I have a 7 year old daughter who I hope is a long way from puberty. I got my first period at 11. My mom was 14. Most of my friends seemsed to start between 12 and 14. I'm curious about how soon girls seem to be starting now and how closly it resembles their mother'c cycles.
Girls are now beginning to start their periods a young as 6 and 7 years old - but chances are, if you began puberty late, so will your daughter, and if you started early expect her to start getting her period even younger than you did.
It is fairly common now for girls to begin their periods far earlier than what is traditionally considered the proper age for puberty: because we live in the US and our children have to luxuries of plentiful and nutritious food, health care, and alot of exercise, girls bodies are capable of carrying a child as young as ages 7-9, and begin their periods accordingly.
My mother, myself, and my teenage sister all began our periods at around the same age with my mother and I at 11, and my sister at 13.
Hi Maygin,
I have heard girls are starting a lot earlier due to the amounts of steroids in our foods. I am not certain how reliable that is, but that is what I have heard.
I was 13. So far, my 11 1/2 yr old daughter has not started, thank goodness. I don't think she's ready to deal with it yet. Three of her best friends, however, all the same age, started nearly a year ago! That is just so young to me, and I really hope my daughter will follow in my pattern and not start until she's 13 or so.
I was the youngest of my friends when I got my period & I was 16 at the time! That was 21 years ago.
My 12 year old daughter just got her period a few months back. If I recall correctly, she is also the youngest of her group of friends.
I have 2 more Daughters & wonder, now that the question has come up, how young they will be.
My poor Husband. Hee Hee!
I was about 12 1/2 and I believe my mom was either 12 or 13 if I remember correctly.
I have heard that it is more overweight-less active girls who tend to start sooner rather than later, but not sure how acurate that is. Hopefully she won't start for at least another 4 or 5 years.
Good luck!
I was worried about my daughter too. She started getting pubic hair at 4 and we have been taking her to the doctor ever since. She finally started her Birthday 1 month before she tunred 11. Before she starts you will notice her hair get really oily, she will get pubic hair and start developing breast tissue. Not just breasts but breast tissue. The breasts that are just extra fat, but when she gets the glands you can expect her period about 6 months later. Also Heavier girls tend to start their periods earlier.
On a different note, I had heard that women that live together tend to get their periods at the same time. I wondered if it were true my daughter had her first period in February and another in March and then nothing and at the same timemy period went kind of weird. Then we both started at the exact same time down to the minute, 2 months in a row.
I dreaded her getting her period, but I have found I look at her differently now. I don't know if it's just me but she seems more mature and we have a great time together as girls. We have gotten closer so it wasn't as traumatic as I thought it would be.
I am also a single mom of 2 girls and 1 boy. My girls are 14 and 10. Well to answer your question, I was 11 1/2 and my twin started 6mnth after me. My oldest daughter started at 13 and my twin sis daughter started at 14. So it just depends on your daughter's biological clock.
Hi Maygin, I myself have 2 girls 11 and 3 and my oldest just started hers about 2 months ago. It was 2 months before her 11th birthday. I had "the talk" abou ther body changing and what to do and let het ask questions about it all while we had a girls day out just me and her. It seemed to ease her mind about it all. She was the first one out of her friends to get it and was scared to let them find out. But within the following month they all started too so they can talk.
hope that helps somewhat
janelle
stay at home mom of 3 great kids
Hi Maygin.
Let's see I had just turned 10 & got it on 02/15
My daughter who just got hers on 02/15/07 just turned 10 in Dec. So ours were pretty similar
My sister & her daughter also got theirs at similar times.
I do not know the exacts
Hope this helps
Laura M.
I was a late bloomer. I got my period when I was just about 15yrs old. My daughter got her period at 15yrs old. Chances are that your daughter will have it pretty close to when you got it. Also there are some studies that I have heard of about the amount of hormones in our meat and drinking out of plastic. I don't know a lot about it, but you can google it and see what you come up with. I heard this from a few midwives. My daughter started with mood swings and headaches and stomachaches at around nine years old. We went to an herbalist who helped with this. The herbs she gave us took the headaches and stomachaches away. The mood swings were better. We need to teach our girls to love their bodies and not see our mentral cycle as something bad. This is a very special time and is our rite of passage to go from girls to young women. Also, anything that changes our menstral cycle is not healthy. Good luck to you. Juanita
I got mine in 9th grade, but I am afraid for one of the twins she has been complainig about her chest hurting and she is only 7. I am afraid because when I was in elementary my sisters 8 yr. old friend got her period. Then scientists are saying that little girls are maturing faster. It's just scary.
I got mine about 2 months shy of my 15th birthday...I'll be 34 in 3 months so this was a long time ago for me...lol! My cousin has 2 little girls the oldest being 12 and she started 2 yrs ago...imagine my shock! I just never figured a "little" girl having her period...since thats still how I see her when I look at her "baby" face :-) . Im just wondering when her youngest (now 10) will start hers, if her older sister is any indication how young they start now.
Hi, Well I got mine when I was 12. My daughter was seeing a specialist when she was 8 and the doctor told me that she had a breast bud which meant she was growing breast tissue. I started FREAKING out and I though GOD shes only eight. She will be 11 in about 2 weeks. She hasn't gotten her period yet but she has been developing very very quickly in all areas for about the last year or so. Hope this helps.
I started when I was 9
my daughters were 12 and 11 - all of us much younger than my own mother and sisters who were all 15...
My mom and I both started right after turning 10. I started wearing a bra, in the fourth grade and about 6 months later I started. I have heard about kids who are overweight starting earlier, this wasn't the case with me or my mom. My sister got hers at 13, she tends to take after her dad's side of the family. My daughter is only 6, she always had little boobies, even though she is very thin. It is true about women who are close getting their cycles at the same time or within a week apart. When my mom,sister and myself were all living together, we got it very close together.
I hope this helps!
Kristie
my daughter is almost 9 years old her hormones are already changing it is the worst thing i have gone through in years.shes up and down theattitude is crazy her little body is changing so quickly it is driving me so crazy i have contacted a friend who has been ibn the child business for over 30 years so she can direct me in the rightway to handle my new daughter.
I don't have a daughter, but I got mine at 11. I think my mom got hers around 11-12.
From what I understand puberty/periods can start as young as 8. My Mom won't talk about it with me and I am over 30 so I don't know the history and how it compares to mine which began at around 11. Good luck!
My mom, sister and I all started around the same time (12). Also, it makes a different in the amount of activity a child does.... extreme activity anyway like with gymnists.