AIBU to tell dd she is likely to grow more?

[tablestoolchairfork]

Dd just turned 13 and is about 5.1ft. (158cm) She hasn't had a period yet. AIBU to tell that she is likely still gaining in height until she starts her period? Or is this some 'old wive's tale' (ageist term but YKWIM)? I hear that girls grow the most and fastest in the weeks and months leading up to their first period.

Was this true or false for you or your dd??

I think it's more to do with weight than height.

I think you gain height throughout puberty. I started my period at 12 and I certainly grew about 2-3 inches between then and about 15/16 when I reached my adult height. But everyone is different.

It depends on genetics as well. Your height and your family's height and her dad's side.

But I'd definitely expect someone to grow taller than their height before they started menstruating.

My DD grew another couple of inches between the beginning of Y10 and end of 6th form - certainly well beyond her first period. She never really had a growth spurt at any age - she was always tiny - technically still required a car seat when she started secondary school. She's 21 now and I think she may have grown fractionally since being at uni. She is now 5'4.

I’ve never heard this theory before?! I started my period at 11 and I definitely continued to grow taller after! At least another 6 inches!

I thought girls kept growing until mid teens with perhaps a tiny bit more until around 18?

Ah, so 'old wive's tale' then.

Her cousin grew about 5-6 cm in the 3 months leading up to her first period. My sister says there is something called peak height velocity, just before?

I was 5'4 in y11 and 5'8 by the time I left sixth form I don't think height and periods are related

Is she sensitive about potentially being short? Are you?

I wouldn't suggest she will still grow no, as she may not, regardless of her periods not having started yet, and would be better to work on being comfortable/happy with who she is, whether she does or doesn't grow some more.

My parents always hoped I would keep growing and were disappointed that I ended up shorter than them. It is what it is, but I did feel bad that I was disappointing them but that there wasn't anything I could do about it.

She is sensitive she is the shortest in her group of friends at school and at hobbies outside of school.

my girls started their periods at 11 and stopped growing at thirteen so i think there something in this theory.

How can periods affect height? Weight i get

To answer your question I got my first period at 11 and stopped growing probably at 13.

There will always be a shortest person in a group, and there are plenty of adult women who are 5 ft 1.

I think be open about the fact that she may well grow taller still, but I wouldn't build up her hopes so that she is pinning all her expectations on definitely still being due a big growth spurt.

It’s something like you carry on growing for 18 months after periods start.

dd1 was tall in infants but everyone overtook her and by year 6/7 she was the shortest in the year. Her periods didn’t start until she was 15 so she shot up gcse year and is now 5’8” and taller than those friends.

In general girls who go through puberty earlier will stop growing earlier. I don’t think there is any “rule” though. I kept growing steadily for 4 years after getting my period (no growth spurt though, I started short and am still short!).

By the way 158cm is over 5ft 2 not 5ft 1! Every little helps 😆

I think best to focus on the fact that there is nothing wrong with being on the short side. I’m just under 5’3 and DDs look likely to be small too, I tell them it really hasn’t affected my life other than some clothing choices!! Luckily I and they have quite a few small friends, sounds like your DD is unlucky if she has mostly tall friends.

I stopped growing at 12 once I got my period and so did my sister and friend. We are all around 5 foot 3. I always assumed it was because you stop growing much after your period but maybe it’s not and we were all just destined to be shorter.

All 4 of my DDs started periods around 11 to 12 and grew a little more. A couple of inches.

I went through primary as the tallest in class the whole time but then stopped dead as i started secondary (and my periods) and all my female friends then caught up or went past!

It was true for me, but I didn’t start my periods till I was 15, I was 5’7” by then and have stayed there. It wasn’t true for my DD, she started at 11, but she continued to grow to 5’10” now she’s 20.

I was very slender (15th percentile) and about 75th for height percentile at age 12. I didn’t start having periods until I put on some additional weight at age 15. I also grew more quickly in my later teens.

I always thought your growth slows down once your periods start - but that could be untrue.

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.

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.

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).

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! 😂

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.

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.

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.