Category Archives: Menarche

Menarche, not archenemy

Menarche.

I typed the word, changed the spelling, and still the red squiggly line under the word menarche Archenemyindicated 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) Menarche

At What Age Was Your First Period?

I came across a poll on Twitter recently that gave me reason to pause.  Poll - what age menarche AF_28

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?Age 7 - S

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.

  1. Mom’s vacuum (it ate my Barbie’s shoes and I believed it could eat ME if given a chance).
  2. 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!

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.”

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.

Menarche at 6

What do you do for a 6 year old who has her first period? And, for her mom, who feels overwhelmed and unprepared?

How do you explain to her what’s going on and why her tummy hurts so badly?

“Why does my tummy hurt so much, Mommy? Why”

“When will it stop hurting, Mommy? When?”

Where do you keep the tears, hers from pain and her mom’s from sorrow, as they fall unbidden?

Who has answers that can bring relief to her and provide support for her mom?

Period Wise is working toward creating resources for Moms with girls who enter puberty way too early and experience menarche when their greatest concern should be homework and invites to birthday parties.

If you are the mom of a girl who is experiencing early (precocious) puberty, we’d like to hear from you.