not have the synthetic hormone such as Smith Brother Farms, Wilcox Farms or Dairygold. Here is some more info about it and an article in the Washington Post with a woman's daughter developing breasts at age 9.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A53101-2003Oct6?...

As a Nurse I know all about this, well kind of lol. It is becomming very normal these days for girls to be starting very early. It is because of the changes in hormones in foods and other things. All you can do is talk with her about all the changes she is going to be going through and just let the changes happen. Make sure she knows that shes not going through anything else that you havn't already gone through. My daughter is 9 and is also starting to go through the changes. I sat her down and explained it al lto her, of course her response was ewwwww gross mom!! lol. But now she knows she can come to me with anything and everything.

Hi there,

My daughter just turned 10 and it was just over a year ago whe I noticed the early breasts and we went and got her a training bra. I was, and still am in shock! :-) I just can not believe our little girls can grow up so fast. I also had the period talk with her, just in case. Good luck with everything.

I'm not really sure what to tell you. I didn't start util I was 12 or 13 so I don't know what an 8 or 9 year old would go through. I think that the only thing you can do is prepare her for the worst. Teach her about what she's going to experience when she does start so that she knows what is happening. Make sure the school nurse knows your situation so that she's prepared too. Some girls just start to blossom at an early age, so you may have an early bloomer without the whole period thing yet. I think that the only thing you can do right now is to prepare her for what might happen but, don't scare her.

It is'nt just limited to girls either. My son began with the hair growth at age 8 and is well into it at age 10. He also developed body odor at a very early age, and has light facial growth. He thinks this is all pretty cool though:)
His dad was an early start too, with voice changing at 12.
It is a bit scary to feel like you are losing your little baby at such an early age, but they will always be our babies no matter what.
I have heard from some folks that an earlier onset of puberty may be linked to the hormones and additives in the foods we eat in this country. I plan on looking into that more.
Best wishes with everything, your daughter is very fortunate to have her mama looking out for her in this sensitive matter.

My daughter is 10 and already has hair, wears real bras (rather than the "no cup", just to get used to kind!), etc. and has had to wear bras for at least 2 years. Girls are starting older and older and I know it sounds strange, but I have honestly heard that it has a little to do with the hormones that are in foods these days... a lot of things contain additives that we didn't have when we were younger. Not that it specifically makes them start their period, but it affects their hormone make up. My neice is also starting at 8. I think it's just something that happens... not something to worry about.

I praised all my girls. When they first started puberty I took them to get there first bras. I let them pick it out. Then that night we went out for a special dinnner of there choice.

The teasing part when she goes to school. I always in private told her not to tell anyone but they just jealous they dont have any yet =) My youngest is 8 also. Btw for the older girls lifetime movies are quite educational like Shes too young, odd girl out. etc.. Some teaches about std's in younger kids. Since ive allowed my 15 year old to see it she knows more about Std's. Just a suggestion since i know most kids dont listen to us preaching to them

Hello E.,

My 8yr old has begun as well. She never came to me when she got pubic hair she just seems to be rollin with the flow of things. If she asks just let her know that these things are what happens when you start to become a lady. If you have already talked with her about a period then you are already a step ahead. Just take her out buy her a couple of training bras and let her help pick them out. It really will be ok.

Hi E.. My little siste started her period at nine years. she didn't get explained to though and she kind of got scared about it. just let your little girl know that she is growing up. explain to her what her period means. tell her the truth in everything! don't hide facts or act ashamed because becoming a lady is nothing to be ashamed about. just be truthful with her and let her see that becoming a "woman" is a good thing. Good luck with this...and I hope this helps a little. Best Wishes, T.

E., although my daughter didn't start at the same age as yours, she did start over the past year. I know it's scary, but she's probably just as weirded out as you! So, to calm her, you definitely need to keep the lines of communication. I'm a big proponent of researching information on the WWW. One of the sites I used to show my daughter about her period, was www.always.com. I'm not quite sure how age appropriate it might be for your daughter, so I would read it first. But that is just one idea. Also, it would be a good idea to have the both of you talk to your pediatrician so that you can both feel more at ease with the process. Hope that helps!

My daughter is 8 and she is also starting puberty. I spoke with her doctor about it and he said that it is becomming increasingly normal. She believes it is due to the hormones we eat in our foods coupled with families that genearlly start early. My family started at 10 and up.

I am pretty sure that is when I started going through puberty. By the time 3rd grade hit I was starting with a training bra and hair below.

My son started wearing deodorant at the age of 6 (just a deod. not an anti persp.) he is now getting hair on his body at the age of 9.

Wow--just goes to show all the variation out there!
I was a late bloomer compared to this group (14), then caught up REAL fast... by 16 I was the noticeably top-heavy girl in school.