Daughter's First Period

Updated on April 12, 2010
P.G. asks from Liverpool, NY
11 answers

My daughter is 12 years old and began her first period March 10 .. last month. It's April 10th and she still has it! All except for the last few days it has been very light. It hasn't caused her any problems and she's perfectly comfortable and operating normally. It's almost as if she was spotting for a few weeks and the last few days has an actual period.
I've talked to nurses and friends and called her pediatrician and everyone says to wait it out .. that it's normal to have such irregular periods the first 2 years, but it still concerns me at times.
We want it to stop!
Has anyone else had an experience like this??

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So What Happened?

After a few days of a typical period, after four weeks of spotting, things have stopped as far as my daughter's period. She has felt fine the whole time and handled things quite well .. is the picture of health. Thanks for all your words of wisdom .. just knowing others went through the same thing made it so much easier to deal with.
IEven though I know we might still have some irregularity to come, I truly believe this was just her body's ways of doing what was natural.
Thanks again!

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A.O.

answers from San Francisco on

I did when I started at age 11. I would spot for a week then have a slightly heavier flow for about three days then spot again for a few more. It sucked, but life goes on. I would think it's normal. Her body is just trying to adjust to the different hormones. Stress, hormones, and just good old fashioned changes wreak total havoc on the body. Good luck to you.

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S.O.

answers from San Antonio on

Yes, it happens a lot! I know you want it to stop, but there is little you can do right now---just wait for Mother Nature to help her mature a bit more. Then things will be more regular.

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J.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Our experience with this is exactly the opposite. My younger daughter had her first period then didn't have another for months. I was the same so didn't really worry about it. I know it will steady up eventually. Bleeding for a month seems more worriesome. I know she is young, but it may be time to skip the pediatrician and make an appointment with a Gynecologyst. My concern would be her iron levels.

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L.H.

answers from New York on

No that's not normal. You might want to take her to a doctor to get her checked. There's a big difference between irregular periods and periods that just don't seem to stop. She could even have a hormonal imbalance. With irregular periods, you still get a "break." You just aren't sure when the next period is coming it could be 28 days, 20 days, 30 days, etc. She can become annemic if it's let go to long.

C.B.

answers from Kansas City on

girl i started when i was 10 and it was AWFUL. NO pad could contain it. humiliating!! make sure she is eating healthy and taking a vitamin (iron!!), just remember she is literally losing a lot of blood right now. make sure she stays hydrated too. yes, i think it's totally normal.

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P.K.

answers from New York on

Normal. Don't sweat it.

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R.Y.

answers from New York on

I would check with the Dr. but it sounds like it isn't that heavy. I had a close friend who had this happen in college (a month of regular period type flow) and the Dr. put her on birth control pills. (I know because I went with her to the Dr. for moral support because her very Catholic Mom would have freaked over the birth control, even for legitimate medical reasons) . I doubt a Dr. would do that for such a young girl though since her own hormones are still getting in balance.

B.D.

answers from Sacramento on

I started when I was 10 and my first period lasted for almost 2 months. I will never forget those 2 months. My mom took me to the dr a few times about this as well, and she said the same thing. The first year or so of menstruation can be irregular. And boy was she right. After my 2 month period I didn't have another one for almost 6 months. Just hang in there.

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M.T.

answers from New York on

It's not normal to have a period for a month, even though periods can be irregular during adolescence (and often are). However, spotting is not a period. If she was spotting, that's what it was, spotting - lots of hormones being released just before she got her actual period. If there was a period of several days of actual heavy, red blood, that was her period.

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S.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

Yes - in fact I posted this exact same question last fall :) My daughter got her first period in Oct (I think - maybe Nov) and it lasted almost a month. It wasn't heavy or anything, but took FOREVER to get over. However, she hasn't had a second period yet (I know that's normal - my other two girls went 6 mos between their first and second periods). It's funny, I know my daughter "secretly wished" for her first period and then the darn thing lasted a month! She was sure regretting THAT particular wish :)

Good luck!

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C.R.

answers from Dallas on

Yes....this sounds normal. My daughter was 11 when she started, then she missed 2 months and it came back after that. I think she is fine :)

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