Menstruation, also called a period, is one of the main
stages of a girl’s puberty. The scientific name for a girl’s first period is
“Menarche”. A girl getting her first period means that she is sexually mature
and can produce offspring. It also means that the girl is becoming a woman. The
girls in puberty have various feelings towards getting their period. Some girls
are scared and anxious; some can’t wait for it to happen, some feel embarrassed
and some do not even realize something is happening in their body. These days,
open minded societies, internet and sex education across the world to the kids
have played a pivotal role in educating children about sexual maturity. These
have also made the girls aware of what is happening in a body, the signs
and symptoms, when a girl gets her first period.
A girl can get the first period when she is 11-14 years old.
There is a wider range of age in rare cases which is 9-16 years. Because of the
hormones kicking in, a girl may have a lot of changes in her body before the
onset of her first period. A few signs and symptoms are most common:
Development of breasts:
Development of breast buds is one of the most important symptoms of
a girl’s sexual maturity. Because of the hormonal changes a girl’s body
develops fat tissues and milk glands. Girls develop nipples and breasts leading
to the raised area. Breasts start developing about 2 – 2 ½ years before the
first period. It might take 4 years for a girl’s breast to develop completely.
It is advisable for girls to use training bras and camisoles when they start
developing breasts.
Growth of Pubic hair:
Sometime after a girl’s breasts starts developing, the pubic
hair grows. Thin and soft in the beginning, the pubic hair grow thick, curly
and coarser later. A girl might get her first period a year or two after the
first pubic hair growth.
Growth of Armpit hair:
As soon as the pubic hair grows, a girl can experience the
growth of hair in armpits. Similar to pubic hair, the armpit hair is also soft
and thin in the beginning and becomes thick and coarse with time. This
indicates that the girl is just a year or two away from her first
period.
Vaginal discharge:
This is the best indicator to tell a girl that she might get
her first period anywhere between 6 months to 12 months from
her first vaginal discharge. The discharge might be white or yellow in color.
It is absolutely normal for girls to have a vaginal discharge.
It is also proven that a girl has a lot of chances of
getting her first period as her mother did. Knowing this
information from her mother can keep a girl prepared for her first period. It
is advisable for girls to carry sanitary pads or tampons or panty liners a year
after they have found the initial symptoms. A very early or delayed onset of
first period need not be worried about because this happens quite a bit
depending on lifestyles of the girls and is absolutely normal.
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