|
How
girls work
 •
Girls
go through a lot of changes at puberty. Development can starts around
the age of 10 with pubic and underarm hair and breasts starting to grow.
Girls develop at different rates. Some girls may have their first period
when they are 10 others may be 16. All these changes - known as puberty
take place over a few years. Changes that can occur include:
Moods
• You'll
probably get a bit moody, in great form one minute and then taking the
head of someone the next minute. Don't worry about this, it's perfectly
normal, blame it on the hormones! Just keep your cool, things will settle
down!
Breast
development
• Breasts
come in every shape and size and can be soft or firm. It is normal for
your breasts to feel tender as they grow during puberty, but this will
stop once they've grown. Growth can be uneven so one breast may be bigger
than the other. This will even out but many women have slightly differently
sized breasts. You'll need to get a bra!
What size bra?
• Use
a tape measure to measure around your chest underneath your breasts where
the bra straps goes, and add 5" to that number. Then measure the fullest
part of your breasts. If the two numbers are the same then you need an
AA-cup, if there's a 1" difference an A-cup, 2" a B-cup, 3" a D-cup. Ok,
if this is too complicated for go to the lingerie department of any good
store and ask an assistant to help, don't be embarrassed, they're not!
The
menstrual cycle
• The
pituitary gland at the base of the brain tells the ovaries to produces
hormones called oestrogen and progesterone As a result your ovaries start
producing a monthly egg and you begin to menstruate (have periods)
•
The
menstrual cycle is the first day of a period until the day before the
next period starts. The length of the menstrual cycle varies, it can be
as short as 21 days or as long as 40 days. The hormone oestrogen causes
about 12 to 20 tiny eggs to grow in one of you ovaries each month.
•
At
about day 14 of a typical 28-day cycle, the egg leaves the ovary, traveling
through one of the fallopian tubes to the uterus. The release of the egg
from the ovary is called ovulation. Some girls know when they're ovulating,
because at mid-cycle they have some pain--typically a dull ache on either
side of the lower abdomen lasting a few hours.. Some women also have very
light bleeding, or spotting, during ovulation.
•
The
monthly shedding of the lining of the uterus, or womb-affects everyone
a little differently, both physically and emotionally.
•
Oestrogen
also makes you produce mucus to help sperm live as long as possible inside
you after sex, sometimes up to 6 days, so if you're sexually active, practice
safe sex by taking precautions.
Coping
periods
• Changes
in hormone levels can affect your moods. You may feel:
•
Energetic
and sexy around the time you ovulate or Moody, tearful or angry the week
before the period is due.
P.M.S.
Is the term for a
wide range of different symptoms that women experience in the days leading
up to their period. Symptoms of P.M.S. include:
• Depression
•
Bloating
•
Fatigue
•
Acne
•
Breast
tenderness
•
Cramps
and backache
How
to alleviate symptoms
• Exercise
regularly and limit salt, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
•
Eating
lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and carbohydrates can also help
Periods
may also be particularly painful.
•
Hold
a hot water bottle against your stomach and take a painkiller such as
aspirin or ibuprofen. The combined pill is very good for painful periods,
but there are other alternatives. Your doctor will be able to advise you
of these.
What
happens if your period stops?
• A
missed period could mean that you are pregnant. But periods may stop altogether
if you loss a lot of weight or if you're exercising to extreme or training
hard. Being worried or stressed about something in your life can also
cause periods to be late. If any of these occur consult your doctor for
advice.
Sex
during your period
• You
are most likely to get pregnant when you're ovulating, but the time you
ovulate can vary from month to month. Also sperm can live in the body
for around 5 or 6 days so pregnancy is possible at virtually any time
in your cycle. Boys produce around 300 million sperm when they ejaculate
and it takes only ONE to make you pregnant!
page
2
|
