Photography by Sora Shimazaki and Cottonbro. Design by Emma Günther.
Signs your period is coming for the first time and how to prepare
Your body might give you a few clues.
Top things to know about getting your period for the first time:
Menstruation, often called your period, is bleeding that comes as part of the menstrual cycle each month.
You usually start your period between ages 10–16, with most people starting at age 12.
Immediately before your first period, you might feel bloated or experience cramping in your stomach.
According to a recent Clue survey, over half of the respondents felt awkward about their first period. Others said they felt embarrassed, surprised, anxious, or scared.
Check out Clue's Complete Guide to Puberty: Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.
Have you started to hear about your friends getting their periods and wondered when it will happen for you? Getting your first period may feel exciting, uncertain, stressful, or surprising! The different hormones in your body before your period change the way you look and feel. It's more than just bleeding, cramps, or mood swings.
In a recent survey of people who use Clue, more than 4 out of 10 said that they didn’t feel prepared or informed before their first period came. It doesn’t need to be this way!
The common changes to your body during puberty usually follow a similar pattern. You can learn to spot the signs so that you can feel more confident and prepared for your first menstrual period. It’s also important to remember that your body is unique. There is no exact “right” time for anything to happen!
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What is a period?
The menstrual period is the shedding of your uterine lining, also known as your endometrium. It is a natural part of the menstrual cycle, which usually lasts between 24-38 days (1). However, this can vary from person to person, cycle to cycle, and may change over the years. Your menstrual cycle is guided by signals from the brain that increase or decrease the levels of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone (2,3). During your period, blood and endometrial tissue flow out of your vagina for up to eight days (1). Menstruation starts during puberty, usually between the ages of 10 and 15, and continues until menopause, around the age of 45-55 (4,5,6). Read more about what a menstrual cycle is and why your period happens.
Your period may be unpredictable when it first begins. Because of the way your hormones are adjusting, your periods may come more than one month apart for the first one or two years (6). However, if you go longer than three months without bleeding once your period begins, you should check in with your healthcare provider. For most people, after a few years, the menstrual cycle will become more predictable each month (6).
Signs your first period is coming soon
In the months (and even years) before your first period comes, you may notice that your body feels different. From your breasts and hips to your pubic hair and discharge, your body will physically change as your hormones shift around.
Breast changes
Your breasts typically start to grow a few years before your first period (7). You may notice swelling of the areola, the dark area around your nipples (8). You might even feel a small lump of breast tissue. This is called a breast bud (9). Some people notice that one breast grows larger than the other. Most people’s breasts even out with time (8). Your breasts will continue to grow, changing in size and shape as they do. Sometimes, breasts are tender or sore as they grow (8). Most people will get their period within 1.5–3 years after breast changes begin (7).
Breast pain may continue during your regular menstrual cycle. This is because of the way your hormones change during your cycle. Breasts sometimes feel swollen, tender, lumpy, or heavy in the days before your period begins each month (10,11).
Around half of people who responded to a recent Clue survey say that they were 11 or 12 years old when they got their first period, and 3 out of 10 were between ages 13 and 14.
Pubic hair growth
After breast buds, you may notice the first signs of pubic hair. At first, you might just see a few light, straight hairs on and around your vulva. You’ll notice more hair with time. That hair will get curlier, thicker, and spread out towards your thighs (7,9).
There is a chance you will see some pubic hair before your breasts start to grow (12), but most people see it the other way around. You probably won’t see any hair under your arms until a couple of years later (7).
There is a lot of social messaging about body hair, and it may make some people feel ashamed, unclean, or unattractive (13). But body hair is totally natural! Some people may choose to remove body hair by shaving or waxing. Whatever you choose to do is up to you.
Increase in vaginal discharge
Sometime after your breasts start to grow, you may notice that your underwear feels a bit wetter than before. You may see a thin, white discharge coming from your vagina (7). It won’t have much of a smell. This usually happens 3-6 months before your first period and is very typical for most people (14).
As you get close to your first period, you may start to notice the fluid from your vagina changing from day to day. Even if you haven’t had a period yet, this is the beginning of your menstrual cycle, which includes more phases than just your period. How your hormones change during the menstrual cycle affects how your fluid looks and feels. During the time of your cycle when you release an egg (ovulate), the fluid will be clear, stretchy, and slippery. Right before your period, the fluid is thick and white and feels stickier. Right after your period ends, you may feel more dry or have a small amount of thick white discharge (15).
The vagina is self-cleaning, and this increase in discharge is unlikely to mean that you have an infection. You should use warm water only to wash your vulva, and avoid scented soaps and douches as they may increase your risk of infection (16).
Changes in body shape
Your body’s shape and size also change right before your period starts. Most people will have the biggest growth spurt about six months to a year before their first period (17). However, the timing may be different for different people. If you are tracking your height and notice it changes rapidly and then starts to slow down, your first period may be on its way.
Along with changes to your height and weight, it’s also common for the size of your pants to get bigger as your hips widen (8). You may start to notice more body fat around your hips, and less around your waist (18). Changes in your body shape and weight are healthy and a sign of your shifting hormones.
The whole area of your lower abdomen is called your pelvis. Your vagina, uterus, and ovaries are in there and also grow in size (7). The exact timing of your body’s growth will be unique to you.
Acne or skin changes
During puberty, your body will start to make more of a type of hormone called androgens. Androgen hormones can increase body oil production, which can lead to more oily hair, acne, or skin changes. You might also notice a change in how your body smells (12). You can counteract body odor and oily skin by showering regularly, using deodorant, and washing your face daily.
How to prepare for your first period
Having your period is a natural part of life! Even still, half of people who use Clue said they felt awkward about their periods, and nearly 4 out of 10 felt embarrassed or ashamed by their periods. One person who uses Clue shared:
“I was never taught what to do. My mom just gave me a pad and left me to figure things out.”
To help reduce the stress, there are some things you can do to help prepare yourself for your first period.
Spend some time learning about menstruation
Some people try to find any information that they can about getting a period before it comes. For example, one person who uses Clue says:
“It’s funny because I treated my period like I would prepare for a job interview. I essentially conducted tons of informational interviews from friends on what it was like to menstruate, what helped with cramps, what mood swings were like, and what menstrual products were the best.”
Being here to read about your first period is a great start! It may also help to talk to an adult that you trust about what to expect. You might even ask for books or articles that break things down for you. One person who uses Clue says:
“I had just completed sex education and had materials in the house related to first periods. My mother was also an open book. Much better compared to my mother’s experience in the 50s when she thought she was dying because no one told her what was happening.”
Talking to someone who has been through it may be helpful. Another person who uses Clue remembers:
“My mum had products and helped me by explaining how to use them. She also helped by giving me tips on how to lessen cramps. There was no shame, no awkwardness at all.”
You might ask a trusted adult to set up a sharing circle for you and others who are going through similar changes. Sharing stories can be helpful and make you feel more supported.
Your healthcare provider may be another safe place to get the facts about your body changes. By learning what is common and expected, you can take away some of the unknown and help reduce any anxiety or shame you might feel about your period.
Get period supplies ready
Because it may be hard to predict exactly when your first period will begin, consider keeping some products in your bathroom at home or in your backpack or purse.
There are a few different types of products you can use to manage bleeding during your period. Menstrual pads are usually the easiest when you’re starting out. They can be placed just inside your underwear to absorb your period blood.
As you become more comfortable with your period, you might want to use different supplies. Tampons, menstrual cups, and menstrual discs are other options. These products are put inside your vagina to collect period blood. Some people say that they got mixed messages or stigma about using these types of period products for their first period.
“It was kind of implied that tampons were for grown women while pads were for girls.”
However, anyone can use tampons, cups, or discs. You do not need to be sexually active to use these types of products. They can be helpful for people who exercise, who want to swim, or who don’t want to change pads all day.
Practice using menstrual products
Your body is your own–it’s okay to get comfortable with it! Some people find it helpful to practice using menstrual products like pads, tampons, cups, and discs. Practice may help you feel ready when the time comes.
Create a period kit
Put together a period kit so that you’re ready on the go! Your kit could include menstrual pads (maybe even a couple of different sizes), unscented wipes, pain medication, and an extra pair of underwear. You can keep this kit in your school bag or purse so that it travels with you in case your period begins while you’re away from home.
Talk to your parents or guardians
Talk to your parents, guardians, or other trusted adults about your questions and worries. It can be hard to sort through all the information out there! And while leaning on your friends for support might feel helpful, a trusted adult can help get you the facts on the body changes you’re going through.
Learn how to manage and track your period symptoms
When you first start your menstrual cycle, it may take a little while to learn what helps you feel your best. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and medications or supplements may help you manage your premenstrual symptoms (19).
The importance of tracking your menstrual cycle
Tracking your experiences with an app like Clue can help you notice trends in your health. You can track your period, cramps, premenstrual symptoms, feelings, exercise, and so much more. This might help you understand what to expect and learn what you can do to help yourself feel your best.
If you’re in the United States, you must be 13 years or older to use Clue.
FAQs
What are the common symptoms to expect before my first menstrual cycle begins?
You may notice one or more symptoms in the days before your first period. Physical symptoms can include changes in appetite, nausea, bloating, tender breasts, headaches, or skin problems (20). Emotional symptoms can include increased mood swings, trouble sleeping, or trouble focusing (20). Cramps are very common in the first couple of years after getting your period (21). You may feel them several hours before to a few hours after bleeding begins (21).
When will I get my first period?
Each person’s experience is unique, and the typical age range for a first period to begin is 10–15 years old (6). The average age of a first period is 12.4 years old (22). It may be helpful to ask your mother about her first period experience. Different factors like genetics, diet, exercise, and overall health can play a role in the timing of your first period (22). If you are 15 years old or older and haven’t had your first period, you should speak to a healthcare provider (6).
What is the youngest age to get your period?
A small number of people may get their first period much earlier than average. Precocious puberty in girls happens when the physical changes of puberty begin before age 8. While it isn’t very common, precocious puberty is around 10 times more common in girls than in boys (23).
There are a lot of factors that affect when your first period starts, like your family history and your environment. The average age of a first period has been decreasing around the world over the last few generations (23).
A recent survey of people who use Clue found that around 1 in 10 people got their period between the ages of 8–10, while most users said their first periods came between ages 11–14.
