First Period Symptoms

Periods mark the beginning of a girl becoming a woman. It is a signal by the body that now it is getting ready to carry a baby in the future. In medical terms, periods are known as menstruation. The duration of the menstruation cycle varies from woman to woman and can be anywhere between 21 to 40 days. Once a woman starts menstruating, she will continue to get them every month till about the age of fifty or so i.e. till she enters menopause.

A girl can expect to get her periods as early as when she is eight years old to as late as when she turns fifteen or sixteen, the average age being twelve and thirteen. As each and every person's body is different and grows at its own pace, the ages when girls get their first periods, known as "menarche" varies too. Differences in body weight, height, race and cultural background has an impact on the age when a girl will start menstruating. Some studies show that girls who develop fast physically, get their periods earlier than those who are thin. Nevertheless, all girls should be aware of the first time period symptoms, so that they don't get scared or confused upon experiencing them.

Signs and Symptoms of First Period

Attaining Puberty
Puberty starts with the girl experiencing some physical changes in her body. One of the first signs of puberty is development of breasts. Typically, the breasts start developing around two years before a girl gets her first periods. When the breasts start developing, medically this stage is known as "thelarche". The other sign of puberty that a girl experiences is the appearance of hair growth in the pubic region as well as under the arms. It takes about a year for the full hair growth to appear on the girl's body. Once a girl experiences these two signs of puberty, it can take anywhere more than six months for her to get her first periods.

Clear Vaginal Discharge
When a girl is about to experience her periods, usually six months before it, she can expect to get a white discharge from her vagina. In some girls, this discharge may be accompanied by symptoms such as mild cramping, headache and stomach bloating. While in some, none of these symptoms except for the vaginal discharge are visible and it is very likely that a girl actually misses to notice this as well.

Vaginal Blood Discharge
When the periods start, the girl will have a blood discharge from the vagina. It is generally observed that in the first period, the amount of blood that comes out of the vagina is very small. The color of the blood is either brown or bright red.

Cramps, Pain and Bloating
During a girl's first period, along with the blood discharge, she may experience a number of other symptoms. Cramping and pain in the lower abdominal region is one of the commonest symptoms. Some amount of bloating and discomfort in the stomach might also be felt due to water retention. Breast tenderness during puberty is pretty common as the breast tissue is still growing and there are lots of hormonal fluctuations taking place inside the girl's body. Sometimes, backache, leg ache and headache may be experienced by the girl too.

Fatigue and Mood Swings
As hormones are playing havoc with the girl's body during puberty, she might experience mood swings, anger and stress due to the periods. A feeling of tiredness, fear and sadness is commonly seen in girls during, before or after their first periods.

Initially, when the periods start, they may not be regular. A girl should not get worried if she does not get her periods for a month or so. Also, to reduce the discomfort caused by her periods, a girl can rely on pain medicines such as Tylenol or take hot compresses. This should do the trick and will relieve the girl of pain and cramping caused by her periods. As for the vaginal blood discharge, she should use tampons or pads.

Crying, excitement, fear, getting emotional and feeling overwhelmed, not to mention the physical discomfort - all these symptoms of your first period can be daunting for any girl. However, knowledge of all these signs beforehand, will in a way prepare the girl to deal with them in the best possible way.