What should I do when my daughter gets her first period?
You want to make the topic feel less like it is taboo. Parents should also consider making a “first period kit” for their daughter to carry with her—especially at school. Use a small, zippered pouch and put a few teen-sized pads and a change of underwear in it in case her period starts when she is at school.
To make sure your daughter sees her first period as a positive and natural part of life, celebrate the event! This celebration can be low-key or more involved. Make it part of a years-long conversation with your daughter about growing up, and fit the party to her personality.
Across a few parts of the country, a grand celebration marks a girl's first menstrual cycle. In the past, these celebrations were organised to tell that the girl is now of 'marriageable age' and looking for potential suitors.
- Talk About the Changes of Puberty and the Signs She May Experience.
- Show Her How to Use a Maxi Pad and Track Her Period.
- Discuss What to Do If It Happens at School.
- Make a Plan for When She Is Away From Home for an Extended Time.
When you first start having your period, it may last only a few days. Your first few periods may be very light. You may only see a few spots of reddish brown blood. Anywhere from 2 to 7 days is normal.
The first visit
Although the vast majority of patients won't need to begin Pap screening for cervical cancer until age 21, Dendrinos recommends bringing your daughter to a gynecologist between the ages of 13 and 15, regardless of whether or not she's started menstruating or is sexually active.
It's not clear where the trend started, but the whole period party thing may have gained momentum over a 2017 viral tweet about a family being “extra” (yes, they did order a cake that read “Congrats on your period”) by throwing their daughter a party to soothe her anxiety around starting her cycle.
Pad Size | Age Range | Chest |
---|---|---|
Junior Small | 7 - 9 | 26" - 29" |
Junior Medium | 8 - 11 | 28" - 31" |
Junior Large | 10 - 13 | 30" - 34" |
Senior Small | 14 - 16 | 32" - 38" |
Most girls get their first period when they're between 10 and 15 years old. The average age is 12, but every girl's body has its own schedule.
The Ceremony
Begun with a pooja on the idol, the saffron red kumkum is placed on the idol first and then on the young girl who just hit puberty. Followed by which a freshly prepared paste of turmeric herbal mix for puberty ceremony is smeared on the forearms, forehead and cheeks of the girl.
How do you celebrate a girl on her period?
Create or buy a beautiful box and put in it a range of practical things: pads, tampons, cups; a heat bag/hot water bottle, a moon calendar, journal and pen. 4. Take some time to make her something: a card, an eye pillow, heat bag or hot water bottle cover, a blanket, a cushion, or cover a journal.
Let your daughter know that it WILL get easier! It may take her a few tries to insert a tampon, but like anything, she will become faster and more comfortable inserting them and will be a pro in no time.

- Let her know that puberty is just a normal part of growing up. ...
- Look for teachable moments. ...
- Explain what puberty means. ...
- Help your daughter understand what changes to expect. ...
- Get help.
Most young people will have their first periods when they're between 11 and 14½, but anywhere from 9-16 years is considered normal.
Pubic hair – Once her pubic hair starts growing, you can expect her period to develop in one to two years. It may begin soft and thin but it will become courser and thicker towards the end of puberty.
The first period often is very heavy and painful. Ovulation, or the process of making an egg, helps make a “normal” period. Unfortunately, many girls do not ovulate in the beginning, resulting in heavy bleeding. Some girls also may have a bleeding problem that shows up when they start having periods.
A girl's first period is usually very light, with sometimes only spotting or very little blood. The typical menstrual cycle is 28 days long, but periods are often irregular during the first few years of menstruation.
Typically, your first period will last from two to seven days and it may be very light, perhaps just spots of blood.
- Chocolate. Chocolate is a great food to help period cramps, but not just any chocolate will do. ...
- Fruit. ...
- Bananas. ...
- Oranges. ...
- Watermelon. ...
- Vegetables. ...
- Kale. ...
- Broccoli.
The Period Pantry Project exists to ensure that anyone in the Columbus area who needs menstrual products is able to access them, regardless of income, lack of transportation, or any other barrier. We work with individuals and organizations, because we know that ending period poverty is a collaborative effort.
What does chocolate do to a girl on her period?
Studies suggest that eating between 40–120 grams of dark chocolate daily during your period may help reduce pain. This is probably because dark chocolate is rich in magnesium, which can relax muscles and ease aches.
There is no minimum age for tampon usage. If adolescents want to use tampons, they can usually begin using them as soon as their menstrual cycle starts.
Tampons go inside your body, which is why it's important to pay attention to whether or not your tampons have expired. Generally speaking, tampons expire after five years. Even though they may not look any different than brand new ones, expired tampons shouldn't be used.
The first period typically occurs after a female first ovulates. This happens when the ovaries release an egg into the fallopian tube. When this happens, the womb lining thickens in preparation for the egg to be fertilized. If fertilization does not occur, the lining sheds, as the body no longer needs it.
Dr. Edmundo Escomel reported her case in the medical journal La Presse Médicale, including that her menarche had occurred at eight months of age, in contrast to previous reports that she had had regular periods since the age of three or two and a half.
- Cramps (pain in your lower belly or lower back)
- Bloating (when your belly feels puffy)
- Breakouts (getting pimples)
- Sore breasts.
- Feeling tired.
- Mood swings (when your emotions change quickly or you feel sad, angry, or anxious)
- Do your homework. ...
- Set a good example. ...
- Find ways to start the conversation. ...
- Use other resources. ...
- Make sure it's a two-way conversation. ...
- Don't make assumptions. ...
- Reassure them that they're normal. ...
- Keep it positive.
In some south Indian communities, a girl's first period is welcomed through a coming-of-age ceremony called Ritusuddhi or Ritu Kala Samskara or a half-sari function. The girl receives gifts and wears a traditional outfit called Langa Voni which is a skirt and sari outfit, also known as half-sari.
When you get out of the water your period will flow again normally, so it's a good idea to use a tampon or menstrual cup while swimming. Pads and pantyliners aren't a good option because they will absorb water and become ineffective.
They're made to fit a younger body and suitable for light to heavy period flow. They are called Lil-Lets Teens SmartFit™ tampons and come with or without an applicator. It doesn't matter which type you go for as they both work in the same way once they're inside you. The only difference is how you insert them.
What do I do when my 9 year old is on her period?
Kreckman advises a visit to your provider. “If your daughter is going through puberty earlier than her friends and classmates, she may feel isolated and embarrassed. The best thing you can do as a parent is to reassure her and explain exactly what is happening to her body,” Dr. Kreckman says.
If your daughter doesn't ask or a door is not opened to tell her when she's quite young, most medical professionals recommend talking with your child about puberty when they reach six or seven years old. This might seem as if it's too young, but kids have the ability to comprehend puberty at this age.
It is the celebration of when a girl's rite of passage after menarche (first menstruation) and she is deemed a young woman both physically and spiritually. Langa voni is traditional clothing for unmarried girls in South India.
Pads, underpants, tampons or a menstrual cup? It's probably easier for your child to start with pads or period-proof underpants before they try tampons or a menstrual cup. Your child can use tampons and cups at any age, but it can take some time and practice to get used to them.
Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of your period, meaning the first day of full flow (spotting doesn't count). During this time, the uterus sheds its lining from the previous cycle. Between days 1 – 5 of your cycle, new follicles (sacs of fluid containing eggs) begin to develop within your ovaries.
Day one of your cycle is the first day of your period. This is when your uterus starts shedding the lining it has built up over the last 28 days. After your period is over, the lining of your uterus starts to build up again to become a thick and spongy 'nest' in preparation for a possible pregnancy.
Pubic hair – Once her pubic hair starts growing, you can expect her period to develop in one to two years. It may begin soft and thin but it will become courser and thicker towards the end of puberty.
Starting the conversation:
Ask her whether she's heard about puberty and find out what she knows so far. Correct any wrong information. Sharing your own experiences about when you started your period, whether they're long or short, heavy or light, will help her feel more comfortable.