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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

What age is normal for a first period?

80 replies

momlil · 27/07/2022 00:21

My daughter is 11 years and 10 months and started bleeding today. Shes only 4ft 10 at the moment. Im so nervous thats the end of her growing? She suffers enough trying to fit in with her peers. Shes more on the shy side. Dont want her suffering in the future.
Is this very early to get a period? I was 13.5

OP posts:
Benjispruce4 · 27/07/2022 09:10

I carried on growing until about 16 and I started at 13.

completelyunderwhelmed · 27/07/2022 09:21

The variation is so interesting. I definitely started to gain 'puberty weight' in year 6 but didn't start my periods until 14. I was desperate to start, definitely felt I was 'last' and wondered what was wrong with me. After I started, I started to slim down and grow up. I grew an extra inch when I started uni! I'm very tall and thin at 5' 11''. My brother also grew a bit when at uni.

Mariposista · 27/07/2022 09:31

In my friendship group the youngest was 8 and the oldest nearly 16. As for her height, how tall are you/her Dad? She may just be one who won’t be very tall, and that’s ok, unless she wants a job where you have to be over a certain height. As long as she is healthy.

SweetPetrichor · 27/07/2022 09:34

I was 10, but I didn’t stop growing. I’m a bit on the shorter side but my parents are both shorter than average so that’s more likely genes than it is early puberty!

TheDuchessOfMN · 27/07/2022 09:37

My daughters were 12 & 10. I felt so sorry for my 10 yo, it felt way too young. She was a trooper though.

I just realised that I was 11. So it sounds about right that they were either side of me.

ClinkeyMonkey · 27/07/2022 09:41

I started my periods at 12. I was about 5ft 4" (I only know this because I weirdly wrote it on the back of a photo of myself at the time!) I ended up at 5ft 7".

HavfrueDenizKisi · 27/07/2022 09:43

Eldest DD was 13.5 when she started a year ago. Same age that I started. She is still growing and is now taller than me and I'm 5ft 7.

Youngest Dd is 11.5 and no period yet. Although she has more developed boobs than her sister did at her age so I thought she may start her periods earlier. She has just left primary and not started yet. At least 3 of her friends at school had already started. All different sizes and shapes so there's no calling it! One of them is particularly small and underdeveloped but has regular periods.

TitoMojito · 27/07/2022 09:43

I was 11 years 2 months when I got mine and unfortunately that was when I stopped growing - but I don't think that's the norm for everyone. I have short genes anyway haha.

sashh · 27/07/2022 09:45

I was 11, it was the summer holiday before I went to high school.

I don't know when my classmates started.

Seeline · 27/07/2022 09:50

My DD started at about 14, and was very small - just over 5'. She carried on growing, but actually grew 2"" between 16 and 18. She's 5'4" now. Not sure if she's completely stopped.

GlitteryGreen · 27/07/2022 10:32

Yep I was 11 and 2 months and didn't stop growing. Didn't even know they were linked tbh?!

Rainraingoaway21 · 27/07/2022 21:52

@RenegadeMatron not sure where you'd heard girls are meant to stop growing around 13?!

waterrat · 28/07/2022 18:49

Periods are getting earlier.

I was 9 back in thr 80s so she isn't young at all. I kept growing am normal 5 foot 6 now !

Cervinia · 28/07/2022 18:55

I was 12, 44 years ago. Very normal at my all girls school too and I was probably in the later third of the class. I also grew to an Amazonian 5 foot 4.5 inches.

i think periods are starting earlier but children growing taller, it will be fine.

JessesMum777888 · 28/07/2022 18:56

mine started 13, 12 and the little one at 10 which was horrible for her at primary but teachers were brilliant. Not sure there is an actual normal x

LittleMissPerfect90 · 28/07/2022 21:19

She's almost 12, so a perfectly reasonable age for period. Some kids are getting it at 9.

VerbenaGirl · 28/07/2022 21:20

11, but my DDs both grew for another couple of years after.

dementedpixie · 28/07/2022 21:27

I was 11 (now 48) and so was dd. Nearly 12 isn't young. Anything from age 8 is within normal parameters

RuthW · 28/07/2022 21:32

My daughter's friends were all between 9-11. She didn't grow anymore after 12. She's 25 now

samthebordercollie · 28/07/2022 21:38

It's normal.
I'm in France and one of my friends had the same experience with her daughter. She didn't accept it was normal so the doctor decided to put her on a hormonal treatment to stop her developing. Fucking stupid that it can be done as it can cause all sorts of other problems.

ISeeTheLight · 28/07/2022 21:38

I was 10. Grew for another 2 years or so; I'm 5'9 so not exactly short.
My mum was 15-16 and she's taller than me.

DD is 8.5 and is developing breast buds since a few months. Wouldn't surprise me if her period starts sometime next year (I hope not, for her sake).

Wheelz46 · 28/07/2022 21:44

I was 10, I couldn't tell you how tall I was but I was definitely a lot shorter than I am now. I know I had dinky feet, a mere size 12 and I am a size 4 now.

SparkyBlue · 28/07/2022 21:51

I was 12 and a tiny little thing . I'm only 4"11
and a size 3 foot and I was even smaller back then.

MiseryWIthAStent · 28/07/2022 21:52

I was 11 when I got mine, didn't stop me growing, I had hoped I would get boobs soon after but I'm 29 and still waiting 😅

MotherOfMonkeys0 · 28/07/2022 22:13

Your daughter sounds exactly like mine OP - build, age & period timing, skin, personality...except we're a year on. She was upset about all of the body changes initially and became more awkward and self conscious. She's ahead of her close friends. She's slowly growing more comfortable with herself though, little lady. It's all a process. She doesn't care one iota about her skin, it's me that fusses. She'd like to be taller, she may well grow but there are some petite women on DH's side. It's brought us closer because she doesn't want to talk about it with friends yet. She's going to be an amazing introverted woman one day. ❤