Still in a slight state of shock (female content)

[Paula in PA]

My dd called me into the bathroom a bit ago and asked me what was on her underwear. It was dried blood. It was on the tissue after she wiped, too. I helped her put a pantiliner on (all I have right now, but they're not thin) and told her to let me know if it continues. It has and now she seems to be cramping a bit. I did not expect this yet. I'm at a loss on what to tell her.

 

Could this just be some spotting or could she be actually having her first period? The cramping is really what's making me wonder, KWIM? Oh, any advice would be greatly appreciated from those who've BTDT.

[QueenRainbow]

Definitely sounds like she is getting her first period.

[rawbanana]

Sounds like her first period! Did she have any signs to warn you that puberty was coming? My daughter who will be 10 in Sept has been having some disch*rge in her undies the last 2 months..she is as THIN as a rail and can still wear size 6 clothes! So I hope that means we still have awhile =) Your baby is growing up =)

[charmama4]

It sounds like a first period to me. I remember mine: cramps and craving chocolate cake :lol:!!! To celebrate the occasion my mom took me to lunch. Congrat's to the new woman in your family.

[Ginevra]

Does she have any other features of puberty? Growth spurt, breast buds, hair? Usually, the period comes after the other indicators, but sure, it can come to a 10yo. You have to teach her this part of "the talk," however unprepared you might have been to do that right now.

 

You're lucky she was home and also felt free to ask you.

[flobee76]

Is there anyone in the family who got their period that early?

 

It is quite possible.

 

I got mine when I was 10.5. It was scary, but my mom helped me through it. :grouphug:

[Daisy]

My daughter started soon after turning ten. I had quite a few clues that it was coming. She's only had it twice in the last 6 months though, so her body is still working all that out. She'll be eleven in about 6 weeks.

 

Poor kids. It is happening earlier and earlier. And it is far earlier than anyone else in my family got theirs.

 

I just went over all the facts again with my daughter, took her shopping for a variety of pads (so she could pick the one that was most comfortable for her), and we went out for a special lunch.

[NanceXToo]

I got mine at 11. I think I got it in May or June, pretty much right after my 11th birthday, and then didn't get it again the rest of the summer, and then I think it started up again in the fall, so it's sort of come and go for a while there at first, I think.

 

They say the "average" age for a first period is about 12 but it's pretty common from 10-14. My daughter has known all about it from age 8 on so she'll be prepared when her time comes (she's 9.9 now). Sometimes you never know if it's going to happen earlier than expected! But yep that's exactly what it sounds like.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I was 11. My daughter was a month shy of 11. However, we had our "scare" at SIX. It was just a tad bit of spotting then nothing else. We did take her to a doctor, of course, but....Anyway, so it could be just a little spotting then will be nothing else for awhile (a month, 6, a couple years), but at her age, I'd guess it was the real thing.

[LauraGB]

Sounds about right. My dd was 9. Does your dd know about periods yet?

[Impish]

Diva got hers right around her 11th birthday. Happy Birthday, kid. :glare:

 

We'd been talking for some time about it, so it wasn't a surprise for her, she knew what was going on, etc.

 

Still need to get her ears pierced. When I made that promise, I was thinking I had til she was 12 or 13. *sigh*

[KarenNC]

I was 9 (close to 40 years ago) when mine started. My daughter turns 10 next month and I am expecting it in the next 6 months. She has the breast buds and starting to have a tiny bit of hair under her arms. We've discussed it pretty thoroughly and I have told her that I always have pads in my purse if she needs them and that she is welcome to stick some in her backpack or whatever if it made her feel more prepared in case something happened. I need to remember to be sure to put some in her backpack when she goes to day camp next month.

 

I have also offered to allow my daughter to get her ears pierced at that point as a rite of passage sort of thing, but don't know if she'll take me up on it. She has really gone back and forth on whether she wants them pierced or not.

 

Although we've had "the talk" several times, I'm very excited that our church is going to do a 5th/6th grade level of Our Whole Lives, the human sexuality curriculum developed by the Unitarian Universalist Church and the United Church of Christ, this year (there are developmentally appropriate levels from K-adult available). They've done an 8th grade one for years, but this is the first one for this age---talking about body changes, etc. http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/ourwhole/ It is designed to be able to be used by anyone, with the religion-specific info in a separate book, in case anyone is interested.

Edited July 24, 2010 by KarenNC

[hsmom]

I agree, it sounds like her first one.

 

My daughter started right before she turned 11. She was freaked out and at a friends house. She knew what to expect, but when it happened it was 'real' and scary.

 

They grow up way too fast!

[EKS]

I only have boys, but it sounds exactly like my first period (I was 11).

 

Congratulations to both of you.

[Paula in PA]

She knew what to expect, but when it happened it was 'real' and scary.

 

This is it, exactly, for both of us I think. She's been "prepared" since she first sprouted breast buds at 9, we just didn't expect it yet. I thought she hadn't gotten underarm hair yet. Turns out she does, it's just really light and hard to see.

 

She's also been having issues about growing up and the changes happening, so that is not helping at all right now. But we're dealing with it with lots of talking and hugs (and a few tears).

 

Thanks to everyone who posted. I really appreciate it.

[Paula in PA]

Is there anyone in the family who got their period that early?

 

It is quite possible.

 

I got mine when I was 10.5. It was scary, but my mom helped me through it. :grouphug:

 

I was 12 for mine, but my mom was 9 from what I've been told. I have a sister that didn't start until 14.

 

I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. She seems to do most things a little earlier than I expect. :001_smile:

[Paula in PA]

Still need to get her ears pierced. When I made that promise, I was thinking I had til she was 12 or 13. *sigh*

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I have also offered to allow my daughter to get her ears pierced at that point as a rite of passage sort of thing, but don't know if she'll take me up on it. She has really gone back and forth on whether she wants them pierced or not.

 

:lol: She just got hers pierced about 6 weeks ago, after years of saying she didn't want to do it. She had hit me with it completely out of the blue at bedtime one night. We waited till after her big dance recital.

 

Hmm, maybe we'll go pick out some new earrings for her, make an afternoon of it, just us. I think she'd like that. :001_smile:

[SonshineLearner]

You can have bleeding young... and stop... and then start much later. My step daughter did. We actually took her to the Dr... Also, that was before the growth hormones were a big discussion for people... We got her organic milk... and after a while she stopped... and started a while later..

 

:)

[LibraryLover]

My tiny, skinny aunt (5'1" maybe 110 lbs at 60--her current age) was 9. She was a mite. It was lore in our family...the baby... got her period... at age 9. My grandmother thought she was dying...she had no inkling, no preparation as her first daughter, nearly 70 now, was almost 13. If you see photos of my aunt at the time, she is a bitty, skinny, baby thing. They did not eat junk/hormones---they had no junk/hormones.

 

All this to say, yeah, 10/11 seems about right for some kids. I am praying for one more year here.

Edited July 24, 2010 by LibraryLover

[myfunnybunch]

My eldest dd started at 10. :)

 

Cat

[NanceXToo]

It wasn't scary for me when I got my first one. It was very exciting! I remember sitting down to pee, noticing it, getting totally excited and going out to tell my mother, who was on the phone. I expected and wanted her to get right off the phone, exclaim over how grown up I was, and take me out immediately to buy the necessary feminine hygiene products, but instead she sort of shooed me away, telling me to put some toilet paper in my underwear for now, and she stayed on the phone. I was crushed. I've never fully forgiven her haha.

[sleepymommy]

I got mine at age 11, so I'd say yes she is starting her period. Now would be a good time to talk to her about it and maybe try to make the next few days extra special for her. Take her out to eat or bake her her favorite dessert. It's an exciting time!

[ereks mom]

My mom had no idea what was going on when she started; she thought she was dying, and hid her undies under the bed. Her sister found them and told her about things. My mom had told me early on, so when it happened, I was prepared. I told my dd early on too. I heard last week about a girl here in our town who got her first period while away for a week at summer camp. Her mom had never told her anything, so she didn't know what it was, and her camp counselor (an 18yo friend of ours) had to tell her. :001_huh: