Signs of First Period

Have you gotten your first period yet? If not, then you may already be anxious about it. We know that hitting puberty can be an exciting and at the same time, overwhelming time for teenagers and their mothers and our job here is to make this phase a bit less stressful for you and we will do that by providing you with all the information you need about periods.

With that in mind, here are the first period symptoms that you should watch out for:

Breast growth or tenderness

One of the first period symptoms that you will notice is breast growth and tenderness. You will feel that your breast is starting to get bigger and in addition to that, you will notice that your nipples are starting to develop too. Along with the growth comes a bit of pain and tenderness but don’t worry, it will fade over time.

You can expect your period about two years after your breasts start to develop.

Hair growth on different parts of the body

One sign of puberty is that you will notice hair growth in places that have no hair before. These may include your underarm, legs, arms and sometimes, at the sides of your lips.

As your underarm hair starts to grow, you will also sweat more and at this time, the smell of your sweat will start to smell differently. To avoid body odors, it is recommended that you use deodorant regularly. You may also want to shave, pluck or have the underarm hair waxed too but that’s depending on your preference.

Pubic hair growth

Now, here’s the part that will shock you a bit—you will notice hair growth down there (vagina) too. But as opposed to the hair in your underarms, your pubic hair will be soft and thin at first, but in time, it will grow coarser.

You can expect your period one to two years after your pubic hair grows.

Vaginal discharge

A few months before your first period, you may already notice either white, yellowish or greenish discharge in your underwear. As your period grows closer, the discharge will become heavier.

If the discharge is already too heavy for you that it already stains your underwear, it is best that you wear panty liners to protect your underwear. Don’t worry about feeling any discomfort since these liners are just thin and small so you might not even feel them.

While having vaginal discharge is completely normal, it is recommended that you take note of its smell. If the vaginal discharge smells bad and your vagina starts to feel itchy, then you need to consult your doctor as it may indicate a vaginal infection.

Keep in mind that your first period may occur when you are between ages 8 to 15. If your age is within this bracket, and you have already felt the first period symptoms, it means that you are going to have your period anytime soon.