Would you be concerned?

[Anonymous]

That's definitely an old wives' tale, I was 105 pounds and 5'4ish when I graduated high school. (I was not dieting, I am small boned). I started either at 12, or just turned 13, and I was probably around 90 pounds at the time (and probably around 5'1?)

My daughter is still not that weight (5'2) and started menstruating 18 months ago, I think. She is almost 13.

[Anonymous]

I think discussing it with your doctor is fine. They will let you know if you should be concerned. But I think 12-14 is most common, with 11-16 being the general range. Your doctor would know best though.

I was young and it sucked so I'm glad my DD hasn't started yet. She's 12.

[Anonymous]

Of course you don’t “have” to be 100 pounds, but it is generally a reasonable rule of thumb. Being underweight can impact when you get your period.

I would be more worried about why my kid was that small. And I say this as a person who was that small who has a kid that small. We both got our periods when we were only 90 pounds. I still think it is worth discussing with your doctor whether all her nutritional needs are being met.

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for the reassurance! OP here

I feel a little better hearing that others got it later. I am still surprised, as I was a swimmer and a healthy weight but got it before my 11 bday (I was glad neither girl got it that young!)

She is an athlete, but not a 2x per day swimmer. She is thin, but still in the healthy weight range for her age (of course an adult at that height and weight would be underweight). Both my kids have always been thin. I think that is another reason I was so surprised, my younger daughter is a similar height but still just shy of 90lb! (Again, if you look at the teen BMI chart, her BMI of about 15-16 is in the health range for a *tween*).

Any before anyone asks, they both have great appetites, est well, and are active, and their weights and growth curves are carefully checked yearly by the pediatrician. They've been consistent since early elementary school.

So thank you again for a reassurance. Will speak to the ped next month, but I'm glad no one flagged anything pressing.

[Anonymous]

No.

My DD got hers right around her 15th birthday. She was 5’5”-5’6”ish and 100ish lbs at the time. She grew another 1-2 inches after. She is slender but has always been (much like some other family members) - and has slowly begun to fill out a bit in her later teens. Just a late bloomer.

Like so many other things, some girls will be outliers on this- in either direction (whether that is on the very younger side or very older side).

It never hurts to ask the ped if you are concerned, but I would not be worried.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't get my first period until I was almost 15 so I don't think it's too concerning, especially if you see other signs of puberty.

One possible concern is how slender she is. Estrogen levels are affected by body fat and it could be that she needs to fill out some more before her body is ready to start her period. I'm not saying you need to fatten her up. It's likely her weight will even out on its own once she is close to her final height.

+1

Two of my kids (one DS, one DD) were skinny late bloomers & this is exactly what happened. Just as some kids get a little chubby during puberty and then sprout up, others sprout up first and then begin to fill out. Just different growth patterns. While a mature grown woman or man might be “underweight” at a particular height/weight, a teen may not be. That is the reason the health charts generally are not the same for those 2 groups.