When to talk to your child about menstruation

Most parents have many learning conversations they need to have with their children and one of them is about menstrual periods. 

The conversation about periods is essential for children of all genders and not just girls. The more parents talk about it, the less awkward it becomes when someone brings it up. It can also help a child become more comfortable with their own body.

CALÓ News spoke with Michelle Escovedo, MD, an adolescent medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s about the importance of having this one-on-one conversation with our children.

According to Dr. Escovedo, periods happen to someone that is assigned female, has reproductive parts and goes through puberty. “There's a series of things that can happen during puberty for females. We first start to see breast development and the last part is having a period,” she said.

Dr. Escovedo said that the way periods work is when the body starts producing an egg every month that it will then ovulate. “If the egg is not fertilized by a sperm to make the baby, then you don’t get a baby made. But instead, the body gets rid of that egg and that uterus lining that’s created every month in the period. And that’s generally speaking what a period is,” Dr. Escovedo said.

The CDC reports menstruation has been starting earlier since 1995 (the average age is now around 11 years old), with some girls’ first period coming as early as eight or nine years old. Dr. Escovedo believes that is currently a trend that people have observed and noticed for a while now. She said that it’s definitely getting younger and younger and that they really don’t know what is the cause of it.

In addition, she believes that the best time to have the period conversation is definitely before puberty or while puberty is happening. Parents can also start the talk when their daughters start wearing a training bra. 

Dr. Escovedo said that most times they can tell when a period is going to start. “Periods will usually come within two years of breast development. So, it’s a good thing if the pediatrician starts talking about it,” she said.

She also discussed how pediatricians normally monitor the female's development. Most doctors will let the parents and the child know about the next things that might happen during the puberty process and just prepare them for their periods so that it doesn’t become scary news.

Dr. Escovedo said that it’s crucial to have the period conversation and overall just prepare them mentally and physically. “For example, talking to them about pads and tampons. Letting them know that it can be painful and that periods can last about anywhere between three to seven days. And most importantly let your child know that it’s normal and it's just a part of development,” she said.

She also explained that parents should also include in the period conversation when a period is not normal. She said that a period should not be longer than seven days and still feel pretty heavy, Also it’s not normal to be changing a soaking pad every hour because that is way too much. 

Dr. Escovedo said that sometimes the period conversation can be normalized and talked about as often as it should be talked about. “I think people aren’t comfortable talking about sex, sexual parts or any body part. Although period is not sexual but it’s kinda wrapped up in all of that,” she said. “So, I think that’s where that comes from, but again that’s why it’s always good to talk to our children and even young children about body parts and teach them the right anatomy terms: breasts, vagina and private parts. Because what if someday something happens to your child but the child doesn’t really know what happened because they have no words to explain it,” She said.

In addition, she added that if we take out the weirdness in these conversations parents can always differ from the scientific terms and explain to the children the information and facts that they need to know and understand. “At the end of the day anything they learn is knowledge and knowledge is power,” Dr. Escovedo said.