Probably the most important information that we can give our daughters is an understanding of their female anatomy.  Because puberty can start as early as eight years old, your daughter may start noticing changes in her body while she’s still in elementary school. As she matures through puberty, the changes become more profound. Think about how it was for you. If you didn’t have a solid understanding of anatomy, you may have entered your reproductive years and either felt challenged about how not to get pregnant (or how to get pregnant) or uncertain about what was happening to you during pregnancy. Then, perimenopause comes, and is like starting into puberty backwards, ending in the abruption of reproductive life at menopause around 50 years of age. That is a very long time, from eight years old to 50 years old, to be questioning what is happening to your female anatomy.

If we start teaching our daughters while they are young, they will have a solid base of knowledge they can draw upon as they navigate the next several years of their life. The conversations might be a little awkward at first, but what a wonderful way to build confidence in our daughters. We want them to have choice and control over what happens to them in the future and that starts with knowledge.

No matter what age your daughter is now, please join me in teaching her. I am happy to walk this path with you.

Use everyday opportunities to start a conversation with your daughter:

1.  When you see a pregnant woman ask your young daughter if she knows where babies come from.  At this age, she will be fascinated to know that babies come from eggs in the ovaries.
2. If your daughter is asking to purchase a bra, she is experiencing changes in the breasts that happen in early puberty.  You could ask her if she has noticed lumps in her breasts.  These are breast buds that indicate her breasts are maturing.  She might only notice breast buds in one breast and that is normal.
3. If you know your daughter is about to start her period, make sure she has what she needs to catch the blood.  You can purchase a cute little bag and put the items inside for her.  When you give her this little gift, you will have a great opportunity to start a conversation with her.

Please comment below if you have specific questions. I’m always here to help!