Menarche: 16 doubts every girl has about her first period

Puberty and the beginning of adolescence is a very delicate phase in the development of any person. In addition to psychological confusions and increased surveillance by society, many physical transformations also occur, both in terms of physiological processes and appearance.

For women, this moment in life is usually marked by the first menstruation, technically called menarche, and brings with it a series of doubts. Dealing with insecurities and the new necessary care for your body requires great support from parents. “Dialogue on the subject and guidance without taboos generate complicity and trust”, says Dr. Claudio Basbaum, gynecologist and obstetrician at Hospital e Maternidade São Luiz, in São Paulo.

Until the adaptation to this new phenomenon takes place, it is necessary for the girl to feel free to clarify her doubts and, if the parents do not feel prepared to give the necessary guidance to the daughter, a first consultation with the gynecologist may be a good option. .

If you are going through this moment now or know someone who is, Tips for a Woman has selected 16 questions that commonly appear in women’s heads when menarche approaches or actually happens. The questions were answered by gynecologists and obstetricians Dr. Alfonso Massaguer, from the Mother Clinic of São Paulo, and Dr. Claudio Basbaum.

Frequently asked questions about the first period

Although it is quite intimate and totally related to individual and personal factors, the relationship with menstruation still raises recurring doubts in many women. As it is a new process of the body, some of the news may seem intimidating at first, but this is a case where no one is alone and easily your questions and insecurities can be resolved.

1. After all, what is menstruation?

It can be said that menstruation works as a warning from the body that the woman’s body can already generate a baby. So, when there is no fertilization of the egg, menstrual bleeding occurs and this “is nothing more than the shedding of the surface layer of the endometrium, the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus”, explains Dr. Claudio.

Because it is a cyclical process, menstruation must occur monthly, as a result of the action of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are produced by the ovaries. Flow delays, therefore, can indicate hormonal imbalances or pregnancy, as the endometrium does not shed to support the embryo during pregnancy.

2. How will I know when I’m going to have my period for the first time?

Generally, the bodily changes that signal approaching menarche happen about 24 to 30 months before menstruation. These “first events that herald menarche are thelarche, represented by the appearance of the breast bud, followed by pubarche, marked by the appearance of pubic and axillary hair”, lists the gynecologist.

Menarche depends on several individual and even external characteristics, such as where the girl lives, but it usually happens between 10 and 14 years old.

3. Why have all my friends got their period and I haven’t?

The Doctor. Claudio highlights racial, ethnic, habitat, climate, food, nutritional factors, as well as the effect of sunlight on the hypothalamus and the characteristics of each girl’s body mass index (BMI) as possible variables for the patterns of age at which menarche occur are more common. However, “if menstrual phenomena occur before or after the ages recognized as physiological for these conditions, it is essential that an expert assessment be carried out in the endocrine-gynecological field”, he warns.

4. Will people know I got my period?

Menarche brings with it a series of bodily changes that are quite natural to women. As with the passage of time, there is nothing that effectively indicates that from that moment on you are a menstruating girl.

After the first menstruation, the cyclical hormonal actions “exercise an important transformation in the growth cycle, promoting the distribution considered feminine of body fat, in addition to the genital changes themselves, whether internal, such as the growth of the uterus; and external, such as breast enlargement, pubertal spurt — rapid increase in stature —, hair changes and coloring of the external genitals”, exemplifies the doctor.

5. Is it true that I will stop growing after my first period?

The Mother Clinic’s physician, Dr. Alfonso Massaguer, says that growth does not completely stop after menarche, but continues at a slow pace for about 2 to 4 years. “Girls who menstruate early tend to grow longer than girls who menstruate late,” he points out.

This variation happens because growth does not depend exclusively on the hormonal factor. Genetic, nutritional and environmental characteristics also collaborate in the formation of a girl’s height.

6. What should I be worried about after I get my period?

The greatest care needed after menarche concerns the possibility of pregnancy, as the internal genital organs are already prepared for possible fertilization. In any case, the beginning of sexual life must be accompanied by prevention, mainly through condoms, which prevent both unwanted pregnancy and contagion by sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

The Doctor. Claudio also warns of the need for good intimate hygiene, as menstrual blood makes the region more conducive to the proliferation of bacteria. If there is interest, intimate soaps can also be used, but with great caution.

In addition, other best-remembered factors also require attention, such as choosing a sanitary napkin that suits you well and managing other period symptoms such as cramping.

7. Will menstruation cause changes in my routine?

Many myths surround menstruation. There are those who believe that, on these days, women should not wash their hair or eat cold foods, for example, but the truth is that “under normal conditions, there are no specific restrictions on women’s activities”.

Restrictions on account of menstruation happen according to the needs of each woman. Too much flow and pain can cause limitations because of discomfort. In some cases, it may be necessary to see a doctor and take medication.

8. Is it normal to feel a lot of cramping?

When the occurrence of very painful cramps is high and “impairs the woman’s quality of life, that is, prevents routine activities from being carried out and generates psychological, social or professional harm, an investigation must be carried out by the doctor( a)”, says Dr. Alfonso Massaguer, warning of the risk of diseases such as endometriosis, adenomyosis and myomatosis.

9. What is TPM and how should I deal with it?

The famous premenstrual tension (PMS) is the set of symptoms that precede the menstrual period. These manifestations can be both physical and psychic, Dr. Alfonso lists the following as the most common: “irritability, fatigue, depression, mental confusion, breast pain, headache, bloating, weight gain, abdominal distension and even mild acne”.

As with colic, PMS only becomes worrisome when it starts to affect a woman’s quality of life. If this is not the case, living with the symptoms can be guided according to their well-being, “some foods and even medicines can be used to relieve these discomforts”, says Claudio.

10. How long will I have menstrual bleeding?

“The usual duration of the flow is 3 to 5 days and the average blood loss is variable, but it is around 30 to 40 ml/day”, explains Dr. Claudio. In addition to the flow, there are other details that help characterize your cycle, making it easier to control your period. “The average duration of a menstrual cycle is 28 days, from the first day of a flow to the day before the next menstrual period,” he explains.

In this sense, a regular cycle is identified as one with an interval of 25 to 34 days between one menstruation and another. Intervals longer than 35 days are considered a long cycle and when there is only three weeks (or less) time, the cycle is short.

11. What do I need to know about my menstrual cycle?

The best way to know your menstrual cycle well is to write down data about your periods. It is important, even to help in the perception of possible dysfunctions or anomalies, to keep track of dates, “especially for women who have already had their sexual initiation. For these, it is valid to pay attention to their fertile period, as well as to program themselves for safe contraceptive methods”, guides the gynecologist.

Claudio also recommends recording characteristics such as flow intensity and volume, occurrence of colic in terms of frequency and pain levels. To do so, you can count on the help of smartphone apps, such as Glow and SaiCólica (available for Android and iOS), which allow you to enter information like this and even notify you so you don’t forget to take the contraceptive.

12. My period is irregular: is this normal?

“In the first two years after menarche, female sex hormones still do not usually have their production completely regular, this is called ‘immaturity’ and it resolves spontaneously in the vast majority of women”, reassures Dr. Alfonso.

However, if after the period of immaturity you cannot understand the patterns of your cycle or you notice that your menstruation is irregular, with a lot of difference between the dates of the beginning of the flow, it is necessary that a doctor is consulted( a) for a diagnosis to be made of what is happening.

13. Is it normal to have polka dots during menstruation?

According to Dr. Alfonso, the variation in menstrual blood texture is due to different flow volumes. “Blood can become thicker like a clot or change color, turning brown when in contact with oxygen,” he exemplifies.

In cases where very drastic or repeated changes are noticed, it is worth talking to your doctor for a possible evaluation. Especially if the occurrence is accompanied by severe pain or other symptoms unusual to your physiology.

14. Now that I have my period, do I need to take contraceptives?

For younger girls, who have just had their menarche, contraceptives are usually indicated mainly to regulate the cycle and menstrual flow. However, the predominant use of this type of medication is for the prevention of unwanted pregnancy.

In any case, it is essential that the contraceptive be prescribed by a gynecologist, because, as Alfonso Massaguer warns, the use of this drug “brings greater risks than benefits, being contraindicated in cases of breast, liver and or genitals; of venous thrombosis, heart attack or stroke, as well as diseases…