How to spot the first signs of puberty in girls
You might already be seeing the first signs of puberty in your female child – either in your own child or their friends.
But you’re not alone if you feel that puberty has crept up on you, out of the blue. It happens to us all. Yesterday, they looked like little children but today, you see them blossoming into adulthood.
You’ll find more information about puberty for children with ovaries on my Female Puberty page, and everything else about puberty on my Puberty 101 page. And you can read this blog post if you’re curious about the signs of puberty in boys (or kids with testicles).
Puberty is one of those topics that is very much about your biological sex and gonads (ovaries and testicles). So, to avoid confusion, I’ll predominantly use the terms ‘female’ and ‘male’ throughout this blog post.
Let’s get started!
A NOTE ABOUT SEX AND GENDER. Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This page will use the term ‘female’, ‘male’ and/or ‘intersex’ to refer to the sex assigned at birth. It will use the terms ‘girl’ and ‘boy’ to refer to children who are cisgender, i.e. a child who was born with ovaries and identifies as a girl, or a child who was born with testicles and identifies as a boy. In regards to gender-diverse children, refer to the information that matches their gonads (ovaries or testicles), as gonads drive puberty and they are responsible for making bodies change. Click here to learn more about sex and gender.
When to expect to see the first signs of puberty in girls
So when should you expect to see the first signs of puberty in kids with a female body?
For females, puberty usually begins around the age of 9 to 10. It can be as early as 8 (yes, that early) or as late as 15. Every person is different and puberty will begin when their body is ready for it. You can’t rush it!
The timing of puberty is influenced by many things – diet, body weight and their environment. The chances are, that if you were an early or late bloomer, that your female child will be as well.
What are the first signs of puberty?
So although the timing of puberty can be different for every person, the sequence of changes are much more predictable. There is a usual pattern of changes that we can expect.
We can expect emotional and physical changes that will prewarn us that puberty is on it’s way.
Emotional signs of puberty
If I had a dollar for every time a parent told me their daughter was starting to get quite moody lately, I would be wealthy!
So a change in moods can be one of the earliest signs that puberty has started.
And this happens thanks to the fact that the body is starting to produce hormones, and we all react differently to hormones.
Some kids will have a stronger reaction which means that their mood swings will be much more dramatic!
But for some kids, you may not notice a change in mood at all!
Find practical tools to educate kids about puberty in the Sex Ed Shop
Physical signs of puberty
The physical signs of puberty in female children are a lot easier to spot! And possibly even easier to live with, once you get over the initial shock of realising that their childhood is being left behind.
You’ll start to see physical changes anywhere between the ages of 8 to 14. And remember everyone is different – some kids will be earlier or later than their friends. And some may have changes in a slightly different order!
Usually, before anything else, you’ll notice that they have gone up a shoe size or two. So you can expect their feet and hands to have a growth spurt.
The next signs of puberty in female bodies that you’ll see will be the start of breast growth ie their breasts will begin to bud.
This means that small lumps the size of a blueberry or marble will develop directly beneath your child’s areola and nipple. You will probably notice this under their clothing or when you see them naked. Most kids will start to become more self-conscious as their body changes, so you might notice that they are no longer parading around the house naked.
Their body shape will also begin to change with their hips, thighs and bottom becoming wider and more rounded. They will also start to gain weight as their body begins to grow. The amount of fat tissue in their body will increase by around 125%. This means that a quarter of their body weight will end up being fat. You may notice stretch marks, or little scars, where the skin is pulled from growing fast. Over time, these will usually fade.
At the same time, the first pubic hairs will appear. Pubic hair can sometimes start before breasts for some kids, so don’t be alarmed if this happens to your child. They will start off being fine, soft and straight. It isn’t until later that they become darker, curlier and thicker like the pubic hair that parents have. Their hair may also start to thicken on their lower legs.
Some kids may be aware of a change in regards to how their vagina feels. They may start to notice white or yellow patches of dried secretion on their underpants or feel the sensation of liquid dripping out of their vagina (deposit). This vaginal discharge is all normal, and due to the hormone oestrogen.
But don’t stress, you’ll usually have a few years yet until their period starts.
And there are a few more signs of puberty in females that have yet to appear.
There are still some changes that have to happen before her first period – they’ll have a growth spurt and be a lot taller and curvier, their breasts will have started to grow properly, they’ll have more adult-like pubic hair and some underarm hair, and more vaginal discharge.
Looking for more puberty resources? Then visit my Puberty 101 page!
Remember to use resources
There are many different resources that can help you with talking to your child about puberty.
Books can become your best friend, and there are lots of wonderful puberty books for girls, with even more puberty books to be found, sorted into ages and topics, in my list of books about puberty for children.
Videos can be another helpful resource, and you’ll find them in my blog post on puberty videos.
Don’t forget to also look at my puberty resources, as there is more good stuff in there!
More puberty resources
Don’t forget that you can find more puberty resources in the Sex Ed Shop.
Like The Parents’ Guide to Puberty, which will help you to wrap your head around puberty and how to help your child as their body changes.
So, these are the signs of puberty in girls (or kids with a female body) that you should be looking out for, the ones that you can expect to find before they have their first period. Once you begin to see these, you’ll know that puberty is well and truly, on it’s way.
And hopefully, you’ll start talking before too many more changes have happened.
Happy talking!
❤️ Cath
References
- A Blessing Not a Curse: A Mother-Daughter Guide to the Transition from Child to Woman by Jane Bennett. 2002. Sally Milner Publishing Pty Ltd. Bowral.
- Adolescence and Puberty. Edited by John Bancroft and June Machover Reinisch. 1990. Oxford University Press. New York.
- Gender Differences at Puberty. Edited by Chris Haywood. 2003. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.
- Handbook of Child and Adolescent Sexuality: Developmental and Forensic Psychology. Edited by Daniel S. Bromberg and William T. O’Donohue. 2013. Elsevier. Academic Press. Oxford.
- Puberty: Physiology and Abnormalities by Philip Kumanov and Ashok Agarwal. 2016. Springer International Publishing. Switzerland.