Tag Archives: menarche

Which Comes First – Periods or Puberty Ed?

Often what comes first is puberty, followed closely by periods with education about both lagging far behind.

With many girls experiencing their first period (menarche) in 5th grade, and some in second (or even first grade), waiting until 6th grade to offer puberty/sex ed makes no sense.

If girls received information and education about changes they would soon experience BEFORE they experienced them and felt prepared, they would be empowered to embrace the changes. What a difference it would make in their comfort level and ability to accept the changes and feel good about themselves and the changes they experience and see in their peers.

For more about this, check out NPR’s piece: Puberty Is Coming Earlier, But That Doesn’t Mean Sex Ed Is.

Your Daughter’s First Period

Whether or not your daughter has experienced her first period, take a look at Kate’s delightful post on Stay At Home Mum’s site.

Kate offers puberty and period wise advice, as well as sage mom advice, too.

As you will see below, Kate urges moms – talk to your daughter before she gets their period.

They grow up so quickly and the baby girl you brought home is no longer a tiny little bundle. You’ve been there to help her learn and grow and have watched her experience so many new things. The time is now coming for your little girl to blossom into a young lady. There’ll be plenty of mood swings, grumbling, some stubbornness, pimples and her first period.  It can be a very scary thing for young girls, the thought of getting her period is really quite daunting (whether they admit it or not). You’ll know when it’s almost time and she’ll start to notice some things too. Hair growing in different places, skin condition changing, sleep patterns may change, her body will begin to develop differently, she’ll start getting cramps and a multitude of other things. The best way to approach puberty is with knowledge. Help your daughter by supplying her with all the information she will need BEFORE she gets her first period to help her reach this milestone in her life without being scared. Even young children ask questions, be honest with them and start with the BASICS when they are beginning to ask questions and spread the information out. Don’t expect to just sit down and talk about it all and think that’s the end of it. It’s a lot to take in and some of it may not be age appropriate depending on when you start your talks. Read more.

What puberty or period wise advice would you add to what Kate offers?

 

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.

Menopause – Blessing or Curse?

Carolyn West recently posted a delightful personal piece entitled “Ladies of a Certain Age: Why Nobody Talks About Menopause.”

Just like nobody ever talked about what your body would be like after childbirth, and nobody ever talked about how you would be up all night with a screaming baby, and nobody ever talked about how friggin’ hard marriage is sometimes… nobody talks about menopause. Why? Maybe for the same reason that when we are 10 years old, we have no interest in hearing about menstruation. It’s icky, it’s embarrassing and while we know it’s inevitable, we are still clinging to the hope that we’ll be the only one who will skate through it unscathed.

If you menstruate, you will one day experience menopause. That’s a fact.

Why hide it?

Why act like it doesn’t happen and that it won’t, or doesn’t, affect us?

For more information about menopause check out what some doctors advise concerning it.

Being period wise extends from pre-menarche to post-menopause.

Be period wise. It’s an attitude that makes a difference.

Camp Gyno Star Rocks Menstruation

If you’ve not seen Macy McGrail in the viral video “Camp Gyno,” you have really missed out. Take two minutes and enjoy an fresh, entertaining look as a nine year old girl experiences menarche (her first period) at camp and becomes the camp gyno.

For more on Macy McGrail and menstruation, check out Cosmopolitan’s interview of Macy.

How does Macy’s experience differ from your experience?

What is your initial reaction to the video? to how Macy embraced her first period?

Macy, who has not yet begun to menstruate is already period wise.  And, by Macy’s own words, she owes much to her mom and her openness about menstruation.

What’s a Grandmother to do?

Susan Stiffelman offers an interesting scenario in which your 13 year old granddaughter confides to you that she’s started her period and doesn’t want her mother to know. Take a moment, read, and see if you agree that her solution is period wise.

Your 13-year-old granddaughter tells you she’s gotten her period.

“Grandma, you absolutely, positively cannot tell Mom and Dad,” she cries.
You know your daughter — her mother — would want to know, and to celebrate this moment in her daughter’s life. You also know that your daughter will be furious with you when she finds out you’d kept it from her. What do you do?

You hold the secret, and create the space for your granddaughter to tell you about this new experience. You don’t rush the talk, and you stay lovingly connected to her. Eventually you may say, “Sweetie, I’m so happy for you. Wow! This is a huge moment in your life. I’m honored that you told me, and I respect that it’s your right to share this with whomever you choose. Can you tell me what it is about telling Mom and Dad that feels uncomfortable? What do you think might happen if you tell them?”

And then you listen. In the back of your mind, you’re looking for a way to help your granddaughter become comfortable sharing this with her parents, but you allow her to be ready at her pace. If your daughter finds out that you knew and didn’t tell her, you accept her anger and disappointment, assuring her that you will absolutely tell her if your granddaughter discloses anything dangerous.

Where did you learn about periods?

Laura Wershler, frequent writer for the blog of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research, recently wrote a delightful, thought-provoking piece titled: How do girls learn about periods?

In the article, Laura asks:

Why aren’t cool moms and older relatives already talking to the girls in their lives about menstruation? Sharing friendly advice? Passing on wisdom from mother to daughter, woman to woman?

Good questions.  Period wise questions.

Where did you learn about periods?  What about the girl in your life?  Where did/will she learn about periods?

How would you answer Laura’s questions?

Period Wise Pin-ups

Pinterest interests me.

I’ll admit – I can lose hours there looking at things, reading about topics, learning, engaging, enjoying things period wise and period wise things.

Period Wise on Pinterest is a work in progress.  I’m always looking for new things to pin, period wise.

So far, there are 27 boards and over 1,600 pins – most of which pertain to or remind me of menstruation.

If you are on Pinterest, please drop by and visit.  I’m open to any and all suggestions of period wise pins to add to my Period Wise collection.

If you are not yet following, please do!  I’d love opportunity to pin some of your goodies on my Period Wise boards, but I don’t know who you are if you’re not following me on Pinterest. 😉

Pin, period wise.