Late puberty in girls

[sighbynight]

My DD is 13 and a half. She is reasonably tall - about 5'3" - but shows no signs of puberty. No puffiness around her nipples, no signs of periods, no body hair. She / understandably - is self conscious about it, to the extent that she avoids social situations out of school uniform (no boobs anxiety). I suspect she'll be ambushed over the summer and finish the year with DDs (my experience). But should I be taking it more seriously? The NHS website says that 14 is late. She's a wonderful girl. I hate her feeling bad about this.

My SIL was 16 before she started, what age did you start?
I have two girls my taller than average dd started hers at 14, my youngest ,13.5 and only 4'10" started hers just before she was 13.

I've heard it's linked to weight and slender girls tend to go through puberty later. Not sure if that applies?

I don't actually remember. 13 or 14 I think. My sisters were all earlier.

And she is certainly slender. More so than I was.

I think yes there is a weight thing - iirc 47kg?

That's interesting. Her muscly older brother is only 52kg. We don't own scales so I'll see if I can get her weighed without being too obvious.

I was surprised my daughter started when she did as not only is she very small for her age she is very skinny too. I will be surprised if she makes 5ft, I read that girls only grow a couple of inches once periods start.

I'm 6ft didn't start my periods until about 17, after being put on the pill to "kick-start" things

I was quite the bean pole as a teen, I guess I did feel like maybe things were wrong with me, I had lots of tests to make sure everything was ok, and very upset about my lack of boobs and periods at 14/15/16 but my mum was supportive and a wonderbra helped my self esteem when the time was right, changing rooms were horrible for me, and I'm still quite body conscious.

However my boobs arrived and I'm now a bloody E cup quite glad looking back on it they started later but I do remember it being quite upsetting, but my mum helped a lot by pointing out my positive attributes :)

A lot of girls seem to be starting much earlier now than when I was around the same age. I didn't start my period till I was 14 (2009), I don't remember when boobs started (not that they really got anywhere. I don't think anyone was too worried.

I do remember once overhearing my mum saying to my dad that she had huge boobs at my age and that she didn't understand what was wrong with me . Thanks mum.

I was 14, and that seemed pretty much average back then (late 80s). I, like everyone else, was whippet thin.

I wouldn't worry too much just yet.

Thanks everyone. I'll continue not mentioning it unless she does. She could take or leave the periods, I think. A bit of boob action would please her greatly. Be careful what you wish for!

My youngest is tiny - midget sized - and boobs didn't really happen until around 17. Now a very acceptable 30C - she still looks about 10 though and finds that both useful and infuriating.

I started at 15, I was tall but very slim. No one ever seemed concerned about it but I didn't really think about it or talk about it to my family. I never really got boobs at all, I'm a B now but was an A or double A until I was about 18/19. I'd wear a padded bra when I was younger, even before puberty started through fear of being 'found out'.

crumbs I look about 15 and I'm 21, I know exactly how your daughter feels

I was a late developer. I didn't get my period until I was nearly 15. I did get hair in my privates at around 13 but no hair under my arms until I was 17.. eek. Never had much of a cleavage either but now I'm a b/c cup. I'm 25 now with two children.

I once read that breasts stop growing four years after periods start. But I'm not sure how reliable that is. Plus weight gain or loss can affect growth.

I would understand why you daughter would get upset over this. But each girl is very different! Is she very slim? Often slimmer girls don't have breasts until later on.

I have two younger sisters (age 11 and 14). The 14 year old is very tiny and has no breasts and hasn't started her periods whereas the 11 year old is quite chunky and has small breasts but no sign of anything else.

Looking back. I used to ghet anxious that all my friends had started puberty when I hadn't. Looking back now I feel that I was lucky! Lol!