All about a GIRL - Puberty

Puberty, Truth: Let’s be honest from the start, being a teenager is pretty tough. It’s the part of your life where you’ll grow from being a little girl to an adult. However, as you’ll soon discover, this involves your body and mind going through some dramatic changes at a dizzying speed. And yet this chain of events can be summed up in a single word: puberty.

Puberty - whether you love the idea or loathe it there’s no getting away from it. However, you can at least make it as stress-free as possible. So how do you manage puberty? Well, you make sure you’re fully clued-up about what‘s going to happen.

How Puberty Will Change Your Body ?

During puberty, your body starts to release hormones that will make your body mature physically. You’ll develop breasts and pubic hair, and you’ll start having periods (menstruation) that will eventually allow you to become pregnant.

Girls hit puberty when they’re aged anywhere from 7 to13 and usually start their periods a couple of years after their breasts start to grow. The age you start is influenced by a host of different factors such as weight, race and genetic make-up. For example, if your mum started her menstrual cycle early then it’s likely you’ll be the same.

Unfortunately, there is no fixed set of rules in puberty which means there’s no right or wrong way to go through it. However, it can be less stressful if you avoid blowing your worries out of all proportion. You won’t be the first girl in history to find the whole thing scary or squeamish. Neither will you be the first to lie awake at night fretting that you’re the only girl in class that doesn’t wear a bra yet. Just remember that everyone will catch up sooner or later and until then you’re certainly not alone in feeling self-conscious.

Periods

The two sets of ‘lips’ which enclose the outer part (the vulva) will increase in size slightly and you’ll grow pubic hair on the larger ones. And inside your body, at the same time, the vagina will be lengthening and the uterus expanding.

To help moisten and cleanse itself, the vagina produces fluid called a discharge. If you notice this white or yellowish stain in your underwear it’s likely you’ll begin your periods in around 6 to 18 months. The discharge can be either heavy or barely noticeable; but beware if it has a bad smell or if you feel sore or itchy in the genital area. If this happens, it’s best to check with a doctor that you haven’t picked up some kind of infection.

Your period may be very unpredictable for the first two years while you settle into your cycle. So we’ve created the four-phase breakdown below to help you recognise what’s going on and when. Being clued-up on your cycle means you’ll be better prepared to deal with your period.

You’ll know when to carry tampons or pads and how to recognise and relieve period pain. It’s also essential you understand your cycle if you wish to use birth control or are planning to have a baby.

Phase 1 – Having your period (‘menstruation’).

 

Basically, your body is getting rid of tissue it doesn’t need. The lining of the womb breaks up and alongside body cells and mucus it passes slowly out the body through the vagina, causing you to bleed. You might feel like your flow is heavy but in reality the bleeding of an average period is only equivalent to 6-9 tablespoons. Your period may appear bright red or quite dark and might include some clumps or clots.

Phase 2 – Just after your period ends (‘pre-ovulation phase’).

 

Around the time your period ends, your body gets ready again for a potential pregnancy. Your ovaries prepare another egg and a hormone called oestrogen makes your womb rebuild its lining.

Phase 3 - Ovulation

 

Hormones prompt your ovaries to release an egg into the fallopian tubes. At the same time, because of hormone progesterone, your womb thickens its lining in preparation for the egg to be fertilised. Ovulation usually occurs 14 days before the start of your next period.

Phase 4 - Pre-menstrual (‘luteal’) phase.

If the egg is not fertilised, your womb gets ready to release its lining. Levels of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone drop and you enter a new menstrual cycle as the shedding of this lining begins.