Menarche is a significant life transition because it is when a girl first gets her period. It marks the shift from childhood to adulthood. This monumental time in a girl’s life used to be marked with ceremony and celebration.

Today, we often overlook the significance of this moment as well as the lifestyle changes to ensure its health.

So when should a girl make this life transition?

What Is the Average Age

The average age for a girl to have her first period is 13 years old. When a girl starts menstruating between 12-14 years old, it is a sign she is healthy.

When the period starts outside of this healthy window, it is a sign of an imbalance.

It is hard to imagine your young daughter starting her reproductive years out of balance because she is so young, but imbalances are just as common in girls as they are in older women.

Our world is moving faster than ever before. Middle and high school is now more pressure than ever between standardized tests and social media. Our air has pollutants as well as our food. There is a long list of reasons why girls could be starting their periods outside the average window.

If a girl starts her period between 9-11 it’s a sign of uterine fatigue. She is not actually “cycling” she is bleeding from her uterine artery. This should be treated more like a cut bleeding.

If a girl starts older than 14 years old, she is already showing signs of stagnation. Stagnation leads to cramps, brown blood and other symptoms that often put girls on the path to birth control in their teen years to cope with the symptoms.

What Do I Do If My Daughter Is Early/Late

Menstrual imbalances can be addressed before they start. Girls that start with vaginal steaming before their periods even start, ensure when the blood does come, it is healthy.

It is never too early to steam, but unless the period comes early, steaming should start by 12 years old to set the body up for success. Working with a peristeam hydrotherapist like myself, you can give your girl(s) the best tools to start.

If your daughter has started her period before 12 or is over 14 and she still hasn’t started, this is where I can help. With herbs, steam and food therapy, I can establish harmony in the body so she can function optimally.

Let’s talk about how to support your daughter’s health so she can care for body and never experience the menstrual symptoms so many women suffer with. I do appointments in-person and virtually through Zoom so your proximity to Dover, NH is no issue.

To schedule your consultation, check out my online booking portal: https://healingartscollective.janeapp.com/