The 5 stages of puberty in girls

girl going through stages of puberty in girls

Inside: As a parent, knowing what the stages of puberty in girls are, means that you can prepare and support your child as they do through this important stage of life.

As a parent with a daughter who is on the cusp of puberty, awareness of the stages of puberty in females is a handy thing to know.

Why?

Because by knowing what the stages of puberty in girls are (or children with a female body), 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!

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 in girls? Or kids with a female body?

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.

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.

girl hugging mother
Parents often complain about girls first becoming moody at around 8 to 10.

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.

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.

3 girls standing close together
Getting closer to having a fully grown body.

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.

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.

Need a better plan for the sex talk?
Sign up for my parent newsletter and I'll show you an easier way to talk to your kids about sex!
Featured Image

About The Author

Scroll to Top