Girls' Puberty
Puberty in girls can begin at any time between ages 7 and 13 (The Nemours Foundation, 2020). This is a very special time for little women. The first sign that a girl is growing into a woman is breast development. This change is eventually followed by pubic and underarm hair growth, sweat production, a growth spurt, and menstruation and ovulation. The pituitary gland prompts the ovaries to begin releasing estrogen, the female sex hormone, into the bloodstream. Estrogen causes teenage girls to develop a womanly figure. Ovulation makes the female reproductive system capable of conceiving, nurturing, and bearing a baby.
The ability to be a mother is a very wonderful and unique gift that God has bestowed upon women. Ovulation involves the release of eggs every month. The eggs are produced in anticipation of being fertilized by sperm. If no fertilization occurs, then the lining of the uterus dissolves and blood and tissue flow out of the uterus. This process is called menstruation. Teenage girls in America typically experience their first period, known as menarche, at age 12.5 to 13.5 years (Steinberg, 2011, p. 36). Following menarche, periods can be irregular at first. Girls can skip their periods and have both heavy and lighter periods. It generally takes 2 years for the body to develop a regular menstrual cycle (The Nemours Foundation, 2020).
Sweat production and underarm hair present the need for girls to use deodorant and razors. It is best that an all-natural, pleasant scented deodorant be used that will not irritate the skin. Girls often like using pink razors to shave their underarms. Females develop hair on their legs, as well, and may choose to shave them. It is best for the area being shaved to be lathered with cream or body wash. This layer helps to prevent the skin from getting cut and makes the procedure less painful.
Once breast development begins, girls start wearing bras. It can take a bit to get used to the feel of a bra at first. During their menstrual periods, teen girls also wear sanitary pads or tampons. Mothers can pick out these personal care items with their daughters and add fun to the process by letting their girls choose which items they want to buy. Bras come in all different colors, designs, and sizes. Pads and tampons come in varying dimensions and there are many brands to select from.
It can be very helpful and comforting for a girl to talk to her mother or other close female adult about the changes she is experiencing. Mothers and caregivers should be calm and understanding when discussing puberty, especially menstruation, with young ladies. Such an attitude can help girls to feel reassured. As Dr. Gail Saltz says, "Using words and phrases like 'normal', 'every girl', 'expected,' [....] creates a sense that not only is there nothing embarrassing or awful going on, but rather this is a positive indicator that they’re healthy and have the beautiful and powerful abilities that a woman’s body possesses" (Saltz, 2019). No one says it better than that!
All in all, puberty for girls is a step towards becoming the beautiful women they were meant to be, both inside and out!
For additional helpful tips on guiding teen girls through this stage, you may want to take a look at this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
References
The Nemours Foundation. (2020). Everything you wanted to know about puberty. TeensHealth. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2020 from https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/puberty.html#catgirls
The Nemours Foundation. (2020). Female Reproductive System. TeensHealth. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2020 from https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/female-repro.html?WT.ac=ctg#catgirls
Saltz, G. (2019). Preparing girls for menstruation: focus on the positive meaning of menarche. U.S. News. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2020 from https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/preparing-girls-for-menstruation-focus-on-the-positive-meaning-of-menarche
Steinberg, L. (2011). Adolescence (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
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