Fun fact, the first period a girl has is called her menarche (say MEN-ar-kee), kind of like anarchy\u2026 Which is sort of how your first period can feel. Your body is being overthrown by hormones that are going to take charge of you, changing your body and the way you feel.<\/p>\n
People react to this body-anarchy in a whole host of different ways, with fear, dread or even eager excitement. As intimidating as these big changes can seem, many girls can feel like they have missed the crimson wave if their friends have already started their periods and they haven\u2019t. Try not to worry, these things just take time and it\u2019ll come when your body is ready!<\/p>\n
Predicting the beginning of your menstrual cycle is not an exact science, but it\u2019s good to be prepared, both mentally and practically-speaking (so you don\u2019t get caught off guard and leak through your undies). If you know how to read the signs your body gives you, you can be as informed as possible… Ready and waiting for Aunt Flo!<\/p>\n
You would think that age would play the biggest factor in determining when you\u2019re going to start your period. But, it isn\u2019t really just age that matters, it\u2019s all about puberty. Most girls begin puberty around the age of 11 but it can start anywhere between 8 and 14. That\u2019s when your body develops from a child\u2019s to an adult\u2019s.<\/p>\n
You develop breasts and body hair; in fact, you grow a lot in general (it\u2019s why you\u2019re taller than all the boys). You can also get acne and experience moods swings that really feel like emotional anarchy. It may not be the best thing about being a teenager, but it is all part of becoming a woman.<\/p>\n
You will probably get your period about a year after you start noticing these changes, which for most girls that\u2019s around age 12, but the range is actually pretty huge. You can get your period any time between 9 and 15 and be considered totally normal!<\/p>\n
One thing you can do to help predict when you\u2019ll get your first period is ask your mom when she started hers; genetics play a big part in how you develop and if your mom got her period at 15 and you\u2019re 12 right now, your period may not arrive for another couple of years.<\/p>\n
One of the big signs that your period is on its way is that you\u2019ve gotten boobs. Hoorah! Now, this does not mean the bigger your breasts are, the more likely you are to have your period! But, breast development is one of the first signs of puberty.<\/p>\n
When your breasts will become tender and feel a little raised, this is the first sign they\u2019re developing. It can be a little sore but that\u2019s all par for the course and a sign your period is about a year away!<\/p>\n
Top tip: keep a diary to help keep track of the changes that are happening to your body, you can take measurements, jot down the dates that you notice changes, that kind of thing.<\/p>\n
Pubic hair, or pubes, as you have probably heard them called, arrive soon after your breasts begin to develop. At first you will notice soft fluffy hair that begins to appear around your vulva and on your pubic bone; it will slowly get darker and courser over time.<\/p>\n
Your period will should arrive around a year or so after you begin to grow pubic hair. Now, we hear what you\u2019re thinking, \u2018a year or so\u2019 is not very exact but, all the signs are pointing in the right direction!<\/p>\n