Learn all about first menstruation.
The name of the first menstruation is menarche and it occurs around the age of 12 years. Since there is no fixed date to come, some girls may start menstruating at age 8 or 9 because of hormonal factors, lifestyle, and eating.
Signs and symptoms of first menstruation
Some signs and symptoms that may indicate the onset of menstruation for the first time are:
- Pubic hair growth
- Breast growth
- Increased hips
- Slight increase in weight
During menstruation it is normal for the girl to feel pain in the abdominal area and become more sad, irritated, tearful or sensitive. This is due to the hormonal changes that happen at this stage and it is enough to take one Atroveran or Buscopan tablet to alleviate these discomforts. One should, however, be careful about allergies to medicines.
Find out what the normal color of the first menstrual period is
The color of the first menstruation is dark or brown, but the ideal is that it is pink or bright red most of the time. Darker menstruation occurs due to hormonal changes and usually does not pose a health problem.
How long does menstruation last?
The menstruation lasts between 3 to 8 days, depending on the body of each woman. In general, after 30 days of its end, there will be a new menstruation. But, it is normal that, after the first menstruation, the second and third take more time to descend. It is also normal for menstruation to become irregular in the early years of the menstrual cycle, becoming more and more regular over time.
As a rule, a woman should menstruate every month until around the age of 50 when she enters menopause.
Menstruation care
Throughout the menstruation the woman must be careful to use an absorbent to retain the lost blood. There are 2 options of absorbent: internal or external. Whichever one is chosen, it should be changed on average every 3 hours.
During menstruation, one can continue with all activities of daily living, not having to stop doing any of them, and if the girl is still a virgin, she does not need to go to the gynecologist. However, from the moment she ceases to be a virgin, she should go to the gynecologist to take the necessary tests.
How to prepare for the first menstruation
To be properly prepared for the first menstruation the girl should:
- Always have 3 or 4 absorbents inside the bag or backpack;
- Have a packet of wipes;
- Have another pair of panties to change, if necessary.
To avoid embarrassment, if another person touches your bag, place these items inside a purse (necessaire).
Menstruation is the symbol of a woman's fertility. After the first menstruation, the girl should know that she should not have any intimate contact with the boys without using a condom, since she could become pregnant and acquire sexually transmitted diseases.
How to delay first menstruation
Girls under 9 years of age who present with pubic and armpit arthritis may delay the onset of first menstruation to allow for greater bone growth. This treatment is indicated by the endocrinologist pediatrician and consists of taking 1 injection of hormones, every month, until the girl reaches an age in which there is no longer any advantage in avoiding the onset of menstruation.
See too:
- Lack of menstruation is not always a sign of pregnancy
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