Tag Archives: menarche

Menarche, not archenemy

Menarche.

I typed the word, changed the spelling, and still the red squiggly line under the word menarche indicated I had not spelled the word correctly.

And, when I asked the computer to offer a spell check correction, it offered the word archenemy.

Archenemy??!!

(I’m sure some would feel this to be an accurate substitution for the spelling of the word menarche.)

Then, it dawned on me. Menarche was not in my computer’s dictionary.

So I added it…m…e…n…a…r…c…h…e.

I wonder…is it in your vocabulary? What about that of your daughter or granddaughter?

And, what of menarche? Is it truly seen as the wonder that it is? Or, is it seen as something evil…an archenemy out to put an end to fun and living life as one pleases?

Menarche is not an archenemy of girls, nor is it something to be dreaded. And, it’s certainly not the herald of the bane of women everywhere (menstruation, aka periods).

It is what it is – natural, normal, healthy, wonderful. And, it needs to be in everyday conversations, in everyone’s vocabulary, and a word that rolls off of the tongue with ease.

Say it with me…”menarche.” (məˈnärkē)

At What Age Was Your First Period?

I came across a poll on Twitter recently that gave me reason to pause.

How old were you when you got your first ever period? was the question asked. The results were surprising – yes, even to me.

200 responded (as of this date). Of those who responded, the VAST majority experienced menarche as TWEENS.

Yes, tweens. Take a look at the poll as of noon today, October 3, 2015.

Only 1 in 5 experienced menarche as a teen.

What does this say about when discussion of puberty, the changes it brings and preparation for menarche should begin?

What needs to change to ensure young girls are prepared? (Please note that of those who responded to the poll 19% indicated they experienced menarche at age 9 or younger.)

When did YOU experience your first ever period? How prepared were you?

When a 7 Year Old Girl Gets Her Period

Do you remember what it was like to be 7 years old?

I was looking through Mom’s photo albums recently and came across pictures of me at age 7. Wow, that was such a fun age! Ages 7-10 were some of my most memorable years – filled with amazing fun and awesome vacations.

It was a carefree time – an innocent time – play time.

As I looked at the pictures, I recalled two worries I had at that age.

Mom’s vacuum (it ate my Barbie’s shoes and I believed it could eat ME if given a chance).
Getting all E’s in school (E was for excellent – S, for satisfactory, was not deemed good enough).

Menarche was not a word in my vocabulary. And, the only period I knew of belonged at the end of a sentence.

When a 7 year old girl gets her period, she has a lot more on her mind than picking up her toys and getting good grades. Check out my guest post: What happens when a 7 year old girl gets her period? and see what menarche is like for many girls.

The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research blog re: Cycling has focused on Menarche the entire month of September. Loads of terrific info on menarche and menstruation can be found in the guest posts. Be sure to scroll down through the September, 2015 posts. You won’t want to miss any of them!

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2015

Today, May 28, is Menstrual Hygiene Day.

So what? It’s an important day because #MenstruationMatters and so do women and girls the world over! That’s what!

MHD serves as a neutral platform to bring together individuals, organisations, social businesses and the media to create a united and strong voice for women and girls around the world, helping to break the silence around menstrual hygiene management. How will you be showing the world that ‪#‎menstruationmatters‬ to you? Society for Menstrual Cycle Research

For more about Menstrual Hygiene Day and #MenstruationMatters check out the following links.

How will you make a difference, period wise?

Dear Kate, My First Time Was…

I love this.

Truly.

Dear Kate’s First-time video is…well…take a look for yourself.

OH! And, be sure to page down…all the way down to the bottom of the page – down to where it says “SHARE YOUR STORY” 😉

Dear Kate’s wonderful period wise advice is – “so, let’s talk about it.”

Venus Matters

There’s a nifty little idea that could come in handy for all sorts of bedtime situations and appears, at least in idea, to beat towels and old blankets hands down when it comes to protecting sheets and mattresses.

It’s a Venus Pad.

The Venus Mat is a cotton-covered, absorbent, waterproof and washable mat that keep stains or wet-spots off the bed linens. (Learn more.)

According to the website, Venus Matters to a lot of women.

women tired of menstrual stains on sheets
women with new babies
teenage girls concerned about night time leaks
women experiencing night sweats and heavy flows
sexually active women
women concerned with the perceived curse of menstruation

Take a minute and watch the video.

New Puberty – A Crucial Resource for Parents

The day dawned like any other day. The signs where there, but I pulled the cover over my head and turned over. Surely I was mistaken – it wasn’t time for the day to start.

So it was with my daughter. The signs where there, but either I didn’t recognize them or I pulled the cover over my head and declared it too early and me not ready to face the dawning of puberty in her.

Hands and feet were the first to grow. Oh, how her feet grew. It seemed that overnight she went from a size 8 child’s shoe to a woman’s size 9. Her appetite became insatiable and her weight climbed. Her breasts budded then quickly blossomed far beyond my expectation and well beyond her delight.

She wasn’t ready, did not want, rejected facts undeniable, insisted she was not / could not / would not ever…. She wasn’t having any of it.

Puberty had its unrelenting, undeniable way with her. And, she hated it. All of it. Cute girl’s shoes no longer fit her. She wore shoes like her grandma. Bras were confining and uncomfortable. And, wear a pad – ick – she could feel it. All were a hated intrusion on her and an interruption to her ability to enjoy carefree childhood.

My little girl was developing the body of a woman.

Dressing her became a nightmare. Cute size 8 clothes that she loved were left hanging on the rack while larger, more mature clothing were selected out of necessity. “I look like Grandma” was her response. Everything had to be altered. If it fit her one place, it didn’t another. And, the length was always too long.

I knew it would happen. (One day.) Girls become women. It’s a process (meaning s-l-o-w) and puberty plays a huge role. Over time girls grow up. She knew that one day she would grow into a woman.

One day is always far in the future. When you’re 8, there’s too much living to be done and fun to be had to worry about what can and will happen one day.

I knew it was possible for puberty to arrive early. It did for her paternal grandmother – her first period was at age 9. But, I also knew that I experienced puberty late, as did my mother and her mother. I assumed the same for her.

I steeled myself against the possibility. Surely puberty would not arrive until I was ready…she was ready.

Ah…I’d pulled the cover over my head in denial and allowed my daughter to do the same.

“One day you will have breasts and pubes and a period like Mommy.” How many times had I told her that to her inquiries as of why and what and when?

One day.

But, not today….

Oh, how I wish The New Puberty: How to Navigate Early Development in Today’s Girls had been in my hands when my daughter was little. It would have given me the tools to help her accept her changing body and move gently through puberty. I would have known what to do – and how. And, equally important – what to avoid doing and why.

Instead of covering my head and refusing to face the dawning of “one day,” I would have been busy before dawn – ready to seize the day and squeeze every bit of good from it every day of her journey.

If you have a girl – get The New Puberty. Get it even if you don’t anticipate her entering puberty early. It’s a resource and wealth of information at your fingertips. It will change you. Yes, you. You experienced puberty and I’m guessing your experience was not all positive or pleasant. This book has the potential to change your outlook and your daughter’s experience.

The New Puberty: How to Navigate Early Development in Today’s Girls is a crucial resource for today’s parents and a period wise investment.

Little Big Girls

Little Big Girls is a documentary, by Hélène Choquette, National Film Board of Canada, highlighting the phenomenon of early puberty in girls.

Phenomenon?

Yes!

To quote the documentary: “Girls are getting breasts 1 year earlier than 20 years ago.” “No one knows why this is happening. This is cause for action.”

This has been observed and studied by researchers who do not understand and cannot put their finger on why it’s happening. This meets the definition of phenomenon.

So what’s the big deal? Girls have been entering puberty early, at age 9, for years. My own mother-in-law experienced her first period at age 9 in 1936. So, this is nothing new, right?

Right. And, WRONG!

Sure, it’s true that 20, 40, 80 years ago some girls entered puberty earlier than the norm. But, it was a rare occurrence.

Not so these days.

Today it’s not unusual to see signs of early puberty in girls age 7 – or younger.

A number of causes are suspected: could obesity and exposure to environmental contaminants, for instance, be to blame? The physical, psychological and psychosocial repercussions on young girls results in a disconnect between their physical and emotional maturity. Far from being a marginal issue, early-onset puberty is fast becoming a worldwide public health concern. (Read more.)

If the above quote was a bit much to grasp fully, consider the quotes below. They were taken from the documentary – from the lips of young women who entered puberty early, who developed a woman’s body in 3rd and 4th grades and their struggle to find normal in a body they didn’t understand or want.

You realize you have to grow up. There’s nothing you can do.

…like a stroke of bad luck…too soon…wasn’t ready yet…psychologically or physically…wanted to be at the same stage as the other girls in my school.

I didn’t want it. …inconceivable for me not to be normal. At that age you just want to be normal. You want to be accepted. …just further proof that I wasn’t normal. I thought I would be even more of an outcast if people found out. You want it to STOP.

In grade 4…it’s just not fair!

I was the biggest outcast because I looked older and because I was curvier than everybody else. They would insult me for not being like them. Basically, I was as much of a child as they were. I had the same interests, watched the same shows, did exactly the same things. Just because my body had changed didn’t mean that I had changed as a person.

Given that I didn’t have a child’s body, I ended up maturing a little faster, too.

Unfortunately, I think my childhood went by too quickly….

It’s important to understand that girls who enter puberty early face many obstacles – relational, physical, psychological, emotional, sexual.

Yes, sexual.

The body is ready but the head is not. Physically their bodies are ready for sexual experiences. The urges and curiosity are there. But, psychologically they are not ready because they are still little girls. They are naive…seek approval…are too eager to please…easily manipulated…too often used…abused.

Watch the documentary. Please. For the sake of every girl who is and who will be impacted by early puberty.

It’s FREE only for this weekend.

Have you known girls who started puberty quite young? What challenges did they face?

Have you ever treated a girl based on the age you felt she looked rather than by her chronological age?

Back to School – Period Wise

The count down to the first day of the 2014-15 school year has begun.

Back to school shoppers are filling the local stores as parents and children select school clothes and classroom supplies.

On the list of must purchase items should be period supplies if you have girls who could start or have started to menstruate. And, along with period supplies should be a period pack for school – something small and discrete, yet big enough to contain necessary products and an extra pair of panties.

Back to school period wise thoughts follow. (Additional thoughts are welcome!)

It’s estimated that 3 in 10 girls have begun puberty by 8 years of age. Most girls will experience menarche as tweens.

With this in mind, it’s period wise to be prepared and the best way is to have a period pack handy at school (either in the locker, backpack, or purse).

Any small bag will work. Ex: A small makeup bag is perfect for holding a few liners, pads, or tampons, as well as an extra pair of panties.

If your daughter has not yet begun to menstruate, make sure she knows what to do in the event she starts.

If your daughter is new to menstruation, having a plan in place and her period pack with her will ease the transition from home to school and will calm any anxiety she may have as well as prevent embarrassment should her period arrive unexpectedly while at school.

If your daughter is a period pro and feels ready to move from pads or tampons to something more exciting (like cups) encourage her. Periods often fall on weekends and holidays – what better time to learn the ins and outs of cup use!

When it comes to girls and menstruation, it’s best to prepare for the unexpected. Sometimes you just never know, and if she’s prepared, she’s confident.

If your daughter has already begun to menstruate, make sure her school period pack has a day’s worth of product plus 1.

If she has not yet started, make sure she knows what to do if she starts her first period while at school.

Also, help her have a plan in place in the event that she doesn’t have her period pack, or forgets to bring more product to school and suddenly discovers she needs it. She needs to know what to do in just such an emergency, and who to go to for help. (School nurse, school counselor, teacher, friend)

If your daughter has begun to experience vaginal discharge or expresses concern that her period may start, liners are terrific little confidence boosters.

Leaks are a big concern. Have an anti-leak plan and a contingency plan in case she does experience a leak.

Talk through different possibilities with your daughter and come up with a plan for each.

If possible, before school starts, walk through the school with your daughter – visit the restrooms and look for receptacles. She will need to know what to do with used menstrual products. (Flushing is not an option.)

Preparation is the key, period wise. And, it can make for an awesome, confident start school wise.

Faking It

Did you ever fake it?

I did – as a 7th grader. In my group, I was the only one who had not yet reached menarche.

The new ad by Hello Flo brought back so many memories. I’ve laughed and cried. And, I’ve wanted to hug that little 7th grader from my past who lied about starting and assure her that it’s okay to be different.

Be yourself. You can’t be anyone else. Being honest about your experience and true to yourself is period wise.