Could white discharge and brown spotting mean periods are starting?

[MedusasHead]

My dd is 10 years, 4 months. Today she found some white discharge and brown spotting in her pants. Her emotions have been all over the place for the last while (but she’s also a v emotional kid anyway) but apart from that no other physical signs of puberty - she’s very slim, no hair, smells or breast buds.

Could this be the start of menstruation? I expected physical change first so this took me by surprise. Is there anything else that might be causing it?

Of course it’s her periods starting! What else would it be? A lot of us started periods at age 8 and 9 so 10 is prime age. Make sure you have actually had lots of conversations with her about periods and that it’s normal etc and how to use pads to start with and make sure she has pads in her bag and pockets etc so if she suddenly starts bleeding at school or out and about she can manage

I thought breast buds were meant to start before periods? She’s not sore or itchy or anything so infection etc but yes most likely to be a period sign.

She’s well versed with puberty and we’ve spoken plenty about this possibly being her period. I’ve already been out and bought panty liners and will sort that stuff. I’m not worried about anything there.

But - she’s light, slim and not showing any other physical signs of puberty and everything seems to say that periods are to be expected at the latter end and physical changes happen first. Hence my confusion…

It would be very unusual to start periods before developing breast buds. Not impossible but unlikely.

it could just be start of discharge. Keep an eye I assume she’s not sore or anything?

She said she’d not had any tummy pain, nor any other soreness or itching. I did wonder if it might be a uti or vulvovaginitis but again, there’s a lack of other symptoms.

@hellobaby24 I started my periods without breast buds.

Op your daughter is starting her periods.

@bippyboppylike I said it’s not impossible but very unusual and actually suggests a hormonal imbalance