Next Step In Planning After Your Daughter’s First Period
- Make sure your daughter is prepared for her first period with a small pouch containing essential items.
- Prepare her for future periods by estimating when they might happen.
Preparing your daughter for her first period is a significant task. We want to make sure she has a small pouch with a pad and a pair of period underwear ready for this important event to happen at any time.
But it is also important for her to understand how to plan ahead for her periods after the first one has happened. It isn’t unusual for young girls to miss a few period cycles as their body tries to get organized. She could have a period during one month and then not again for a few months. But it is also normal to just keep on having regular periods after the first period has happened. This is the challenge for young girls as they develop a plan to prepare for their periods each and every menstrual cycle.
This chart can help them see how the scheduling works. The average number of days for a menstrual cycle is 28 days. This number can vary by a few days and whatever the average number of days is happening for your daughter is normal for her. In order to keep track of where she is in her cycle, the first day of her period is Day 1 of the menstrual cycle. Most months are 30-31 days and so the first day of her period is going to vary from month to month. This sample menstrual cycle chart helps to explain why this is true.
If the first day of her period is on September 1, and her menstrual cycle is 28 days, her next period will start on September 29th. In October, her period will start on October 27th.
Fortunately, there are period apps that she can put on her phone to keep track for her. They are a great idea because it is difficult to remember from month to month when her last period started.
All of this information as well as clear and accurate descriptions of the menstrual cycle can be found on my website, www.anatomyforkids.com. Just click the link and you will see the ebook, Preparing for Your First Period.
Dr. M