Year 4 dd started her period.

[CuriousCapricorn]

Hi, my dd was 9 last month and is in year 4. She is one of the tallest in her class and quite chunky, mainly due to some medication and I’ve always thought she would be young to develop.

I was 10 and in year 5 in the same school when I started. I was the only one and there were no facilities ie sanitary bins in the toilets and the doors were only 3/4 so anyone could peek over. The doors are still the same but school is well equipped for the girls now.

She was getting ready for her shower on Monday night and i noticed blood in her underwear. She had also been complaining of stomach ache and i asked her if she had a sore or anything which could explain the blood and she said no ( and I checked ) which she was fine about.

It just seems so young. She has breast buds and uses anti p for body odour but no pubic hair yet. She knows all about periods thank god but said that she doesn’t want them. I spoke to her headteacher on the phone yesterday morning and she was brilliant and said she would speak to dd’s class teacher who is a male and so is the TA as dd would be allowed to use the toilet whenever.

My ds is 17 so I’ve obviously never had to deal with this before.
Has anyone else’s dd started so young?

It sounds stupid but I feel really sad about it. She seems too young and i worry she will suffer like I did as I’ve had horrendous pain since I started and still do now at 42.

She now has a pencil case with compartments with spare underwear/wipes/thin pads in her school bag but has had no bleeding since.

Thanks for reading.

When I was the same age I had similar. I only bled for a day or two and then nothing for another 3 years.

I had an episode of spotting like that when I was about 9/10. I remember my mum crying because her little girl was growing up. However it was a one off and I didn’t actually start my periods until I was about 13

Thank you both, it’s very reassuring to know it may just be a one off and that others have been the same.

It would be unusual for her to have a period without getting pubic or under-arm hair.

Could she have broken her hymen? Or might well be spotting.

I started mine when I was 10 (24 now) I don't want to scare you but I'd just say be careful that her periods don't just start heavy. When mine started they started bad, my mum said she'd never heard of it being such a heavy flow in someone so young, my mum was 14 when hers started and hers were light until she had kids.

^^

I was 11 but mine were really heavy too - two weeks long, needing overnight pads all the time, massive massive clots. I was horrendously embarrassed and felt humiliated.

Just be as open as possible with her but also make sure if you say you won’t tell her dad that you don’t immediately tell him in front of her! (Thanks mum, still traumatised!)

I started regular periods at age 9 and developed from there consistently. My cousin explained periods to me as best she could (my Grandparents refused to believe me that I was ‘bleeding’ as I put it).

I was grateful that my cousin told me what it was and what to expect. Maybe wait and see if your DD is starting them properly and not just a one off as PP have suggested.

My cousin explained the mechanics of periods (ovulation- monthly shedding of the uterus lining etc.) but didn’t go into a huge amount of detail and when finished she said to ask her if I had any questions, any things happening to my body that I didn’t understand. From what I remember I took it pretty well

I know it's hard (and I am sure you are not doing so) but please don't express or hint your sadness to your DD, even in a tear-stained "my little girl is growing up". So many girls and women grow up feeling embarrassed and ashamed of their body and periods.

I don't mean that you need to go OTT and celebrate it or anything, but please do reassure her, cheer her up and convey that her body is healthy.

My Mum’s started when she was 8 so she was terrified I would follow suit but I was 12 and a half. I remember being desperate for them to start when I was 10/11 because most girls in my year 6 class were already discussing them but looking back I’m glad they didn’t until I was in year 8.

It could just be a one off OP, I kinda hope for your DD’s sake that it is.

I also think it is very unusual for her to have periods while she has no public hair or has developed breasts. I am by no means of course saying it's not possible.

It is always likely that she will start at almost the same time as you did. I know for myself I started with pubic hair and breast buds about 4 years before my periods started.

I had also developed small breasts (and remained small!) well before my periods started. Most of the usual puberty things had started yeas before periods.

Like others have said, maybe this is just an episode of spotting. If it was a period she would still be bleeding.

Do they have lockers at her school? If she does get her to stash a spare pair of trousers or skirt and tights in a bag she can grab. She may not want to stay in school if she bleeds through her uniform but she can at least change.

Also if she wears a cardigan tell her to wrap it around her waist to hide any bleed through.

I volunteer in a primary school. We always have at least one child start their periods in year 4. Staff in the year are always told so we know they can go to the toilet whenever they want. I try to ask children to wait until after the teacher has finished their instructions so they don't miss anything.

Can you buy her those period pants? I’ve not looked into those as yet but my DD is age 8 in year 4 too and I have as thinking they might be a good option when she starts her periods.

My DD 10 recently started. I bought a starter kit on Amazon, I also bought her those lined period knickers for her to wear at school. I asked her permission to write a letter to her school teacher so she is now allowed to go to the toilet as when she needs. I just didn't want her stressing about it. She's managing it really well, I was 13 when mine started so I did have a weep privately about it happening so soon for her.

Thanks everyone! Really very helpful and I’m feeling better about it now. It’s interesting to see that other reasons for the bleeding were suggested and I too find it a bit odd that it stopped as quickly as it started.
I’ve marked the date in my diary and will continue to track it if it happens again.

Thankfully she will be home with me for the foreseeable future due to school closure so I will be able to keep an eye on things.

I have been telling her how normal it is and happens to everyone at some point, some earlier than others and have not been negative but she really hopes they don’t come back for a long time.

thanks again

Just to balance out the horror stories, I started mine at 10, they've been as regular as clockwork since day 1 and I've never had a moment's period pain or other symptoms.

It could simply be a one off. She’s starting to develop but not at the typical stage things would start yet. Could be hormones in the whole process! Even some newborn girls have a mini ‘period’ when their hormones from birth settle down.

My DD (8) has started today!!! I was a late starter so very unusual. Must stop myself thinking of radical universe conspiracy theories

Athough male teacher and TA will be understanding and will help make the right provision for DD, it would be worth asking DD who she would actually like to be available for her if she needs a female to talk to. Maybe a TA from another class. She might never need it, but it's reasurring for her to know.