Starting periods - how do you know when?

[Dancergirl]

Dd1 is just 10 and is just starting to develop breasts and has a bit of pubic hair. We've talked about periods plus they're covering it at school school but I was wondering if you can tell when they're on the way...? Or how long after puberty starts?

Going from memory I think I started developing around 10 and started my periods at nearly 12 - is this a good indicator?

Should I be sending her to school with sanitary towels now or not yet? And what sort of towels are good for young girls? Any other tips to help her feel prepared?

My DD 12 has recently started.

I have been on tenderhooks for 18 months waiting! 2 school residential trips away in that time - had me worried sick!! She was very well developed before starting! I was like you from about 10 1/2 she had alot of signs of puberty, but it was still a bit of a wait. Saying that DD says that X in her year started her periods last year - the girls is tiny and at a glance looks straight up and down, so who knows, when these things will happen!

She just text me from school one day to say she had started and that her house mistress had sorted her out with some pads etc. We had a good chat that evening.

My best friend has a DD 2 years older and gave me the following hints:

Briefs are better than shorties for sticking pads to.

Make sure DD knows what she is doing with wings

Asda do freestyle teen day and night time pads a little narrower for smaller pants.

Its early days for us here, but I followed the above and so far all seems OK.

DD1 is 10 too, same level of development. Hope this is not TMI for you, but she began to get some very light discharge and GP said this is a sign that periods start within the year. I hope not as that was last year and I am hoping her body can hang on till year 7 - another year and a bit!! When you started is no longer a good indicator as apparently developmental changes, hormones in food, body weight etc have all changed our DDs body clocks so they may start earlier. We got a selection of sanitary towels and unwrapped them all, had a look, tested putting them on her knickers - she was fascinated and it helped her to feel more in control. I also spoke to Deputy Head (female) about what arrangements they have in school just in case, apparently girls can come to her or other allocated staff and get sanitary towels if required, plus they have towel bins in all the year 5 and 6 girls' toilets. If you google popular brands of towels they have websites with sections on for young girls.

I was 11. My mum made me use god AWFUL sanitary towels which were not even sticky (Im 30 so these were outdated way before I started periods) and my puberty years were basically hell because she just wouldnt spend money on anything else.

Id second BurningBridges plan of unwrapping some and testing them out. It sounds like a great idea.

Definately practice helps so they're not fazed by it all... my DD (now 14) started a few years ago (I think at 11, still in Primary anyway - we're Scottish)... and had already purchased 'teen' pads - both Adsa and Boots do some, which we unwrapped and 'tested' in advance. She's now on Bodyform (prefers these to Always, and hasn't quite mastered tampons yet, although has experimented)... sorry if TMI
Also good points from Poncey - a wee 'emergency' pack is a great idea and takes away some of the panic !

I find now, as she started quite young she's now helped a lot of her friends and they are considerably more open about periods amongst themselves that I ever was at that age!