Growth Patterns in Girls

[OnMyOwn]

My dd got her period at 11. By 13, she was 5'5 and for the last two years she has not grown at all. A few weeks ago, she suddenly seemed taller to me, so we measured and I was surprised to see she really had grown half an inch. Today, I was standing next to her and again, she felt taller and we measured and she is now slightly over 5'6".

 

Has anyone else seen growth in themselves or their dds after a 2-year period of no growth? I don't think this is typical, but I'm wondering how unusual it is.

[The Girls' Mom]

All three of mine have had spurts after we thought they were pretty much done growing.  My oldest added a little to her height after she hit 17 (having hit puberty at 10, and reaching 5'7" by 14 years old)

[Tanaqui]

I actually know a woman who grew an inch at the age of 18, after being the same height for three or four years already. That last growth spurt, however, coincided with a pregnancy, so we always thought there might be a connection - she turned 18, and exactly nine months after her birthday she had a baby boy and an extra inch of height. So this might not apply to your own daughter :) Then again, it could have just been a coincidence that the two things happened at once, so maybe it does!

[wendy not in HI]

My oldest dd grew all through high school, in little half inch hops, even in her senior year.  Our second dd didn't get any taller after about 9th grade.  It looks like our third dd is done growing in 10th grade.  Oldest dd is the tallest.  I hope ds starts growing soon....

[Lawana]

I could have written your post lol. Did did same thing, but went from 5 ft 5 1/2 in to 5ft 6 in. She had a knee X-ray at 12 and the doctor said her growth plates were almost closed, but it took another 6 months before her last 1/2 in growth spurt.

[gingersmom]

I'm still waiting for a growth spurt. I've been the same height since age 12.

[Ailaena]

I actually know a woman who grew an inch at the age of 18, after being the same height for three or four years already. That last growth spurt, however, coincided with a pregnancy, so we always thought there might be a connection - she turned 18, and exactly nine months after her birthday she had a baby boy and an extra inch of height. So this might not apply to your own daughter :) Then again, it could have just been a coincidence that the two things happened at once, so maybe it does!

I also grew an inch after my daughter was born when I was that young. I was really hoping for another inch with the next baby, but I guess at 37, I'm lucky I didn't lose an inch :p

 

My daughter, though, was stable @5'8 for two years and then grew nearly three inches her last year of high school - without a pregnancy. So maybe it's just how we roll! Or grow, whatever

Edited November 8, 2016 by Ailaena

[AMJ]

My dd got her period at 11. By 13, she was 5'5 and for the last two years she has not grown at all. A few weeks ago, she suddenly seemed taller to me, so we measured and I was surprised to see she really had grown half an inch. Today, I was standing next to her and again, she felt taller and we measured and she is now slightly over 5'6".

 

Has anyone else seen growth in themselves or their dds after a 2-year period of no growth? I don't think this is typical, but I'm wondering how unusual it is.

 

 

I and the majority of girls my age when I was growing up all had further gains in height in our late teens and even early 20s.  This was SO common where I grew up it surprised me to no end when our pediatrician, at our last appointment, told DD15 she wouldn't get any taller "because girls' heights are pretty much set once they start menstruation".  Um, no, not so.  

 

Gains in height won't occur gradually, usually, they come in spurts.  In between the height spurts are other growth spurts as the body fills out and matures more, and as the brain grows and learns to manage it all.  This continues until the early- to mid-20s for most people.

 

Which has me REALLY wondering just how tall my nephews are going to be, given their young ages and the heights they are now.  I thought my BIL was tall, but I think two nephews might grow even taller.

[gardenmom5]

not unusual.  I've a friend whose dd had a big growth spurt when she was 20. 

[gardenmom5]

 

 

Which has me REALLY wondering just how tall my nephews are going to be, given their young ages and the heights they are now.  I thought my BIL was tall, but I think two nephews might grow even taller.

 

how tall were they when they were 1 1/2 - 2?  should be roughly double.  and lifestyle and diet can have an effect.

 

1ds got his height early - it was nice to be in a group of middle school boys and able to pick him out of the crowd because he towered over them.  but then he was done by mid-teens.

2ds started later and finished later.

 

2dd finished late (she was 14 when her period started.)  I'd expected her to be around 5'7" based upon her 2yo height. (and she was in 7th grade)  she's 5'11".  she did gymnastics for three years and had no fat on her - lack of body fat can affect when girls hit puberty.

[Katy]

I grew about an inch in high school, (15-17), and got my first cycle at 11.  I only remember it because someone I know said it was impossible to grow more than an inch after your period started, but I said that had to be wrong, because I had already grown two.  I was 16 or 17 at the time.

[freesia]

I grew 3/4 of an inch in college after not growing since 12.  No pregnancy involved. LOL

[Cinder]

I got my period at 13yo and was about 5'6" at the time. All through high school I was 5'9" but by the time I went to college I'd grown another inch and have always measured at 5'10" since.

[Tanaqui]

Well, on the flip side of that, a cousin of my mom's started her period at 9 and stopped growing within a year or two, and for that matter both my sister and I stopped growing pretty much when we started menstruating.

 

Google suggests that this is also very common. (Google has also backed up that many young mothers gain up to an inch or two when pregnant for the first time.) So... people are variable?

[shawthorne44]

This is interesting.   DD takes growth hormones.  The doctors say she has to get her growing in before puberty because then the window starts to close.  

[maize]

It's variable, this is within the range of normal.

[OnMyOwn]

Thanks all. I'm glad to hear this is fairly common. All of the women on both sides of our family going back for some time are about 5'4" or less and the men aren't real tall either, maybe about 5'10" and under, so it is a surprise to see her suddenly start growing again.