The 5 stages of puberty in girls
As a parent with a daughter who has been through puberty, awareness of the stages of puberty in females is a handy thing to know.
Why?
Because by knowing what the stages of puberty are for bodies with ovaries, you can at least be prepared for what changes will be happening to them. And prepare your child by talking about them before they even happen.
Especially when it comes to things like periods!
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.
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 we look at breaking puberty up into stages of development, we are often talking about the Tanner Scale. A British paediatric endocrinologist, James Tanner, developed the Tanner Scale in the mid-1900’s to measure the stages of sexual development during puberty.
The Tanner Scale is still used today. Although puberty starts earlier in females today, the sequence of changes that happen in female bodies is unchanged.
And don’t forget that the timing of when these changes will happen to your child vary. Some kids can be earlier or later than others.
So what are the stages of puberty for bodies with ovaries? Or females?
PS I have tried to keep this post jargon-free but I have used the correct names for the private parts of the body ie the genitals. This article talks about the importance of using the correct terms when talking to kids about their private parts of their body.
You’ll find more information about puberty in my Puberty 101 page.
Let’s get started!
Stage 1
(approximately between the ages of 8 and 11)
So what can you expect with the first of the stages of puberty in females?
The first changes that will happen to your child are hidden as they are happening deep inside their body.
The body will start to release hormones that will trigger the changes to start happening. The main hormone for females is estrogen. It will begin to surge in your child’s body, making their ovaries grow much larger, but no changes can yet be seen outside their body.
You may notice a slight growth spurt where their hips and thighs begin to grow wider and slightly more rounded.
Find practical tools to educate kids about periods and puberty in the Sex Ed Shop
Stage 2
(approximately between 8 and 14)
So what can you expect with the second of the stages of puberty in females?
Every child is different, but the first visible sign of puberty that you will most likely see in your child is the development of breasts and then pubic hair. A small number of kids can be different and will develop pubic hair before breasts. This is completely normal and nothing to worry about.
Breast buds will develop and your child may feel a small lump behind their nipple. The nipples will be tender and elevated, and the area around the nipple, the areola, will increase in size.
Pubic hair may appear as a small amount of thin soft hair on the skin around the external genitals, on the mons pubis and the labia majora.
You may notice a growth spurt where they are a lot taller and are beginning to gain weight, with the body getting rounder and curvier. Their hands and feet will usually grow bigger as well.
As their sweat glands start to increase their production of sweat, your child will now begin to produce body odour ie smell.
Stage 3
(approximately between 9 and 15)
So what can you expect with the third of the stages of puberty in females?
Your child’s breasts will continue to grow, increasing in size and being more cone-shaped and pointy. Their nipple and areola will now be more obvious, becoming larger and darker. Their pubic hair will begin to grow coarser and darker, but there still isn’t a lot of it. They may also start to grow more hair on their lower legs.
On the outside of their body, their genitals will also begin to change and your child may notice vaginal discharge for the first time. Some kids may have their first menstrual period, but it is usually light and not very regular.
Their body will still be growing and gaining weight and height.
Looking for more puberty resources? Then visit my Puberty 101 page!
Stage 4
(approximately from 10 to 16)
So what can you expect with the fourth of the stages of puberty in females?
Your child’s breasts will continue to grow now with a fuller, more rounded adult shape. Their nipple and areola will become more obvious, becoming larger, darker and pointier. Their pubic hair will grow thick, curly and become coarser, taking on a more adult triangular pattern of growth. Underarm hair may now start to appear (some kids may already have underarm hair).
If they haven’t already started, then the first menstrual period should now start. Their period is likely to be irregular at first. Their vaginal discharge will usually become more frequent and in heavier amounts in the last few months leading up to their first period.
Their skin and hair may become oily.
Your child will continue to grow, and their hips will become rounder, but not at the same rate as before.
Stage 5
(approximately between 12 and 19)
So what can you expect with the fifth and last of the stages of puberty in females?
This is the last stage of changes.
Your child will now reach their full height and will look like a young adult.
They will now be ovulating, which means their menstrual period will be regular. Their breasts will be fully grown and pubic hair will have an adult triangular pattern of growth. Their skin will be less oily, which usually means fewer pimples, except for the occasional one.
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.
I hope you find that helpful with preparing your child for the changes that will be happening as they go through puberty.
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.