Fifteen years old and still no period? Getting very worried.

[ludlowstreet]

I've name changed for this.
My daughter was 15 in September, she still hasn't started her periods. She's fit and in good health, always has been. She has some signs of puberty, very small boobs (these started to develop about two years ago) little bit greasy skin. She was very skinny until about 18 months ago, she's now just normal slim, she's very tall though, about 5ft10/5ft11, not particularly sporty. She quite private so I know won't like me talking to her about it, I had planned to raise it in January if she still hasn't started though.
I'm starting to get quite worried, I think I might see if I can speak to her doctor next week. The doctor doesn't know her (or me) or any of my children, just because they haven't needed to see a doctor since they were babies.
Please help me be less worried!

DS who is very slim but not as tall as your DD started her periods just ahead of her 15th birthday and I was surprised, as to me she didn't look developed enough and I'm sure she's not yet 7 stone. Although it is late it's not abnormally late particularly as she's only just turned 15.

15 is still within the normal range.

I was 16! No health issues, completely normal and conceived my child first month trying etc.

My mum was 18 but she was very skinny. I was 13 and my sister was 12. It seems to be the later end of normal for these days but if she’s slim that could be why.

Worth getting her checked for coeliac disease

My dd was 15 and a half, I did take her to the dr around 15 and was told up to 16 is in normal range

@ludlowstreet

Just looked up Turner Syndrome. I think this is extremely unlikely given her height. She's always been tall. I'm 5ft3 and my husband is 6ft3 for context.

I think the poster was probably thinking of Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, but still really unlikely. Most people with any major differences in sex development know about it as children. Far, far more likely she is just a late developer due to being lighter weight. Weight plays a role in triggering puberty.

You've got until sixteen before it needs checking out.

Another one who started at 15 - I was very slim then, less so now! My breasts didn't develop fully until my 20's (when I was still slender). I was a very thin child, which I suspect delayed the start of puberty. I'm not tall though.

Please don't take her to the doctor yet
My mum did when I was 15
I'm 5'10 and thin then
Didn't want to start actually as why would you
Mortally embarrassed
I started soon after so about 15 and 9 months
Must be a tall thing
She also took me to the doctor for being underweight
(I wasn't)

I'd have been mortified if my mum was worrying about it.
Worse still, posting on sm about it!

My plan was to speak to her (female) GP next week on the phone, without telling dd.
Speak to dd after Christmas if still no period. See if she's worried about it herself and wants me to take her to the doctor. If she let's me talk to her about it, I'll tell her what will happen at the GP, that she can see a female doctor and doesn't have to consent to any treatment of examinations she doesn't want. I'll also tell her that I don't have to come in with her if she doesn't want and she'd rather speak to the doctor herself, equally, I can come in and do all the talking for her and she doesn't have to say a word if she doesn't want.

I didn’t start my periods till I was 15 and a half. It’s healthier to start them later. I was a teacher before I retired and had little girls of 8 starting theirs! It used to be the norm not having periods until you were a teenager at least. I wouldn’t worry too much at this stage.

I was 16, two months short of 17 when I started mine, my twin sister was 16 and a half when hers came both slim, tall and athletic no health problems, no issues whatsoever and my mother didn't take us to see any doctors. I don't even think she was particularly worried it was assumed they would arrive when they arrive.

I won't take her to the doctor unless she wants me to. No pressure from me, I'll just ask her if she's worried about it.

I was year 10, 15 ish. I was also a big girl. Im now very curvy woth my families large boobs so in some ways its very odd to see pictures of me in my teenage years mostly without them!

Does your husband have any sisters, maybe tall sisters
No sisters.

Without being crude, does she other signs of puberty like sweating, hair
I don't know about body hair but she is quite greasy now.

Oh God, just read about Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. Her genitals looked completely normal as a baby and young child.

It’s variable, but I’d get it checked out. For context as anecdata I was 15, perfectly healthy. My friend had yet to start hers at 16 and it was a fairly serious ovarian issue. So could be nothing, could be something, GP will know.

I know that chances are, it's nothing, just later than average. All these other possibilities are a worry though.

I was 16 - used to be said (when average height was five foot four) that around 7.5 stone was the trigger ie body fat etc playing a part. She's almost certainly fine

All the other worrying possibilities are very very rare and unlikely. It's almost certain that she's just a late developer and will be perfectly fine.

I was almost 15, my mum almost 18! Both tall and slim.

We're 'normal' and had very straightforward fertility and pregnancies. No intervention required. Try not to worry!

I was 15 and tall and very thin. I wouldn’t panic yet.

I also had no fertility problems.

I was almost 17 when I started. My first daughter started @14 and her sister started @ 12

I think your plan to speak to the GP and then raise it with your daughter after Christmas is a good one. There are a few conditions related to absent periods or she could just be a late starter. It seems really common for young girls to start earlier these days so 15 can seem really late when it was perfectly normal to be 14/15 when I was a teen (47 now)!