Super Weird Poll

lewispm · December 2014

This is a strange poll. You have been warned. The previous post about puberty and starting your period got me curious and the math side of me wants numbers. Plusalso I feel like some kind of anomaly after seeing all the ages from the other post. So here's the question:
What age were you when you started your first period?

lalaroller08 · December 2014

About a week or so before my 11th birthday! I was one of the first but not THE first of my friends. One of my friends was jealous.

Skrittens · December 2014

I was 9. It was extremely traumatic for me. I was prepared - my parents were very open - but had so much shame and embarrassment. I don't know where it came from - but it was tragic for me.

ruemorgan · December 2014

I guessed, remember having it before middle school but not in 5th grade so 12 seems about right.

goofygoff · December 2014

Just before my 11th birthday.

Fun fact: I knew what a period was, thankfully, but I didn't know about cycles. I initially bled for weeks, and thought that was normal, before my mom noticed I was going through a ton of pads and took me to the doctor. They tried several things, and were actually going to give me a D&C of sorts, before putting me on the pill. That did the trick.

So I tend to get extra ragey when judgemental pharmacists and asshole politicians try to restrict women's access to birth control, especially the pill. (I'd be ragey anyway, but my experience makes me feel extra stabby.)

mwerren · December 2014

I was 11 and the first of my friends. My best friend didn't start Til she was 16. Of course I was wearing white shorts at school when I started #-o

peeppeeppeep · December 2014

I was 12 - but I wouldn't admit it to anyone, even my mom, until I was 14. My friends to this day think I was the last one to get my period - I think I was actually 2nd or 3rd. My mom had started preparing me around age 10 and she was really good about it, so like @skrittens, I don't know where it came from, but I also felt so much shame and embarrassment. And it hurt like hell - I had debilitating cramps though I wasn't diagnosed with endometriosis until many years later.

kellbell1982 · December 2014

Darbie914 said:
I was 11 and I remember crying because I thought it meant that I couldn't go swimming anymore. I didn't realize that I couldn't go only when I had my period.

Period talk makes me think of the book, 'Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret,' by Judy Blume. I read that book over and over when I was young and I remember how much focus was put on her becoming a young lady and changes to her body. I still have that book somewhere.

Lol I read that book a million times too!! I remember being confused by the menstrual belt they talked about. My grandma explained that pads didn't have a sticky side so they had to hook em to a special belt lol. I remember being confused about her going to temple too since I was a Roman Catholic going to Catholic school. Thanks for making this post OP it was me whose daughter had her period

cafecreme · December 2014

lalaroller08 said:

About a week or so before my 11th birthday! I was one of the first but not THE first of my friends. One of my friends was jealous.

I got mine about a month after my 11th birthday! I'm pretty sure I was the first.

lewispm · December 2014

So who is my fellow 16+ er? I started a bout a month after my 16th birthday. My mom started at 17 and my 2 sisters started at 15 and 16. We were all pretty intense athletes and I know that can delay menstruation, but I still feel like that is crazy late.

lewispm · December 2014

kellbell1982 said:

I was 11 and I remember crying because I thought it meant that I couldn't go swimming anymore. I didn't realize that I couldn't go only when I had my period.

Period talk makes me think of the book, 'Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret,' by Judy Blume. I read that book over and over when I was young and I remember how much focus was put on her becoming a young lady and changes to her body. I still have that book somewhere.
Lol I read that book a million times too!! I remember being confused by the menstrual belt they talked about. My grandma explained that pads didn't have a sticky side so they had to hook em to a special belt lol. I remember being confused about her going to temple too since I was a Roman Catholic going to Catholic school. Thanks for making this post OP it was me whose daughter had her period

I remembered it was you, but didn't want to call you out. I figured this might interest you as well. I find stuff like this (differences in human development) fascinating for some odd reason.

Whitfry · December 2014

I'm speshul snowflake... I don't remember how old I was.

WinningColors · December 2014

I was 12, just a few months shy of turning 13. I was staying with my grandparents for a week. Yeah, that was fun.

lewispm · December 2014

MauiBliss said:

lewispm said:

So who is my fellow 16+ er? I started a bout a month after my 16th birthday. My mom started at 17 and my 2 sisters started at 15 and 16. We were all pretty intense athletes and I know that can delay menstruation, but I still feel like that is crazy late.

----------Quote Box Fail ------------------

Me. Athlete and eating disorder, among other things. I was a ballerina and swimmer (those two things really didn't go together hence why I spent so much time trying to starve). I was 17.

----also stuck----

Wow, ballerinas and swimmers are definitely not built the same. I can't imagine the pressure you felt! My mom and sister were swimmers too. My other sister and I played soccer. I never felt pressure to be thin for soccer, but I definitely hated the thunder thighs it gave me.

Skrittens · December 2014

Cramps are another good point ... I had debilitating cramps - would get feverish and throw up. Being crampy and swimming issues made me feel left out and sad now that I look back on it. My mother never got cramps nor did my sister so I didn't get much sympathy - or discover Pamprin (a godsend!!!) until I was buying my own supplies.

BrandiLynn83 · December 2014

13 1/2. My sister is really tall and wa 15. This 8 and 9 year old stuff is weird! Is it too much processed food? Cray cray!

meandthebirds · December 2014

I was 11 never missed a day of school until I started my period. After that I was constantly sick and hot to touch like I had a fever. Horrible cramps , periods twice a month from 17 to 20. Found out I had anemia but the Doctors still don't know what happened to this day with everything else that was going on. Not looking forward to getting my period back.

lawsonellis · December 2014

I was 12 and luckily it happened after I got home from school. I was watching cartoons with my 1 yr old sister and was feeling a little itchy down there so went to the rr and it was spotting.

Only my step dad was home so I didn't say anything because I knew my mom would be home soon. She came home and being the cool RN that she was, she explained all the things in detail. The only thing I didn't like was that she basically forced me to use tampons because she thought pads were highly unsanitary. :P

So we went to the store, got the mini tampons and she bought me my first matching bra/panty set to celebrate.

kcbizme · December 2014

I was either about to turn 11, or was already 11. Anyway it was close to Christmas and I was visiting my aunt and uncle for a week. We went ice skating and while we were there I felt something weird so I went to the bathroom. At first I didn't know what it was and then I realized, so I just put tp in my panties. I told my aunt and she wanted to throw me a party with red velvet cake - which I didn't want because I didn't want everyone to know.

JCWhitey · December 2014

I got it the summer between 5th and 6th grade, which I think made me 11. Right?

chaysefaith · December 2014

I guessed 11. I know I suffered through periods my first year playing softball for my school, and that was in 5th grade. So I would have been either 10 or 11, 11 sounds closer to correct.

MrsPope1770 · December 2014

BrandiLynn83 said:
13 1/2. My sister is really tall and wa 15. This 8 and 9 year old stuff is weird! Is it too much processed food? Cray cray!

...I don't think what my parents were feeding me had anything to do with me starting early. I started at a few weeks shy of eight and my pedi told my mom that sometimes it just happens. Maybe I'm just in a mood but that just brushed me the wrong way. I wasn't weird any more than someone not starting until 17 is weird---it's just the way things happen.

ETA that I am definitely aware of the theories about the hormones in chicken and etc. affecting development, but that was not what my doctor said it was.

drudolph11 · December 2014

I got mine in 6 th grade, the first day we started taking about sex ed... ironic right lol but i guess 11 cuz i tried to do the math in my head and that's what i came up with lol

happybabe123 · December 2014

I was 13 and had awful cramps. My dad asked what was wrong with me and like any teenage girl I yelled at him i got my period and it hurt. He left the house without saying a word and came back with candy bars. I still crack up about that one!

This last summer my 11 year old started hers. Luckily she doesn't have cramps and surprisingly it seems to be somewhat regular. She is way more ok with it than I was!

greeneyedgirl23 · December 2014

I was in the 6th grade 11 years old and I got mine in class the first time! I was mortified , so glad my teacher was a woman.

hrgmomma2011 · December 2014

It was the summer after 5th grade, 11 years old. I was staying with my dad and had nothing! Even though nobody talked to me about getting my period, I knew what it was. I didn't tell anybody, but my mom somehow knew. She told everyone. I went to stay with my sister and she was very excited, telling all of her co-workers about it. I was so embarrassed!

mwerren · December 2014

hrgmomma2011 said:
It was the summer after 5th grade, 11 years old. I was staying with my dad and had nothing! Even though nobody talked to me about getting my period, I knew what it was. I didn't tell anybody, but my mom somehow knew. She told everyone. I went to stay with my sister and she was very excited, telling all of her co-workers about it. I was so embarrassed!

Ugh same here!! My mom practically had a parade announcing my period to the world. So friggin embarrassing

Lovebeingamomny · December 2014

I was 13, in 8th grade. During an orchestra concert for school on a weekend. I was pretty much one of the last of my friends to get it. Add me to the debilitating cramps club. In high school I ran cross country so my period got all out of whack and was super heavy.

createmagic14 · December 2014

Skrittens said:
Cramps are another good point ... I had debilitating cramps - would get feverish and throw up. Being crampy and swimming issues made me feel left out and sad now that I look back on it. My mother never got cramps nor did my sister so I didn't get much sympathy - or discover Pamprin (a godsend!!!) until I was buying my own supplies.

I was 12, staying home from school bc I wasn't feeling good and started that day. Oh and I'm also part of the debilitating cramps club. However, my mom had endometriosis and knew exactly what I was going through (she actually had a hysterectomy at 29 due to endo). I ended up on bc at 14--that was my godsend--it was either that or I was going to need to continue the muscle relaxants every month to get through. I remember having to figure out tampons right away bc of swim team!

suzyq0525 · December 2014

I got mine in 7th grade and my mom was totally unprepared. Thankfully she did a better job with my younger sister lol.

Clobert · December 2014

I was 13 and I remember crying and not telling my mom until she got really worried about me.

Girls are generally getting their periods younger now. It may be linked to hormones in the food we eat, especially dairy.

xMina4x · December 2014

I was 9 and my poor mum hadn't ever brought up "the conversation" but I knew what it was. Getting my period ended up being more traumatic for my mother than me lol. She had gotten her first period at about 15/16 and so was totally unprepared that I got mine so much earlier.

bwftw · December 2014

I was 11, it was the day after 5th grade ended.

We had a "Summer Exploration" program, fun summer school for kids who didn't need real summer school. We had to make up days at the end of the regular school year due to a tornado in May, so summer school started two days after regular school ended. I remember thinking, "if I'm going to get my period soon, I hope it's on the one day between school and summer school." It was.

My mom was home and I showed her my underwear and she confirmed that's what it was.

ETA Add me to the cramps club too. I would get feverish and throw up they were so bad. There was no way I would have been put on bc as a kid, so the doctor gave me Viox and Motrin 800, to use as needed. Turns out it was because of PCOS.

jacqueleen1 · December 2014

6th grade at my cheerleading competition! I was horrified

ST3WD · December 2014

I was 13.

It was the first day of eighth grade, and I only remember it happened right before lunch because it was the first time I had a male teacher.

I had the talk from my mom at 10, annually from school after that, had worn training bras religiously to try to "encourage" my breasts to grow, and had a purse with the same JIC supplies my mom had outfitted me with 3 years before. I thought I was finally going to do school right because I picked out the perfect blue jean skirt and white top. The bell was about 30 seconds away from ringing and I found the desk with my name taped to it. Suddenly it felt like I wet myself and I figured I could drop my stuff and run to the bathroom. I wasn't in the habit of grabbing my purse (I had no cash, ID, keys, nothing. It was a tiny bag with a pen, notebook full of doodles, and pads). The almighty flood gates had opened and RUINED my underwear. Without realizing I should have been careful about the red staining, I had four or five BRIGHT finger spots on my new shirt. Luckily a teacher walked in as the bell rang and heard me crying. She asked me through the stall what was wrong, and helped me out. We went to the teacher's lounge, she gave me a pad to wear, let me call my mom from the line in there, and waited with me while my mom brought me something to change into. It only took her about 20 minutes to pull things together and drive to school, but I had missed half of class. My mom and teacher both signed a note to give to my teacher. When I got back he was ready to tear into me... until he read that note.

He turned white and handed it back.

"Lady Issues - Mrs.Adderson

Got a problem? - Mom's signature"

I probably wouldn't have ever been fully prepared. You just don't know until it happens to you, but I'm grateful for experienced ladies watching out for the younger ones.

JCWhitey · December 2014

I actually thought I was dying of Legionaire's Disease when I got my first period. Which, btw, is a disease that (according to the news at the time) affects mostly middle aged and older men. But I was so sure I had it because there was an outbreak and it was all over the news for DAYS and then suddenly I felt like I was about to die. Worst pain of my life that went on for 2 days. We went to the doctor and they checked my appendix and that was fine but had no clue what was causing the pain. Finally that night I night a little tiny drop of blood and showed it to my mom, thinking I was bleeding internally or something had burst and she figured out what it was. So, no Legionaire's Disease, but I was graced with Endomitriosis, ovarian cysts, and a uterine fibroids that made the rest of my period-getting life oh so much fun! Thank God for pregnancy and nursing! I've gone over two years now with no period. So fabulous.

peeppeeppeep · December 2014

Reading over these experiences makes me anxious about how I will be able to support my own daughter with her body and her health. I have often wondered if I might have handled things better emotionally if my periods hadn't been so painful, but if she has problems anything like I did, I don't want her to feel the sense of shame and trauma I did for so many years, largely due to untreated PMSD.

xomegabee1218ox · December 2014

4 days before my 14th birthday and I remember because we were at my cousins bday party And I was wearing light tan colored pants

KD32412 · December 2014

First day of the 7th grade. I came home and used the toilet and was confused. I thought I sharted myself, but didn't remember pooping or farting during the day. My mom was thrilled and told my ENTIRE EXTENDED FAMILY that weekend.

Skrittens · December 2014

@knitnut‌ - I didn't realize thyroid disease and pcos could cause early puberty. I have both and am also the shortest in my family - I have been the same height since about 9 or 10.

One more thing this damn thyroid disease did to mess up my life...

Ashlee692 · December 2014

I started at my final swim meet at 14 years old, all my mom had were extra large tampons

I just remember my coochie hurting all day long.

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