pubery?

[ivegotahousefull]

I feel a little stupid asking this, as i have four children. I dont post often more of a lurker, for the last 6 months or so,my nine yr old has put on a lot of weight, round about july i noticed she was getting boobs, my husband and elder children said nooooo its just fat.

Earlier on tonight, i was washing her hair in the bath, since its long, and she laid down in water to rinse it, and i noticed she had hairs down below, but underneath. I had to look twice.

I dont think she has noticed and i never said anything, my question is, Is this the start of puberty? is she not a little young, and is it normal for hair to grow underneath first, rather than on top or under arms.

I feel really stupid asking this, but i cant find the answers anywhere else! I do have an older daughter who is 14 , but she is at the age where every answer comes in grunt form!! however i do know she was 11 when she started puberty, i did ask her the above questions she just grunted and said shut up!!

sorry for the long post, thanks

I thinkit is entirely possible for puberty to start at this age,though on the young end of the spectrum.

Breast buds are exceptionally painful IIRC. It is a sad fact of life that children are developing earlier and earlier now.

9 is an acceptable age for girls to start puberty. Not the happiest case, but seems like this happens earlier and earlier. Still, if you are worried about it, go and test your daughter's bone age. That would mean an x-ray, usually, of her hand. She might be developing a bit too early, meaning her bones would stop growing at an earlier age than normal and she might not grow as tall as she could otherwise. How was her growing speed? Is she developing breast buds also?

I read that anything before the age of 8 is unusual, after that it is puberty.

Sounds like the beginnings of puberty - and entirely normal at 9! And I think I remember reading somewhere that pubic hair starts on the undercarriage first, then migrates upwards IYSWIM.

Underarm hair usually (with me and dd anyway!) grows later.

If it's any consolation dd had breast buds at 9, was using deoderant by then, pubes and armpuit hair started when she was just 10, and periods just before she was 11. She's perfectly normal and takes it all in her stride. Quite a few of the girls in her year 6 class wear crop tops (I call them bra-tops but apparetnly they're not ) now so she isn't the odd one out or the most 'developed' by any means.

thank you all so much for your comments, especially you titchy, i have cried, pannicked, i am mortified as i still see her as a "little" girl.

Joburg i thought she was developing breasts but my hubby and older children said no its puppy fat, the last few months she has put on a lot of weight and had a grow spurt, went from 7-8 to 9-10 in clothes. She had always been quite small.

She has no underarm hair, nor bo i have even considered calling the health visitor to have a chat with her, i am asuming they still exist!! I just feel so upset that she is going through these things at such a young age, but like you all said, these things are happening younger and younger.

Once again, thank you everyone, much appreciated.

I know how you feel! I found it quite odd to see my little girl with the 'features' of an adult body. It kind of changed how I felt about her for a while - like she wasn't my child - cos my dd was a child and this little person obviously wasn't. However I'm through that now - and she is still my child, just a bit hairier than she was a couple of years ago!

ha ha, i see what you say titchy, i feel sort of detached at the moment, as if shes not my child, shes changing and i know i cant stop that, but i quite liked her being the youngest, and all innocent and naive. Now, she is going to have to have THAT talk a few years earlier.

I just hope she doesnt go through the same hormonal behaviour as her older sister, who is both kevin and perry rolled into one!!