AIBU to tell dd she is likely to grow more?

Your daughter likely has a lot more growing to do. You continue to grow until puberty is finished, so a later puberty often means a taller adult height. I’m the perfect example - when I started secondary most girls were much taller than me. I overtook all of them and ended up at 6 foot - started periods just before my 15th birthday, so way after most of my peers.

I am almost certain I never had growth spurt, I have been 5'2 for as long as i can remember. I had my first period at 14. Apparently that was late but I don't think that had any connection to my height.

It does seem to hold some truth, at least that you stop growing shortly after getting your period.
Edit: apparently not based on the study just posted. It has happened that way for me and many people I can think of.

I don't think you're unreasonable. Most people will continue to grow in height well into their teens.

I was 4foot 11 at 12 started my periods at 12, shoe size 3, im now 39 and still 4foot 11 and still a size 3 in shoes.

Started my periods at 8. Continued to grow till I was 11 then have remained at the same for height for 40 years 😂 5ft2.5

I started my periods at about 14 but kept growing until I was about 18! I'm 5'3".

I was the smallest in my class all through school - primary and secondary

I know, somehow deep in my memory I was 4st 6lb and 4'9" going into 4th year at school (pre gcse year). I started my period at 15.

I stayed small until I was 17 then grew about 6 inches in Upper 6th and landed being 5'6".

Started uni at 6 stone 3lb so weight didnt really play much of a part

This article from a medical journal addresses myths about puberty, including that you stop growing once periods start: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1070801/

Scroll down to about two thirds of the way into the article and the section 'myth: menarche means the end of growth is near'.

My youngest DD had a growth spurt and was the tallest in her year in Year 5 and started her periods just after her 10th birthday. She reached her adult height of 5ft3 by age 12 and her friends started to overtake her in terms of height.
DD 1 started much later and has an adult height of 5ft8

I was told that adult height is reached two years after your periods starting and that certainly seems the case with my girls. Luckily she likes being ‘the little one’.

It’s to do with the effect of oestrogen on the growth plates in the bones. Oestrogen is higher once periods start. That signals for the growth plates to close and to stop growing taller. My DD went on the contraceptive Pill for painful periods at about 12yo. We’d seen an endocrinologist for how short DD is at around the same time, and she advised that DD should be prescribed only a progesterone only Pill because oestrogen in a combined Pill could affect any potential further height growth. I can’t remember how many years she advised this should be for. DD’s growth plates were still open at the time so we were hoping she’d grow some more. She’s barely grown since then.

@tablestoolchairfork Your DD probably will have a growth spurt in the lead up to starting her period. She’ll start to have a small amount of cervical discharge in the 6-12 months prior to her first period. She might notice it on toilet paper or you might notice it on her underwear when you’re doing the laundry. It’s from the hormones starting to increase.

From memory I grew quite a lot before my first period and very little once they started.

That is exactly what has happened to my DD! She grew about 15cm in height and 3 shoe sizes in one school year. Just before her period started. I have heard this old wives’ tale, did not believe it, but that is exactly what happened with my DD. The main thing is to look if she is growing in proportion and just to enjoy the process as you can not stop it. I have taken her to our GP, who made a referral for the hospital, but consultant there told me not to worry as DD grew in proportion.
Now my DD is a lovely, tall, long-legged 17yo!

It will be more to do with her genes and her diet. If her parents are both short then she is likely to be.
At 13 and 5ft 1 she might grow a bit, but she is unlikely to be 6ft tall.
Never heard the stuff around periods. Sounds a lot of nonsense. So no, don’t go telling her anything like her height is connected to periods.
More worryingly, why are you even having this conversation ? What does it matter what height she will eventually be ?

At 10 years old I was 5ft 1.5 ins tall. I was the tallest in my year by quite a long way. everyone told my mum and dad I would be really tall. In my 60s guess how tall I am now? yep thats right 5ft 1.5ins. My dh grew 3 ins between the ages of 18 and 22.

In the kindest possible way, you are telling your DD what she and you want to hear and believe. It may happen, it may not. the only certainty is that boys are always taller than their mothers (providing no health issues) with girls its a lottery. Help her embrace her height down play it as an issue.

You’re probably right, she is likely to have another growth spurt before starting her period.
Both my DDs were early developers (as was I), my eldest is 14.5 and stopped growing at least a year ago, my youngest is 11 and has started her period but is still growing.
In our family anyway the rule of thumb that girls stop growing about 2 years after starting periods has been right.

I have scoliosis and was monitored every 6 months as a teen, as this is the time when it’s likely to progress and get worse. The orpthopaedic surgeon told us that girls do grow until 18, but typically slow down considerably (or may stop altogether) two years after their periods start. Boys grow until they’re 21 on average.

I hit my final adult height about 8 months before my first period. I was just about to turn 12 when I stopped growing (at 5 foot 7) and close to 13 when I started my period.

I spent years looking down to talk to my friends who were mostly boys then suddenly had a shock one day when I realised they'd all overtaken me at 15 and I was now looking up.

It's not exactly an old wives tale: https://www.healthline.com/health/when-do-girls-stop-growing#growth-speed

Growth does tend to stop within a couple of years of periods starting.

There are ways of estimating final adult height: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/expert-answers/child-growth/faq-20057990

She may well indeed grow more, but everyone is different. DD1 seemed to be 4'10" to 4'11" for ages, she started growing more about the time she started her periods at 13 in Y8 and ended up at 5'4".

DD2 went from 5'1" to 5'7" in Y6/Y7 when she started her period and ended up at 5'9" by 13 and hasn't really grown since, now 17.

I was about 5'2" when I started secondary school at 12, started my periods that year and ended up 5'7" by the age of 18.

My dd was one of the tallest throughout primary and started her periods in Y6. In Y7 she was one of the tallest. The others all caught up and overtook her. She grew a bit after year 7, maybe two inches, to reach a mighty 5'4". She never fully grew into her blazer which was still a bit big in Y11.

I don't know is the answer. My periods started when I was nearly 14, I started as one of the smallest and overtook many others by the time I was in the equivalent of Y11. 5'7".

One of the clues that dd was never intented to be tall may have been the fact that she always had little feet. 3.5.

My DD had an operation on her knee and they would only do it 18 months after her period started as this meant she wouldn't grow much after. It's been true.

I was 5ft at 11, when I got my first period. Never grew any more. All the women in my family are small. So no idea really. Not helpful, sorry!

p.s.
My 11th birthday, had first period. Thanks a lot! 😂

Its not a total old wives tale according to dds orthopedic consultant theres some truths in it all.
Dd is 17.
First period aged 13.5.
At age 14 she had a detailed scan of her bones and they said she had about a years growth in her but it wasnt much (her scan at 15 showed this). The Dr mentioned something about girls reaching their final height up to about 3 inches above the height at first period. Dd did have a growth spurt before her first period and dr had said that was totally normal. She seems to have stopped now and is 5ft 3. Which pleases her as she always wanted to be taller than me (5ft1).

Instead of "reassuring her" why not focus on developing some body positivity? People can be unhappy about their height no matter what it is - short, tall or average. None of it matters which is the message you want your daughter to understand.

Not sure but I got my period at 13.5 and stopped growing at 15.5.

I grew another 3 inches in that time, had stretch marks on my thighs for years as a result.

I’m five foot six.