Signs your Daughter is Hitting Puberty

Puberty is the term for the hormonal, physical and cognitive changes that lead children to adulthood. It is caused by changes in the secretion of the master reproductive hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which triggers a cascade of hormonal modifications. Sоmе оf thе fіrѕt соmmоn ѕуmрtоmѕ оf рubеrtу include breast grоwth іn gіrlѕ аnd the growth оf testicles in boys, fоllоwеd bу the appearance оf рubіс hаіr аnd a grоwth ѕрurt in overall height.

In girls, puberty can begin as early as six or seven years of age, but usually begins around age eleven.  This is a process that continues for several years. Most girls have physically matured more or less at 14 years of age. Children overall (both boys and girls) mature – for their adolescence, anyway - more or less at 15 or 16 years of age.

Hormonal changes

The fіrѕt ѕіgnѕ of рubеrtу аrе hormonal сhаngеѕ, but уоu wоuld not be fully aware оf them wіthоut ѕресіаl blood tеѕtѕ. In girls and boys, puberty is driven by rhythmic releases of high levels of the hormone GnRH from the hypothalamus of the brain. Thіѕ pattern оf GnRH secretion саuѕеѕ nосturnаl peaks оf secretion оf the hormone gоnаdоtrоріn (gоnаd growth hоrmоnе), fоllісlе ѕtіmulаtіng hormone (FSH) аnd luteinizing hоrmоnе (LH оf thе ріtuіtаrу glаnd.) The nocturnal peaks of LH and FSH only occur during early puberty, and during sleep, so it is critical for pre-teens and teenagers to get enough sleep and deep, quality, restorative sleep at that.

In girls, LH and FSH cause the ovaries to produce high levels of estrogen. FSH levels rise for the first time in ages 9 to 10, followed by LH. Estrogen levels begin to rise abruptly at around 10 to 11 years. In males, LH is the predominant hormone and stimulates the testes to secrete testosterone. Testosterone levels begin to rise at approximately 12 years and increase steadily over the next 2 years. Estrogen and testosterone lead most of the changes in puberty later.

Physical changes

Physical puberty-related changes are divided into phases measured by a clinical evaluation called the Tanner scale. Stage Tanner 1 is equivalent to pre-puberty. In stage Tanner 2, you begin to see the first physical changes. For girls, the first obvious sign of puberty is a slight swelling or enlargement of the breasts budding. This occurs when estrogen levels increase at around ages 10 to 11. For male children, the first obvious sign of puberty is the growth of the testicles at 8 or 9 years of age. Also, in stage Tanner 2, girls and boys sprout their first pubic hairs. In girls, pubic hair appears around the age of 11 due to the androgens of the adrenal gland; in males, pubic hair appears at 11 or 12 years of age.

Stretch

In the Tanner 1 stage (pre-puberty) a child can be expected to grow around 5 to 6 cm per year. Girls in the Tanner 2 stage (at age 11), increase from 7 to 8 cm per year. They continue to grow at this rate until growth stops at around age 16 (although, this of course, may vary greatly between families). Children do not start growing faster until stage Tanner 3, at 12 or 13 years old. The growth peaks of males in Tanner 4 (around 14 years old) have a rhythm of 10 cm per year and end around 17 years.

Growing in height is the result of the actions of growth hormone, which is secreted during sleep. In the stages of accelerated growth, a child can literally grow during the night. In addition to physical growing, youmay also notice signs of emotoanl growth as well.  Attitudes, changes in behaviors (like preference of music to choices in friends).  With so many hormones racing through their body, it is important to really empathize withy our child and to monitor their moods from a comfortable and compassionate place. Naturally, sexuality and its many traits will begin to develop also as young women start their cycles,  boys and girls take new interests and so on. 

As this can be an incredibly challenging time for young women, who will begin to experience a physical change monthly that requires understanding and maintenance, we have put together a guide for those having their first period, along with a kit for those in their first few cycles looking to better understand their body and its changes.  Find it on our site or shop collections tat will speak to your daughter!