Impact of weight on girls starting period.

[octonuddle]

I have an 11 year old DD who is showing increasing signs of puberty including pubic hair, mood swings, mild acne etc. She has had underarm hair for over a year. All very much expected. I would be anticipating she may start her period soon however she is a very slight build. She weights 33kg. I read (google!) that to begin menstruation, the body needs to be around 45-48kg, so she is miles off that. She eats like a bird and is very active (gymnastics, athletics etc) so k can’t she her reaching that for another couple of years.

Does the weight point resonate with others whose daughters have gone through puberty? Or has anyone a daughter who started menstruation while weighing significantly less than 45kg?

Following as we are in the exact same boat. In fact I'd say she's ahead of some of her peers in terms of boobs, bit of acne. But she's still fitting into size 8-9 tops and shorts, trousers are far too short though so she's in 11 for those but with lots of taking in.

I've packed her a period swim costume for holiday because I have convinced myself it's imminent but maybe (I hope) it's a way off?

I think it has more to do with a % of body fat rather than strictly weight as some people will have very small frames. My DDs friends are all around 13/14 and some of the very skinny girls have started their period.

Mine hasn’t even though she has breast buds (these appear before periods) hair and little spots that appear. She also just had a big growth spurt which apparently is another sign. But I’m kind of waiting, any day now situation.

I currently weigh less than 45kg (I weigh 42kg) and have regular periods and conceived both my DDs at around this weight. I can’t imagine I was heavier at 15, which was when I started my period.
My mum was slightly worried, but physically I take after my dad’s side of the family - dad’s sister is very small, and my mum asked her and she didn’t start until 16.

My 14 year old weighs around 37kg and has breasts, lots of pubic hair but I very much doubt she’ll get her period until she gains weight and that will be slow in coming as she is just a small human. I’m not going to worry about it until she’s 16 plus. I would’ve been 45kg or so when I started.

Thanks everyone for sharing…I guess difficult to say…I’m inclined to think she is still miles away but her other signs are coming thick and fast. I guess I want to manage her expectations a little bit as she has convinced herself it is imminent. I was 14 and the last of my friends (felt like the last in the world at the time!) so if she is anything like me she’s got a long wait. That said, I didn’t have any signs at 11.

My DD11 started her periods in January and she weighs less than 39kg

My 11.5 year old is 29kg. I was exactly the same build as her and started period at 12, so I wouldn't be guided too heavily by the weights you quoted. I'm not sure I reached 45kg until my 20s.

I weighed approx 41 kg when I started my periods at 14.
DD started periods at 13 and weighed 39kg

I didnt reach 45kg until my mid 20s (im very short) I think I was probably under 40kg when they started, age 14.

In the past, I know girls started later on average, but the weight average was much lower? And some of them, at a low weight, did start earlier than 13-know this from women in my family.

I’d have thought she’ll be more aligned with you with weight only making a small difference. I’m expecting DD to be similar to me, especially as she’s a similar build etc. If she was more like the women on DH’s side then I’d expect later (they are all very petite, we are all tall and broad).
Does she take after you?

The body needs to be at least 45kg to menstruate?! Well I know that's not true. Everyone is different.

But I had full pubic hair at around 10 and didn't start my period til 12 and a half. So you might have lots of outward signs before the internal stuff kicks in.

As long as she's not restricting or having ED or other health issues then her periods should start at a normal age ie, between now and about 12/13.

My DD is slim but athletic and started hers at 12. And she has more of a bust than I had at her age. In fact I started aged 13 weighed about 7st sopping weight and had no chest!

Not sure if weight has a factor. It is been said roughly 2 yrs from breast development to first period. With DD1 is was more or less exactly that, breasts started around 8 1/2 then at 9 pubic hair started then around 10 1/2 she got her first period. DD2 is 8, not really any sign of breast buds, well maybe a little, I think I'm just pretending not to notice😣however she has started getting Pubic hair😫😪

My daughter started a few months ago and she is 11. She has breast buds, spots on her forehead and I noticed discharge in her underwear when I was doing the washing months before. She definitely doesn’t weigh over 45kg. She did have a large growth spurt though. She shot up by about 3 inches in 8 months.

My DD is 15 (will be 16 in August) and started her period only a few months ago. She was around 40 Kg at the time. She's quite hairy but no boobs as such and is underweight for her height.
I thought is was body fat percentage that is the key factor for starting periods as it's only above a certain fat percentage and the oestrogen is produced. She is/was is still skinny but have gained a bit of weight in the past few months and it probably a couple of kilos heavier now, so a higher body fat percentage.