# For those with grade school daughters, average age of menses?



## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

I'm curious to know the average age of menses for anyone who has a daughter in grade school. My daughter is 8 1/2, and she is rapidly maturing. Her doctor told me that I should be prepared for her period in 6 - 12 months. She would be 9 to 9 1/2 years at that point. She is very young in my opinion, but others have told me that their daughters are starting alot younger than they did.

Also, how did you go about preparing your daughter for her period, how to recognize it (blood) and what to do next. I don't want her to be caught off guard and scared, so I have started to explain that her body is changing. She has asked me so many questions including, how to use pads and tampons (her questions brought all of this out).

I just feel she is so young. It is hard for me personally to realize that I have a little woman on my hands. And at the same time, she is such a happy go lucky girl, and I don't want to say or do anything to take that away.

Okay, thoughts?


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## TwinsTwicePlusTwo (Dec 7, 2008)

None of my girls have actually started yet, but Beth is getting close, I think. My kids know all about puberty and how their bodies will develop, though, so I don't feel the need to do anything special. Actually, just the other day I was explaining to my 4yo son what a tampon was for (he picked up one and started playing with it







).

My girls seem to be on the 'late bloomer' end of things, though. A lot of the girls I know between 8 and 12 have already started, and, unfortunately, the mothers sometimes don't do a very good job of preparing the girls, or at least of making sure they carry the necessary things with them. After the second time a very embarrassed girl asked me if she could have a sanitary pad, I put clearly labeled containers with the necessary protections on the back of the toilet in each bathroom. Poor girls, it's no fun to have to ask a friend's mom who you barely know a question like that.







So make sure your daughter carries something with her at all times once she starts. Girls can be pretty erratic when they first start menstruating.

As far as recognizing it, I think it will be pretty obvious if they've been taught what it is. As for what to do, I assume Beth will put on a pad from the clearly labeled container, lol. I'd like to think she'll tell me, but knowing her I'll find out from the trash and missing pads. She probably won't deem it worthy of mentioning. I never told my mother. I just took pads from the drawer and went on about my business (I had been told I would start to bleed one day, obviously, or I'm sure I would've been scared).

I know a lot of people think getting your period makes you a woman, but a 9yo is a girl, whether she bleeds or not. Getting her cycle won't change who she is, so I hope you don't let it change the way you see or treat her.


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## 95191 (Nov 8, 2007)

Have you looked into diet changes to delay the onset? This may give you more time.


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## CarrieMF (Mar 7, 2004)

My oldest is 10. In her grade(5) there are 2 girls who I know have AF. They were both held back a year & are currently 12 & almost 12. They both got AF last year.

None of her other friends have AF. There a couple who will probably have it within a year based on the development I can see.

Of the girls in Grade 6, I don't know who does or doesn't, but most of them are not developed to the point where they'd have AF yet.

My dd has some pubic hair & some emotions,lol, but not really any breast development yet.


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## gingerstar (Jun 10, 2005)

I can totally relate! I didn't begin until I was 13, so I was completely unprepared. They are still little girls in so many ways!

My eldest turns 11 this month. She developed early as well, with actual breasts at age 8. According to her MD, it is only "early puberty" if they get onset of menses before age 8.
That said, she started just as she turned 10, in 4th grade. One of her classmates developed similarly. This year, in 5th grade, a couple more of her classmates have begun menses as well.

I really like the American Girl book The Care and Keeping of You for discussing puberty without getting into sexuality. (I just felt age 8 was a bit early for her to worry about sex being part of her life.)
I also bought panty liners and pads for her, put them in her bathroom and at Grandma's house in the bathroom she uses there, and let her tuck one into a pocket of her backpack. (Since 8 yo's don't carry a purse at school!) I also made sure she knew that the school secretary has supplies in the office should she need them. Her bathroom at school also has one of those machines, with pads for $0.10, so I tucked a couple dimes into her backpack as well.
She recently told me of one of her friends getting her first period at school, and she was the one they turned to for help and advice.

(She has recently begun having noticeable BO as well, and now must use deodorant daily.)


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## Mirzam (Sep 9, 2002)

My eldest was 13, but her periods didn't come regularly for a year or so at least after that. My 11.5 year old doesn't appear anywhere close to starting her period. She barely has any breast buds and no body hair or BO. She hasn't had much of a growth spurt either. She has read Care and Keeping of You, and both I and her big sister have openly discussed menses etc with her. I don't have anything ready for her yet, because it really doesn't seem imminent at all.


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## nuttinhny (Jun 7, 2004)

both my girls were about 12 or 13 and didn't have a regular period until about a year or so later.
I didn't have them reading books or anything, I just talked openly and they listened. Both informed me when it happened and both did well with it.


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## amynbebes (Aug 28, 2008)

Anna started on her 12th bday. Happy birthday to her


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## suabel (May 24, 2005)

_The Care and Keeping of You_ is a great resource...I'll add another vote for that. My oldest dd began her periods at 12.5 and my ten-year-old isn't anywhere close, but she certainly has friends her age who are much further along in development, so it's not out of the ordinary. For both of my older daughters, we discussed it on more than one occasion, as too much heavy discussion at one time seemed too intense for them. My oldest child especially is a bit embarrassed by the whole thing, so we did a lot of talking in the car, when she didn't really have to look at me.
















I'll say that I had pads available for my oldest in her bathroom and the communal bathroom, and encouraged her to keep one in her backpack for about a year before she actually needed it, just to give her some security. I'd make sure to mention how to dispose of them, so no toilets are clogged. S didn't actually use a tampon until just recently, because she's a competitive swimmer--she asked for them. I bought some slim ones and she had no problems figuring it out by herself.


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## Bekka (Nov 20, 2001)

Oldest dd is 10, in 5th grade. I have no clue whether any of the other girls in her grade have started. She's a young 5th grader, and will turn 11 right before 6th grade. I am really hoping she will wait to start until this summer. I hadn't thought of having a few panty liners in her backpack. It has lots of pockets; that's a great idea. I have things in all my personal bags ...

She's been using deo all year (found a natural kind she likes/works for her) and she has been wearing those little tiny bralet things. Very nice, like a bra/cami type thing. Soft, comfy and cheap (which I like). They had nothing like that I can remember back in the day.

She wants to use cloth, likes the idea, but may do disp. at school and cloth at home. We'll see what works.


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## MusicianDad (Jun 24, 2008)

The average age is 12.5 in North America. That doesn't change either between girls who started maturing early and those who started a few years later so early maturation is no promise of an early period.


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## SAHDS (Mar 28, 2008)

DD is in 4th grade and none of her friends have started menstruating. I expect, but who knows, DD to be a late bloomer like I was.

I also third the _Care and Keeping of You_ book. It is an awesome reference and DD and I have gone over it multiple times. It really opens the door for some great conversation. My mom was never very open and involved with me so it's important that I let DD know she can come to me with anything (and everything).


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## Amylcd (Jun 16, 2005)

I started at age 11, as did a few of my friends. I'm expecting my daughters to start around the same age.


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## 1xmom (Dec 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TwinsTwicePlusTwo*
I know a lot of people think getting your period makes you a woman, but a 9yo is a girl, whether she bleeds or not. Getting her cycle won't change who she is, so I hope you don't let it change the way you see or treat her.

Great point.

My dd is 9 and I have noticed little buds one day, but nothing else. She has a birth mark in her one armpit, so every now and then I act like I'm looking at her birthmark. And she is still pretty bare, although on occasion she does use deodorant.


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## honeybunmom (Jan 11, 2007)

I started at 10 - 29 years ago. I don't think I'd had any talks with my mother, but, fortuitously, the entire 4th grade passed around Are you There God, It's Me Margaret, by Judy Bloom, so I knew what it was when it came that summer. I just called my mom at work and let her know and she directed me to her pads (which, I previously thought she used for staving off potty breaks when she had a lot to do or was out for long period s of time away from a bathroom.







). I don't think my breasts had begun to develop . . . but, then again, I'm an A cup. So, I'm still waiting.

As for tampons, that came up 2 years later when I had championship swim meet races and my period. My mom got a box of jr. tampons and the pharmacists gave her several out of the box (knowing that I would go through many in trying to figure out how to get one in) and that was my introduction - necessity.


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## TEAK's Mom (Apr 25, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TwinsTwicePlusTwo* 
After the second time a very embarrassed girl asked me if she could have a sanitary pad, I put clearly labeled containers with the necessary protections on the back of the toilet in each bathroom. Poor girls, it's no fun to have to ask a friend's mom who you barely know a question like that.

My mom did this and my friends were so grateful. I plan to do the same and include condoms.

_My dds are at present 6 and 4, so there hasn't been a need yet._


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## MangoMommy (Oct 20, 2008)

Great question!

I have an 8.5 yr old DD and recently she was showing me her breast buds LOL. She was very proud of them LOL. It looks like just one of them is "budding" and only at the nipple area I guess? This of course freaks me out LOL...she's my little girl and I'm not ready. Guess I need to really start researching, because as silly as it sounds, I don't really recall when I started to develop,etc.

She's fairly little too, about 50 lbs and 50".


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## angelcat (Feb 23, 2006)

My daughter isn't that age yet, but my friends' daughters seem to get their periods around age 12. I was 13.5.

My mom bought me a box of pads almost a year ahead of time, and I carried one in my purse. (I started carrying a purse when I was 2.)


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## SAHDS (Mar 28, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MangoMommy* 
She's fairly little too, about 50 lbs and 50".

That's about the size of my DD (10 in July). I wonder if the size affects the start time. I mean, I know size and physical fitness can affect the menstruation after one has started, but can it also delay the start time? I didn't start until I was 14 and I was teeny.

*Musician Dad*?


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## AllisonR (May 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MusicianDad* 
The average age is 12.5 in North America. That doesn't change either between girls who started maturing early and those who started a few years later so early maturation is no promise of an early period.

12.5 - OMG! I got my first period at 17. I've heard artificial lighting is one of the reasons for the earlier age. Possibly diet as well?


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## THANKFULFORFIVE (Jan 8, 2009)

I didn't start (thankfully!) till I was 16. It looks like my girls are following suit...14yo still has not started despite breast development. I'm actually relieved to hear that the onset of menses aligns heavily with the age of onset of the mother. Anyone else find this to be true? Most of my daughters friends have all started already. Anyone know if there is any link to the "Risser stage" of skeletal growth?(measurement of the hip bone thickness to determine skeletal maturity). I found it interesting to see that my dd was still at "risser stage 0-1" at this age. (She was being evaluated for scoliosis). Just wondering if they relate in any way?


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## MusicianDad (Jun 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SAHDS* 
That's about the size of my DD (10 in July). I wonder if the size affects the start time. I mean, I know size and physical fitness can affect the menstruation after one has started, but can it also delay the start time? I didn't start until I was 14 and I was teeny.

*Musician Dad*?









I've got a daughter and no live in woman so I gotta do my research!

And yes, weight can't and often does affect start time. I think muscle vs. fat ratio has more of an effect. As long as the body knows it has enough resources to carry a child, a girl can start her period.


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## SAHDS (Mar 28, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MusicianDad* 
As long as the body knows it has enough resources to carry a child, a girl can start her period.

Great point! I think that must be a big factor.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AllisonR*
I've heard artificial lighting is one of the reasons for the earlier age.

Really? How does that work?









I thought it was more diet (hormones and additives and such) that are affecting our daughters.


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## vm9799 (Feb 1, 2007)

my dd is almost 12 (in 6th grade) and already had her 1st.....this year. she's not regular or anything and has only had a few since she started. they are not heavy....more "spotty" than anything. she's very tall for her age (about 5'2) and she's skinny as a rail.

i was like 16 when i had my first, so apparently genetics has nothing to do with it!


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## wbd221 (Feb 11, 2009)

In his book Boys Adrift, Dr. Leonard Sax has interesting info on the effects of chemicals in plastics on the hormonal systems of both genders. He draws a correlation between early menses and (advanced) physical development in girls with the increased exposure to plastics (ie: as bottled water use has grown, so has early puberty rate in girls).

I found some of the theories in the book not well-substantiated by research, and I've not researched this extensively myself, but it does raise some questions...


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## candipooh (Jun 22, 2004)

I am bumping this. My dd just turned 10. She is starting puberty. I am trying to load myself up with as much info as I can.

My vegan mom would like to blame the early puberty on the fact that we eat meat (hormones). My sister-in-law would love to blame it on the fact that we drink soy milk. I personally would love to blame on something that doesn't make it my fault,lol.

DP started puberty very early. He was very embarrassed and would sneak to his friends house to use his dad's stuff to shave. (he had a single mom who did NOT talk about that kind of thing. My mom also started puberty early and was wearing a bra at 10. Her period started at 11 or 12. I didn't get my period until 15 (or 14)

The signs I am seeing are increased body order, oily face and breast buds (plus pain on/under one nipple). She started to plump up when she was about 8 1/2. I think that was in preparation for puberty. (?)

There was a few days when the pain in her nipple seemed to be pretty bad. Those same few days she had pain on her underarm. It seemed to be a little swollen too. Could this be the lymph nodes? Could it be puberty that caused it? (I will ask her dr when I take her in on the 2nd of April)

So....menses is usually one of the last puberty 'signs'?


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## mclisa (Jul 26, 2004)

I've heard: hair, buds, then menses.

And you do have to have a certain amount of body fat to get your period. Estrogen is made in the fat.


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## sunnmama (Jul 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *candipooh* 
My mom also started puberty early and was wearing a bra at 10. Her period started at 11 or 12. I didn't get my period until 15 (or 14)


Why would your mother blame hormones from meat if _she_ started puberty early, as well? Surely, even if your vegan mother ate meat as a child, it didn't have hormones back then, right? It sounds like your dd just takes after gma. (I'd tell gma that







)


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## MusicianDad (Jun 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mclisa* 
I've heard: hair, buds, then menses.

And you do have to have a certain amount of body fat to get your period. Estrogen is made in the fat.

Most of the time, breasts start deveoping before pubic hair appears. Only 15% of girls get the hair first.


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## candipooh (Jun 22, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sunnmama* 
Why would your mother blame hormones from meat if _she_ started puberty early, as well? Surely, even if your vegan mother ate meat as a child, it didn't have hormones back then, right? It sounds like your dd just takes after gma. (I'd tell gma that







)


LOL, that is what I was thinking. And next time I talk to her about it I *will* bring it up.









I haven't noticed hair yet, the buds seems to be first. Although dd keeps checking for the hair.


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## candipooh (Jun 22, 2004)

Sp do you think the pain on her underarm is related to nipple pain?


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## kay4 (Nov 30, 2004)

my dd was 14 and 2 months old when she started


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## Nature (Mar 12, 2005)

My dd started last summer right after she turned 10. Mentally its way too soon for her and she hasn't adjusted to being a "woman" yet either.


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## 95191 (Nov 8, 2007)

Quote:

My sister-in-law would love to blame it on the fact that we drink soy milk.
Might want to look into it. There is a lot out there on _hormones and soy_. NOT saying this is the "cause" but a lot to consider when giving to developing children.


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## 95191 (Nov 8, 2007)

In general, genetics play a hugh role but _I feel_ it's naive not to factor in diet.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SAHDS* 

Really? How does that work?









Because the body is programmed to start menses after a certain number of years of sunlight, and it treats artificial light as sunlight.


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## MusicianDad (Jun 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *A&A* 
Because the body is programmed to start menses after a certain number of years of sunlight, and it treats artificial light as sunlight.

The body is programmed to start mensus after a certain ratio of body fat is aquired.


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## candipooh (Jun 22, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *serenbat* 
Might want to look into it. There is a lot out there on _hormones and soy_. NOT saying this is the "cause" but a lot to consider when giving to developing children.

Yes I know all about it.Just as I know about hormones in milk and meat.


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## candipooh (Jun 22, 2004)

Is 10 years old really on the 'early' side of beginning puberty? Not menses but the beginnings of puberty like breast buds and body order?


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

DD1 was 13.5 and we're still waiting for DD2 (nearly 13). They both had breast buds by age 10.


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## Mirzam (Sep 9, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *candipooh* 
Is 10 years old really on the 'early' side of beginning puberty? Not menses but the beginnings of puberty like breast buds and body order?

It appears not to be. Both of my girls were over 11 before any breast buds appeared, however. I would say 8 is early, JMO.


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## GAjenn (Jan 28, 2009)

I taught middle school for 8 years and it seems like 6th grade is when most of my students started.


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## candipooh (Jun 22, 2004)

Ruth, how old were you when you developed and started?

Does the father's genes have any say in when their daughter's will start puberty?


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## UptownZoo (May 11, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *candipooh* 
Does the father's genes have any say in when their daughter's will start puberty?

I think it must. My first period came when was almost 15. DD's first period came when she was only 11. Both of us started menstruating about 2 years after the early signs of puberty started.

I have no way of knowing what my DD's paternal heritage is since her dad's mother is deceased, but that's a wide difference between the two of us so I assume her earlier puberty comes from her father's genes. I think that environmental factors can affect age of onset, but not by several years. Maybe a few months, but aside from serious food shortage (which would obviously delay onset of menstruation, as it would stop any menstruating woman's cycle), I've not seen evidence that food, light, or anything else can make a girl menstruate several years younger than her genetic heritage dictates.


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## 95191 (Nov 8, 2007)

some info / book on early puberty at the bottom

http://www.planetgreen.discovery.com...aylife-article


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## gingerstar (Jun 10, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *candipooh* 
Does the father's genes have any say in when their daughter's will start puberty?

In our case yes! I didn't start menses until I was 13 - but my DH developed young, and his mother tells me that she developed just like my DD has done. (Breasts at age 8, period at age 10.) My DD takes after DH so much, I tell my MIL now she knows what it would have been like had she had a daughter!
I was completely unprepared for my DD to hit puberty at this age - somehow I thought she would take after me, and that I had years to go yet....


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## Phoenix~Mama (Dec 24, 2007)

I got mine when I was 10 years old.







It ruined my whole summer, I was so upset and didn't want to come out of my room. I knew what it was, but I felt I was too young to deal with it. Really sucked.

My Mom was AWESOME about preparing me though. She made me a special little kit with a change of panties and a few pads. She took me to pick out my first purse and put the kit in that in case I got my period while I was in school. I have never forgotten how thoughtful that was of my Mom and it made a big impact on me.

I'd suggest having a similiar kit... especially with the change of panties. Not something that everyone thinks of right off the bat, but a fresh pair to change into in case blood has already gotten on the pair is worth a million dollars. lol


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## Nature (Mar 12, 2005)

Oh, my dd doesn't drink soy, doesn't eat much meat, isn't "fat" but healthy weight, and had breast buds at age 8. (menses at 10 like I posted)

I also started mine at 10, so I suspect its largely genetic.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MusicianDad* 
The body is programmed to start mensus after a certain ratio of body fat is aquired.

This. I am friends with a fellow parent at dd's school who is a pediatric endocrinologist. When I asked her about precocious puberty (my niece was diagnosed with this as she started her menses at the age of 7), she said that there is no evidence of things like hormones or additives causing early-onset of puberty, but rather the indicators from their research is that it is linked with childhood obesity (and my niece is obese... she was 130lbs. at 7 years old).

However, the main factor is still genetics. The mother's time of onset is the key (assuming a healthy mother at that time her menses began).

ETA: I started right around my 14th birthday. My oldest sister was 9 or 10 and the middle sister was 16... almost 17. So... go figure on genetics with that one.


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## ASusan (Jun 6, 2006)

Probably should be another thread...

Role of artificial light on age of menarche

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4101652

Role of artificial light in decreasing the age of of menarche

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4195152

more recently (2007)

Light Exposure, Melatonin Secretion, and Menstrual Cycle Parameters: An Integrative Review

http://brn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/9/1/49

From The Trend toward Earlier Puberty

http://www.jstor.org/stable/4236619

Quote:

Indeed, both natural and artificial light, including
supplemental light, can alter the timing of puberty or estrous
cycles or can augment gonadotropin levels in laboratory
or commercial species or both (Mahone, Berger, et al.,
1979; Hansen, Kamwanja, et al., 1983; Fauconneau and
Gauthier, 1984; Yellon and Foster, 1985; Lee, K. H., 1986;
Meiners-Gefken, Schmidt-Baulain, et al., 1988; Roche and
Enright, 1988; Paterson and Pearce, 1989; Adam and
Robinson, 1994; Ringuet, Pelletier, et al., 1994; Adam,
Kyle, et al., 1995; Enright, Zinn, et al., 1995; Meek, Lee, et
al., 1995). Furthermore, some wavelengths of light may
be more effective than others (Wheelhouse and Hacker,
1982), and, in some experiments, light's absence-total
darkness-has been found to delay puberty (Agricultural
Research Institute of Ontario, Canada, 1977).
The first two, published in the Lancet in 1970-71, seem to the the ones that everyone else cites. (For example, when examining the effect of artificial light on scoliosis or breast cancer.)


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## KristyDi (Jun 5, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MusicianDad* 
I've got a daughter and no live in woman so I gotta do my research!

And yes, weight can't and often does affect start time. I think muscle vs. fat ratio has more of an effect. As long as the body knows it has enough resources to carry a child, a girl can start her period.

Anecdotally, I got my first AF in the 5th grade so 11-12ish. My sister got hers in the 10th grade so 15-16ish. I am naturally much curvier, aka I have a lot more body fat than she does. She was, and still is to some extent, very skinny naturally. She also went through an amenorrhea (cession of her period) in college. She's an athlete and just wasn't maintaining the fat stores even though she ate like a horse.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GAjenn* 
I taught middle school for 8 years and it seems like 6th grade is when most of my students started.









: I taught for 7 years in a 1-9th school and this was my experience too. Also, thanks for preparing your daughters. I always felt for the girls who had no idea what was happening to them.


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## haleyelianasmom (Nov 5, 2005)

I got mine at 14.5, but I was very thin and a very late bloomer. I barely have hips or boobs even now. I was also very busy in gymnastics right before I got my period (maybe 18 hours a week?), which probably delayed the onset a bit. Most of my friends got their period sometime in the Jr High range (11-13), at least the ones I knew about. So 12.5 as an average sounds about right. At 14.5 I was more than ready, actually a bit annoyed that it took so long









I am interested in this light thing, though.


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## MangoMommy (Oct 20, 2008)

Interesting!

My DD has a breast bud on one side (she's 8) and is thin, 50 lbs and about 51". She's never had soy (well some edamame), doesn't eat much meat (especially red) and we live in Hawaii where we don't use much artifical lighting LOL. We also eat a lot of organic as well. She was mostly formula fed though, from 4 months on.

I started in 6th grade, around age13 I guess? I'm really hoping she starts closer to then but the breast bud at 8 has me worried.


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## MusicianDad (Jun 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MangoMommy* 
Interesting!

My DD has a breast bud on one side (she's 8) and is thin, 50 lbs and about 51". She's never had soy (well some edamame), doesn't eat much meat (especially red) and we live in Hawaii where we don't use much artifical lighting LOL. We also eat a lot of organic as well. She was mostly formula fed though, from 4 months on.

I started in 6th grade, around age13 I guess? I'm really hoping she starts closer to then but the breast bud at 8 has me worried.









I wouldn't be worried. Breast buds at 8 are with in normal range, and only have one to start is also perfectly normal.









There is actually very little corrolation between when breast buds show up and that age of menarche. I can't remember where I read it, but average age to start mensus was the same in both girls who started getting brests younger and those who started getting breasts later.


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## rhubarbarin (May 2, 2008)

I don't have any kids yet-

I started at 14. I started with breast buds and hair at around 11, but menses just took a while to show up (also I was really thin). Anecdotally - I drank about a 1/2 gallon of whole milk a day growing up!

My sisters at 12.

My mom and her 4 sisters at 12-13.

My grandmother at 12.

Puberty is starting a little earlier for girls these days, but if you look at the charts it's only a few months earlier on average, than 40 years ago. I hardly think it's an epidemic or a very big deal. I think it's mostly due to improved nutrition.

Also of interest - my father started puberty very early, and he was 5'10" and shaving a full thick beard by the time he was 15. My two sisters and I didn't inherit this.


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## MusicianDad (Jun 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rhubarbarin* 
Puberty is starting a little earlier for girls these days, but if you look at the charts it's only a few months earlier on average, than 40 years ago. I hardly think it's an epidemic or a very big deal. I think it's mostly due to improved nutrition.

I would be inclined to say that a major part of the change since... well the beginning of time, comes from improved nutrition. Or at least access to more foods.

What I looked up the other day said a girl needs between 17 - 22% body fat in order to start her period. I'm sure there's some variation, but we all know that if you get too thin your period stops so it makes sense.


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## SandyMom (Mar 26, 2009)

Quote:

I started at 10 - 29 years ago. I don't think I'd had any talks with my mother, but, fortuitously, the entire 4th grade passed around Are you There God, It's Me Margaret, by Judy Bloom, so I knew what it was when it came that summer.
Oh how funny!
I'm having serious flashbacks over here!









Great thread.
I know that puberty is coming much earlier now than for my generation. Seems we're all swimming in estrogens!








And I have heard the artificial light theory as well.
Recently I read that even some essential oils like lavendar and tea tree oil can act as endocrine disruptors and cause early puberty.

As for weight.. I could be wrong, but it seems like 100 lbs is the magic # for menstruation isn't it? Can't recall where I read/heard that.


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## kathirynne (Dec 29, 2004)

Do breast buds always come first, though?

Is it possible to have your first "spotty" period before the breast buds develop?


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## MusicianDad (Jun 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kathirynne* 
Do breast buds always come first, though?

Is it possible to have your first "spotty" period before the breast buds develop?

There's always a chance for variation. Everyone is different.


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