All About Menstruation For Young Girls

For a young girl between 10 to 14 years, it signifies that you are close to the end of your puberty. This experience continues until menopause (when the woman stops having menses and is unable to get pregnant naturally, usually from about the age of 51.) To young girls, it further means that your body prepares itself for pregnancy.

Now, your uterus lining thickens, eggs grow and get released by your ovaries. If there is no pregnancy, the estrogen and the progesterone level begins to fall, it gets to a level that triggers your body to start menstruation. When you start to menstruate, the uterus sheds its lining and it flows out of the body with some blood through the vagina.

On average, when one menstruates, about 2 to 3 tablespoons of blood is lost during their period. Usually, the time between periods from the last day to the first day is 28 days, with bleeding lasting around 4 to 5 days.

Nevertheless, there are people with totally “regular” periods but they experience longer time between periods and fewer or more days of bleeding.

AT WHAT AGE DOES PERIOD START?

There is no defined right age for a girl to start to get her period, but the cycle begins between the age of 10 and 15 is an ideal situation. On the average, most girls get their first period at the age of 12.

Although every girl’s body differs, each having its own schedule, there are some clues and indicators that that a young girl would soon start experiencing her cycles. 

Below are some common patterns;

•          2 years after a girls breasts starts to develop, a girl gets her period for the first time.

•          When a girl start to see or have in her underwear a vaginal discharge, then her first period is about 6 months to a year away. 

•          6 months to a year after a girl’s fastest growth spurt. This rapid Growth includes changes in body shape, size and height.

WHAT BRINGS ABOUT A PERIOD?

Changes in hormones in the body cause period to occur in a woman’s body. Hormones are simply chemical messengers released directly into the blood, the blood then transports them to the organs and tissues of the body to exert their functions.

A period is a way a woman’s body releases tissue that it no longer needs. The hormones make the lining of the uterus (or womb) to get thicker and ready for a fertilized egg to attach to and start developing. In the absence of no fertilized egg, the lining breaks down and bleeds. This process happens all over again in a cycle.

Generally, it takes approximately one month for the lining to build up, before breaking down if pregnancy is not attained. That is why it is common for most females to experience their periods once a month.

HOW DOES OVULATION RELATE TO PERIODS?

Ovulation is the release of a matured egg from the ovaries. This egg moves through a thin tube called Fallopian tubes. It is in this tube that the egg waits for fertilization.

Understanding your ovulation cycle increases your chances of achieving a successful pregnancy.

CAN A GIRL GET PREGNANT AS SOON AS HER PERIOD STARTS?

Yes, a girl can get pregnant just as her period starts and even right before her first period. This is because young girls also ovulate before they have their first period, especially those with already active hormones. As soon as a girl has begun ovulation she can become pregnant, even though she has never had a period.

PAD, TAMPON, OR MENSTRUAL CUP?

There are several choices out there on how to deal with discharge during one’s period. You may have to try several in order to find out what works best for you. Some girls switch between different methods while some stick to one method.

•          A lot of girls start with PADS when they first get their period and along the line experiment others. Pads are of different sizes and shapes and they are made of cotton. Some pads have sticky strips that attach to the underwear while some don’t. In trying out pads, you have to note what works for you.

•          A lot of girls find TAMPONS very comfortable and they prefer it over pads. Especially girls actively involved in sports or swimming. Tampons are cotton plugs inserted into the vagina. Tampons usually come with an applicator that guides the tampon into place. The tampons, just like pads absorb the blood. It is not advisable to leave a tampon in for over 8 hours to avoid a serious infection called toxic shock syndrome.

•          MENSTRUAL CUP is another way girls deal with period. Menstrual cups are mostly made of silicone. Just like Tampons, Menstrual cup is inserted it into the vagina. It holds the blood until it is emptied.

HOW MUCH BLOOD FLOWS OUT?

Surprisingly, a girl only loses a few tablespoons of blood during the whole period. A girl needs to change her pad, tampon, or menstrual cup at least 3‒6 times a daily.

WHEN WILL I STOP HAVING PERIOD?

A woman stops having a period when they get to menopause, which is around age 45-50. Their periods stop permanently.

Also, when a woman is pregnant, she ideally ceases to have her periods for the duration of the pregnancy.