When a Girl Becomes a Woman

According to WebMD, “You get hormone surges at night, with higher and higher and higher peaks, until your period begins. Raised levels of hormones helps eggs grow in your ovaries. Each month, one egg is released into your Fallopian tubes. This is called ovulation. The egg travels down the tube to your womb. And while this happens, your uterine lining thickens with blood — just in case an egg is fertilized by sperm. If the timing is right, the egg and sperm join together, and the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of your uterus. Pregnancy begins. Without a fertilized egg, the thickened lining has no purpose. So it sheds and comes out through your vagina. Your period has arrived.”

While the average age for girls to begin their menstruation is 12, it can vary. A girl’s breast development and pubic hair growth will begin approximately two years prior to her first menstrual cycle so this is a good time to begin the discussion.

From the first menstruation through the first two years, her cycles may be irregular (with gaps up to few months in-between) which is normal. As there is no precise date for the first “period”, it is recommended that your daughter be prepared with sanitary napkins/tampons, over-the-counter pain medicine, and even a change of panties. PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) may also give some advanced notice of her monthly cycle with symptoms such as cramping, bloating, and feeling like an “evil twin” has taken over her mouth and thought process. Following tips such as avoiding caffeine and salt as well as getting adequate sleep can help.

Lastly, it is imperative your daughter knows that once her menstrual cycle has begun, she can become pregnant even when she is not having a consistent cycle. Therefore, you must talk to your daughter about the reality of teenage sex.

*Please emphasis the importance of abstaining from sexual relations until marriage which was and is the created time and purpose.

Source: WebMD