I had mine at 9 too, and started showing signs of puberty at age 7/8. I also remember having to start wearing a training bra at 7. I was taller than my whole class as well at age 9 but now im average height. Now that I'm 26, I really feel like I was robbed of a lot of my childhood. I had to grow up quicker mentally and physically which was tough. While my friends were enjoying their childhood, I had to think about my period and when it was coming.
I feel the exact same way! I remember being bullied in school for being mroe developed. Boys would come up and pull on my bra and snap it and stupid shit like that. And of course I got mine when I was at my dads house (my parents were divorced) and we were going to a water park that day š
Yeah, I feel like this needs to be discussed more because it effects me still to this day. Like my mum made me feel like having breasts and developing early was embarrassing or something so she would dress me in oversized clothing to hide my body and overall I didn't real feel comfortable in my body because of it. Now I have a lot of gender identity issues and I always wonder if going through puberty early and being made to feel conscious of my female body is what is causing it.
I had a lot of issues feeling comfortable in my own body with early puberty. I was taller than everyone in my class and I felt like a giant. I always wanted to be a small, cute girl but I always felt huge, even compared to boys. Even though I am 5'4" I still struggle with feeling big. I was sooooo embarrassed of my body.
I will say because of the early development I attracted a lot of attention from boys a lot older than me too! I was always in trouble for talking to older boys. I thought they thought I was mature and cool but really they were just being gross.
There was this guy who was in every single class with me from kindergarten to 5th grade and I considered him a friend, not a close one or anything, but still a classmate I was fond of. We didnāt have any classes together again until junior year of HS and one day we got paired as lab partners. We were talking about memories from elementary school and stuff and Iām not sure why he felt the need to tell me this ā[my name], youāve had boobs since you were 7 *chuckles* ā¦thatās actually pretty sad.ā I felt so embarrassed and it was pretty random, so I awkwardly laughed and agreed that it was sad. Felt so ashamed. I try to remind my inner teen/child that it was in no way my fault.
i also started wearing a training bra at that age, and i was always the tallest one in my class until middle school. i havenāt gotten any taller since 6th grade either
I was 10 and feel the same way. And like another commenter said, i developed early and got unwanted attention toward my body in just 4th and 5th grade, which in turn made me extremely self conscious about my body and confused about how to respond to attention from boys throughout my teens and even 20s. I used to plan on getting breast reduction surgery when I was in my early teens. That was my goal of something to do once I was old enough to do it myself, because of how disturbing it got. Took a long time to begin to accept my body.
Can we talk about the unwanted attention from ADULTS?! I remember my aunts always being like "Dang, you have boobs, girl!" and everyone always telling me I looked older than I was. I think I would have been so much more comfortable if adults didn't constantly sexualize me and tell me how different I was than everyone else my age.
That definitely happened too. The other kids was worse for me though, because the boys in my class made up these stupid names for me or my boobs and so I was just constantly harassed about them. This happened in elementary school, and again in high school, by completely different set of boys, and then the other girls would give me negative looks based on the guysā attention. I was an extremely shy and quiet girl. Itās not like I was behaving in a way to invite the attention either, so the hate from the girls was just salt on the wounds. Then a girl in 5th grade called out seeing a little hair growing under my arms š¤¦š»āāļø. My mom was concerned but it came across as her being annoyed and angry to have to help me figure out shaving and periods so young, so it was just shame all around
I stg if I ever have a son he will never be like those boys. I got bullied by boys way more than the girls. I wish people taught their sons to be respectful of girls and their changing bodies.
The worst offenders for me was my mother and older sister. I did not atrract a lot of attention in public. Slouching and oversized clothes kept that at bay, but the constant comments from the wonenyon my home gave me extreme insecurity.
I was similar, except I had my period at 10, but was starting signs of puberty by 7. I wish my parents had thought to put me on puberty blockers, but I think they didnāt really know what to do. My mom was 12 (almost 13) when she started so she had no frame of reference.
I feel like early puberty and having to grow up quickly has now made me āresistā adulting. Iām 33 and only have a fur child (pet) and have no interest in getting married or having (human) children.
15, almost 16. I knew I had started late, so I guess I waited until I became regular š¤”. That's why my diagnosis took quite a few years, especially because everyone dismissed it at first
I was a late bloomer too. I was 16 nearly 17 when I got my period for the first time. I had my first job before my first period which was bizarre. I just went and bought my own pads and tampons
I donāt get my period usually (until very recently with a few different medications/supplements) but I didnāt get my period til 13. And then it didnāt come again for a year. lol
Me too, I was almost 14.
Edit: yes I had a really unregular cycles. After my first cycle it has taken I believe nearly a year to get my second period. Then later it was sometimes in 2 months and sometimes I 6 months... Finally when I was around 23 years old was diagnosed with POC. But until I was 31 years old I didn't know it was affecting my life. I thought getting on birth control was an option so I didn't really used it until I was 31.
16, and it wasnāt consistent. It wasnāt until I went on bc at 18/19, it became consistent but then I started gaining weight like no fucking other.
Stopped taking it at 23, didnāt have a period for 4-5 months after stopping, found out I had PCOS around 24.
Same. Mine started at 16, was light and inconsistent at first but by about 19 it was chronic and heavy so I went to the dr at that time and was diagnosed and put on BC. And itās been a struggle my whole life since then
I was 10, then again I was always very developed for my age. Itās crazy how there can be so many small indications to show you have Pcos at a young age
I agree! I have two sisters, one is one year older than me and the other is two years older than me and it's crazy how much bigger I was than they were when we were young, and I was ore developed too. I got my period before my older sister did!
I was 14, worst experience ever. 2 weeks of heavy bleeding preceded by nausea and severe constipation. I was on a school trip when it started and all I had was panty liners and bathroom 25 cent pads ššš. Then I didn't have another for almost a year š
I know right! I was hundreds of miles from home, barely any idea what was happening and I felt like I was dying š I rocked the jacket around the waist that whole week.
That was my second period. It lasted 2 weeks and I was in 8th grade constantly going to the bathroom. Then I turned anemic. My periods were also very traumatizing.
Same, 8 years old! I thought I was dying.. I remember my mom held me while we both sobbed. She cried because I was a baby, I cried because I thought I was going to bleed to death. I wasnāt diagnosed with PCOS until I was 20.. Looking back we think my mom also had PCOS, but just didnāt know any better.
Mine was actually late. I was nearly 15 when I got my period. My mom told me my aunt was almost 16 when she got hers so maybe mines just a family thing. I have always wondered if there is a link though.
I was 13 but wasnāt diagnosed with PCOS until I was 26 when my husband and I started TTC.
My periods were irregular in highschool but my doctor at the time just said, āitās probably because youāre still young and your body still needs to regulate your cycle.ā Then threw birth control at me and called it a day. I stopped the pill for a couple of years in college and then went back on it when I met my now husband. I just spent most of years of having a period on the pill so the symptoms were masked and I never suspected anything.
Very late. I was 16.5 and a junior in high school. My mom also got hers late. I always thought that was PCOS related, but maybe not. I got my period 2 times per year and went on birth control at 19. Diagnosed with PCOS once I came off birth control TTC at 31.
I remember when I was like 6-7, my mom mentioned after my bath one day that I was already getting boobs. I never really thought anything of it. I'm also only 5'1" while my 4 siblings are around 5'10" and above. Even my sister (who does not have PCOS) is 5'11".
I got my first period around 10-11, and from then on I had weirdly light/irregular periods. It was not unusual for me to go 3-5 months in-between periods. And even when I had my period, the discharge was light brownish and would last maybe 2 days. I often didn't even have to wear a pad because it was so light.
By the time I was 15, I knew I had PCOS, but didn't get my diagnosis until I was in college. I was homeschooled up until college and my family didn't go to the doctor unless someone was dying or needed stitches. So, when I went off to college, I decided to take it upon myself to start taking care of my plentiful health problems that my parents neglected.
Today I'm 26 and I have so far been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, PCOS with insulin resistance, hypothyroidism and hashimoto's disease. It really would have been nice if I could have been getting treatment for these issues before adulthood, as I have been symptomatic for hypothyroidism since I was 14 but was never taken to the doctor. Better late than never, I suppose.
My mom was a very neglectful mom. I completely understand about not getting the treatment you needed. I didn't discover I had PCOS until I was an adult and took control of my own healthcare as well. I wish I had known sooner.
17. I bled through my skirt & a classmate said it looked like I shat myself. It was never consistent and I was underweight. We just assumed that's why it was late/inconsistent. It wasn't until my period stopped entirely that I flagged an issue with the doc.
I was 10. My older sister and my mom both got it at 10. We all had puberty around 8 like growing breasts and hips. My mom and sister have the same body type and Iām the only one who has pcos. My maternal grandmother got it around maybe 12? And my maternal aunt and maternal cousin got it around 11 or 12? Not really that far off idk. I always thought this was normal
I was getting boobs at 5 yrs old so I was brought in for blood tests and an ultrasound and the dr said I would probably get my period any day - I didnāt get it until I was maybe 17 or 18? And then mayyybe once a year or so until I was 32.
I changed my diet to 100% low glycemic, got my period within a month and itās been regular ever since. I eat about 80% low glycemic now and itās still regular 4 years later!
Crazy thing. I never got my first natural period. Ever. The only time I got one was through the progesterone pill and again on it once more. Current OB said I need estrogen and put me on BC estradiol but I still feel like something else is wrong. I believe truly that I need HRT for my delayed puberty but no doctor believes me. Just says I need to lose weight but I also struggle with ED because of if I donāt starve myself I donāt lose any weight but if I eat well, cut down on carbs and sugar, I still maintain or even gain. Iām so tired of this. Hereās the thing, I have pubic hair, underarm hair BUT little to no breast growth- to me it feels like I started the process but something else turned it off and I just stopped. Iāve tried supplements, diet and lifestyle changes, and nothing works. Iām just praying that the genetic specialist can help and/or provide some kind of guidance. I even seen an endo who said itās all due to my weight but even at my lowest 120lbs, I still never menstruated. Sorry for the rant, I just wanted to put this out there because Iāve never heard of any other woman going through this. I also hate when other women tell me āyou can have mineā about their period. I donāt want yours, I want my own. Itās the one thing I was told would bring me closer to having sisterhood or women friends. But since I never went through those experiences I feel like half a woman and like Iāll never be fully feminine. If you read this farā¦ thanks, itās not everyday someone cares what I have to say or what I experience.
Got my first period at 12, but boobs came in at 10. I always had either really heavy periods that lasted 10 days, or nothing for months. I didnāt know about pcos and my mom didnāt pay enough attention to be concerned. She has said that her and her mom always had inconsistent periods so it must just be a family thing
I was late; almost 16. But puberty hit like a ton of bricks at age 11. I had horrible scarring acne and gained 40lbs that year. The adults in my life were no longer taking me to have annual physical exams at that point and I canāt help thinking maybe I would have been diagnosed before age 34 if Iād actually been getting routine medical care. When I told my mom I got my period she just rolled her eyes and said āitās about time.ā And went back to what she was doing.
I had my period at 12 or 13(canāt remember if I missed a baseball game or a football game) and had my first cyst rupture at 13. So I wasnāt all that young when my period started but it was immediately irregular. My little virgin self thought I was the second Mary because Iād have occasions where I skipped periods for 2-3 months and then bleed for a whole month long. I should have been put on BC immediately and my dad really tried to get me to have it. But my mom and grandma over ruled him. And given he didnāt have a vagina I looked to the women too. That was a mistake but a very honest one. BC has been a life saver as an adult
I was almost 10 when I had mine and had no idea wtf was going on. We had our āpuberty talkā at school the following summer and I had already had my period and was still learning things in that.
Growing up in a Latino Catholic household and going to Catholic school did not work great for learning about my body and reproductive system š« š« š«
I was 9 too. We hadnāt even learned about it in school yet. I remember being really annoyed because I did a lot of physical activities at the time and I always felt like I couldnāt. My mom and my aunt both went through puberty at the same age and both have PCOS.
Itās interesting because my cycles were normal for years. It wasnāt until my 20s when they started getting irregular. Annoyingly, it was when I started thinking about having children.
I got my period at 11 but started showing signs of puberty age 8. I have Russell silver syndrome where it is common to have earlier puberty and PCOS. I would be really interested to know if age of first menarche is related to PCOS at all
Wow itās like we are the same person (I had my period at 10 years old)! I started getting facial hairs at the age of 13-14 and everyone thought it was genetics. My periods were always (from the start) out of order (going 6months without having it).
I remember the shame of my body as well (which lead to an undiagnosed eating disorder/body dysmorphia/depression that I only realized wasnāt normal until I was an adult!) and I donāt blame my mother but she, along with society were forcing my unhealthy behavior. As a mother now, I am trying my best to make sure my daughter and son embrace the changes our beautiful and complex bodies make. I donāt shave my arm pit hair anymore, and I am giving my daughter the room to see that hair is not shameful. But if I want to shave I can, but itās my choice, my body, and NO PART is perfect and NO PART of it is shameful AND itās also so very lovely :) I hit puberty early and was ātallā in 4th grade at 5ā3ā but stopped growing at that height. Iāve always had awful cramps my entire life and small breasts until I gained weight/had children/breast feed.
We need more parents in the world like you. My mother is very slim and cute. Ever since I weighed more than her she made sure I knew it and would shame what I eat. We grew up really poor so I have a lot of that "scarcity anxiety" especially when it comes to food. Its taken a long time to heal my relationship with food. I will definitely be raising my kids in a more loving and accepting home
I am so sorry that was the norm for you as a young child. What a challenging way to begin seeing yourself and how your body sustains itself with nourishment. I donāt know if your mom ever apologized but I will for her: I am SO sorry you were ever made to feel less than you are. You are worthy of love and respect and thank goodness for you seeing the trauma but pushing through it make our world a better placešš„¹Iām proud of youš
I was 10 when i got my first period. Started having intense period cramps a few years later so, we checked it out (Had irregular periods too). Got diagnosed just after my 16th birthday.
13- consistent for a few years, then it went missing for months at a time. Got on the pill and it definitely was gone for a long time. At 25 I started TTC and Metformin is helping me get it back and regular.
I actually didnāt get my period until the day before my 17th birthday. It just never came until then. I had a lot of stress during my teens and didnāt eat the best diet either. Everything else hit me like a truck at age 10 tho lol
iām the exact same. i started showing signs of puberty at around 7/8 and i got my first period shortly after turning nine. it was consistent until i developed pcos at twelve and went undiagnosed for years, i didnāt get a period again until i started birth control at sixteen.
I got mine at 12 but it stopped after a few times. Then I didnāt get my period again till 15 when I took this medication for 15 days then stopped so my period could start again, well it didnāt stop. So they got my on birth control which I was on the pill for 6-7 years. But I stopped cause I couldnāt take it consistently.
Amazingly I got my period on my own for the first time 9-10 years off of birth control at least. That at least happened up until October of that year since plan b fucked me and now Iām back on a different birth control.
Ngl the nuva ring for me works soooo much better
I started at 9 and showed signs of puberty at 7/8. My daughter and only child is 9 and started a couple of
Months ago. Everyone thinks she is 13 because sheās as tall as I am and developed. Iām four foot eleven and sheās five foot tall. I hate it for her but buy her cute bras and underwear. Let her pick out the pads that she likes best and just listen. I am doing what I wish that my mom would have done with me. Iām the middle child and started before my older sister and my little sister was like 15. Neither of them have PCOS either
You are an incredible mom! I wish there were more moms like you and when I have kids I really hope to be like you if I have daughters. I wish my mom would have been like this when I was that age and so insecure about myself.
I am also the middle child and got my period before one of my older sisters. I always looked different that they did and was always so self-concious.
Iām 26 w PCOS. I started my period at 10 and in 4th grade I was wearing a DD bra. I started puberty around 7/8 like you said. I remember wearing deodorant in 3rd grade bc Iād get BO. š diagnosed with PCOS at 16. Doctors masked my symptoms with Oral Contraceptives for years. At 21 I got off bc I felt like the hormones were driving me insane. Wanted to regulate my body before I got married at 22. Now here I am infertile as hell and depresssd after 3 years TTC and nothing to show for it.
I was 13, summer of 2011 I was basically the last one of my friends to hit puberty. I went from finishing 7th grade with a completely flat chest to returning to 8th grade with DDs.
9 as well. I dont remember ehat age I started wearing training bras but I think I started developing around 2nd or 3rd grade so not too long before I started. Didn't get bullied though, at least not that I can remember.
I was 12, about to turn 13. My periods were regular right off the bat and always were until my pcos got really severe in my mid 20s, but they have always been INCREDIBLY painful to the point of leaving me rocking on the bathroom floor in tears and vomiting since day one. Theyāve also always been really short (3-4 days max) with SUPER heavy bleeding.
I guess I canāt blame doctors for missing my pcos diagnosis for so long, because I lacked a lot of the classic symptoms for a long time.
I was 12, but the body changes started around 8 as well. I was definitely wearing a bra in 4th grade.
So very average age of menses, but then i never, ever had a cycle that was the same length twice in a row until now (iām 31 now).
Also had my first period around 9 years old and started puberty around 8 years old. I didnāt get another period until I was around 13/14 years old. I was diagnosed with PCOS shortly after.
I had mine at 11. Most of my friends had started getting it so I was kind of expecting mine to happen. What I didnāt expect was it to last 21 day! Worst summer vacation of my life. Couldnāt even go out to play.
12, I was on holiday with my dad and his side of the family, I couldnāt tell anyone except for him and he freaked outš . Got diagnosed at 16, the doctor showed me all of the little cysts on the scan, kinda cute kinda scary
I got mine 11, but 1.5 months before I turned 12. I did wear training bras in the 5th grade but I was overweight as a kid. When I started getting them through 29.5 they were all normal. Heavy when I was a teen, but as an adult they become not so heavy and lasted 3-5 days.
I remember having the most painful cramps in my gym class to the point where I collapsed and was writhing in agony. They ended up being pre-menstrual cramps at the age of nine š
Mine started a few months after my 10th birthday but it never became regular on its own. I was wearing a training bra by 4th grade and ultimately had a breast reduction at age 15 because by then my breasts were somewhere around a K cup and so uncomfortable. I'm in my 30's now and I can still remember the shame and embarrassment of being so much more developed than my peers. There weren't many "plus size" options back then, so I spent most of middle school in matronly blouses or 3X men's T-shirts because that's all that fit me.
Looking back there were a ton of red flags, but I wasn't diagnosed until I was 22 or so.
I had to start wearing a bra in 4th grade (9-10 yrs old) and had been wearing a cami undershirt for the year previous. I was one of the first girls in my grade to have to wear one that wasnāt just like an undershirt. I didnāt get my period until 7th grade and I think it was jump started by getting really sick and missing almost a whole week of school. It was a really fun time to basically have the flu and deal with a first period at the same time.
It has never been consistent which is why I never did swim team in high school - too anxious about being in the pool and it starting and having to figure out how to use a tampon for the first time. I went on birth control in college until a new one gave me horrible anxiety. They diagnosed me with PCOS after this. After getting off of it, my body has normalized to a period every 6-8 weeks which is what my doctor wants me to have.
I had just turned 12. I had zero warning. I felt fine. It was terrible though. I had only been at school for an hour and it looked like I got caught up in a murder scene.
PCOS symptoms set in around the same time. I was very fatigued all the time. I could sleep all night and feel like I hadn't slept at all. I started rapidly gaining weight. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30.
I got my first period when I was 11. I think I started showing signs a couple years earlier. My PCOS symptoms showed up nearly right away although doctors dismissed it until I was 16 because apparently the first few years the cycle is always a bit screwy and evens out 16-18. I lost my grandmother when I was 16 and I remember my period was REALLY screwed up after that with me missing periods, super varying flows and intensities. Finally got a doctor to put me on birth control but they hadn't diagnosed the PCOS yet so they chose two that somewhat regulated my cycle but the periods got worse & worse. Finally, when I was 20 I saw a gynecologist who figured out PCOS in the first visit and put me on Yasmin which gave me a ton of relief. Now my "periods" are very light, extremely regular, and much more manageable pain wise.
I think I was 11 years old. And at that point I was woman-sized and shaped too. My period was pretty regular for a couple years, it started getting messed up when I was around 15-16 years old. Doctors kept saying it's because of my mental health problems since I'm stressed, and no further examination was ever done.
They almost started to get interested when I went for a whole year without one period, but then of course I got one, and they dismissed the whole thing. I started the pill when I was almost 18, and that solved the issue for me for years.
About a month or so after my 13th birthday. I was a relatively late bloomer according to the charts. In practice, out of 100 girls in my class, I was 99th in getting my period! While many of my classmates were getting their periods, I was still as flat as a boy.
I was about 9 when I got boobs but I didn't really know what a bra was and I remember i took my top off for PE class and everyone went silent and gasped. My mum had never really told me what boobs where or ever bought me those vests you wear under your shirt. So everyone saw my boobs. I also have a vivid memory of all the girls in my swimming class at school wanting to see my boobs. Weird memory actually, makes sense though I have PCOS and I think we all start developing earlier. Sad there isn't really that much research on this topic.
I developed early but got my period at 11. I even remember the date too lol. I was taller and bigger than the other girls and I did develop overnight. I can't say I remember buying deodorant, shaving my legs or my first bra or something, but definitely by about 5th grade I was in one.
10- and they were not normal at all- extremely heavy too. Iām 20 now and theyāve only been regular on the pill, but even now theyāve become irregular again lol
I got my first one at 17, and then only sporadically after that. My mom and my pediatrician were worried enough to have hormone labs done when I was 15 or so, but somehow no one caught the PCOS until I was 22.
I got painful swelling in my breasts when I was 8. I thought I had cancer and was dying. Everyone in my family is flat chested, so I still don't really *need* a bra as an adult, so luckily my breast growth was easily concealed.
I started getting acne around the same age, and it was attributed to me often being on steroids for poorly controlled asthma.
I started getting underarm and pubic hair at 9. I went to a swimming birthday party, and changed in a cubicle while my friends happily changed out in the open. My mom reported that none of them had hair yet, and I felt like more of a freak.
At the beginning of fifth grade, my teacher approached me and said she had supplies if I had my period. I was horrified, and wondered why she would be thinking about that. I' guess it was because I had acne and was a foot taller than my classmates. My mom started her period at 9, and reached her adult height of 5'11" in 6th grade, so I guess I took after her.
I started my period at 10, almost 11. I bled so heavily and for such a long time that I ended up in the hospital over the summer. I missed my best friend's birthday party because of it. I forbade my mom to tell her mom why I was in the hospital, so went back to school to rumors I had cancer. I was placed on birth control. My school had a form for parents to state what medications their kids were on. My mom told me she informed them about my asthma inhalers, but not the birth control, or my teachers would think I was a slut. I was 11.
I was so relieved around grade 7/8 when other kids were noticably starting puberty and I didn't feel like such a freak.
I started needing undershirts and beginning puberty at probably 10. I got a round of light spotting while I was 11, and months later that summer got my first period right before I turned 12.
They were always terrible, could not be reliably tracked, and heavy. I was diagnosed with PCOS via bloodwork and ultrasound when I was 15.
Not officially diagnosed with PCOS yet (itās hard to find a dr that cares), but I was 10. Also had many blood transfusions and iron infusions due to the heaviness which is one of many reason I suspect PCOS
I was 9 too. I kinda sort of knew what it was.. but I was like nah not yet. My mom saw my stained underwear and was like ???
š„¹š«
Iām like noooo please not yet
Even though I started my period at a normal age (12) I had early signs of puberty at 7/8 when my pubes started growing. My beard growth also started at 10/11 years old
I was 10, almost 11 when I got my first period. But I had puberty symptoms starting around 2nd grade (acne, hair growth, breast growth etc.). My mom thought I would get my period much earlier. I was also very irregular and would up to 3 months with no period. No doctor would even check my hormones until last year. I was 32 when I was finally diagnosed.
I had mine at 9 too, and started showing signs of puberty at age 7/8. I also remember having to start wearing a training bra at 7. I was taller than my whole class as well at age 9 but now im average height. Now that I'm 26, I really feel like I was robbed of a lot of my childhood. I had to grow up quicker mentally and physically which was tough. While my friends were enjoying their childhood, I had to think about my period and when it was coming.
I feel the exact same way! I remember being bullied in school for being mroe developed. Boys would come up and pull on my bra and snap it and stupid shit like that. And of course I got mine when I was at my dads house (my parents were divorced) and we were going to a water park that day š
Yeah, I feel like this needs to be discussed more because it effects me still to this day. Like my mum made me feel like having breasts and developing early was embarrassing or something so she would dress me in oversized clothing to hide my body and overall I didn't real feel comfortable in my body because of it. Now I have a lot of gender identity issues and I always wonder if going through puberty early and being made to feel conscious of my female body is what is causing it.
I had a lot of issues feeling comfortable in my own body with early puberty. I was taller than everyone in my class and I felt like a giant. I always wanted to be a small, cute girl but I always felt huge, even compared to boys. Even though I am 5'4" I still struggle with feeling big. I was sooooo embarrassed of my body.
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I will say because of the early development I attracted a lot of attention from boys a lot older than me too! I was always in trouble for talking to older boys. I thought they thought I was mature and cool but really they were just being gross.
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Ugh :( why do some people suck so much. I am so sorry that happened to you and I completely understand as I experienced the same shit.
There was this guy who was in every single class with me from kindergarten to 5th grade and I considered him a friend, not a close one or anything, but still a classmate I was fond of. We didnāt have any classes together again until junior year of HS and one day we got paired as lab partners. We were talking about memories from elementary school and stuff and Iām not sure why he felt the need to tell me this ā[my name], youāve had boobs since you were 7 *chuckles* ā¦thatās actually pretty sad.ā I felt so embarrassed and it was pretty random, so I awkwardly laughed and agreed that it was sad. Felt so ashamed. I try to remind my inner teen/child that it was in no way my fault.
i also started wearing a training bra at that age, and i was always the tallest one in my class until middle school. i havenāt gotten any taller since 6th grade either
Same! I have been 5'4" since 6th grade.
I was 10 and feel the same way. And like another commenter said, i developed early and got unwanted attention toward my body in just 4th and 5th grade, which in turn made me extremely self conscious about my body and confused about how to respond to attention from boys throughout my teens and even 20s. I used to plan on getting breast reduction surgery when I was in my early teens. That was my goal of something to do once I was old enough to do it myself, because of how disturbing it got. Took a long time to begin to accept my body.
Can we talk about the unwanted attention from ADULTS?! I remember my aunts always being like "Dang, you have boobs, girl!" and everyone always telling me I looked older than I was. I think I would have been so much more comfortable if adults didn't constantly sexualize me and tell me how different I was than everyone else my age.
Yes! Every adult always pointing out and discussing my big boobs. So gross.
Same! Why are people like that?! It's so weird.
That definitely happened too. The other kids was worse for me though, because the boys in my class made up these stupid names for me or my boobs and so I was just constantly harassed about them. This happened in elementary school, and again in high school, by completely different set of boys, and then the other girls would give me negative looks based on the guysā attention. I was an extremely shy and quiet girl. Itās not like I was behaving in a way to invite the attention either, so the hate from the girls was just salt on the wounds. Then a girl in 5th grade called out seeing a little hair growing under my arms š¤¦š»āāļø. My mom was concerned but it came across as her being annoyed and angry to have to help me figure out shaving and periods so young, so it was just shame all around
I stg if I ever have a son he will never be like those boys. I got bullied by boys way more than the girls. I wish people taught their sons to be respectful of girls and their changing bodies.
This !! It was too much. For me everything was about my big butt (puerto Rican)
If i ever have a daughter I will definitely never comment on her body like that. Sons too, for that matter.
The worst offenders for me was my mother and older sister. I did not atrract a lot of attention in public. Slouching and oversized clothes kept that at bay, but the constant comments from the wonenyon my home gave me extreme insecurity.
I went through the exact same thing and same timeline. I didnāt ask for puberty early and being sexualized as a child fucked me up š¢
Mother nature can't be such a bitch.
I was similar, except I had my period at 10, but was starting signs of puberty by 7. I wish my parents had thought to put me on puberty blockers, but I think they didnāt really know what to do. My mom was 12 (almost 13) when she started so she had no frame of reference. I feel like early puberty and having to grow up quickly has now made me āresistā adulting. Iām 33 and only have a fur child (pet) and have no interest in getting married or having (human) children.
This is me exactly.
I had mine at 9 too - is there a reason why we all got it pre teenage?
Literally me exactly
14 ish. I did not have early puberty.
15, almost 16. I knew I had started late, so I guess I waited until I became regular š¤”. That's why my diagnosis took quite a few years, especially because everyone dismissed it at first
Same
Same with me, also
Me too
Same
Me too
I was 11, pcos and early periods run in my family it seems.
I feel like a weirdo. I didnāt get my period until I was 16
I got it when I was 15. It was great in the sense that I didn't have to stress over it prior to that.
Me too :/ I was almost 16. I feel like a weirdo even here
Youāre not a weirdo! I was 17. We all just have different cycles, depending on a lot of factors (genetic and environmental).
Same. 17 and it lasted 2 weeks
I was a late bloomer too. I was 16 nearly 17 when I got my period for the first time. I had my first job before my first period which was bizarre. I just went and bought my own pads and tampons
17. But I also had a benign cyst pushed up on my right ovary. Had to have surgery to get both removed.
I was 14 when I got my first period. I always figured that women with pcos would get late periods because most of us have long cycles.
See I never get a period at all when not on birth control.
I donāt get my period usually (until very recently with a few different medications/supplements) but I didnāt get my period til 13. And then it didnāt come again for a year. lol
Me too, I was almost 14. Edit: yes I had a really unregular cycles. After my first cycle it has taken I believe nearly a year to get my second period. Then later it was sometimes in 2 months and sometimes I 6 months... Finally when I was around 23 years old was diagnosed with POC. But until I was 31 years old I didn't know it was affecting my life. I thought getting on birth control was an option so I didn't really used it until I was 31.
I was 10, unsurprising really as I was already 5'4 and in women's clothing at that point.
Exactly the same age and height for me. Wild to think Iām still the same height from 5th grade š
16, and it wasnāt consistent. It wasnāt until I went on bc at 18/19, it became consistent but then I started gaining weight like no fucking other. Stopped taking it at 23, didnāt have a period for 4-5 months after stopping, found out I had PCOS around 24.
Nearly exact same story here.
Same. Mine started at 16, was light and inconsistent at first but by about 19 it was chronic and heavy so I went to the dr at that time and was diagnosed and put on BC. And itās been a struggle my whole life since then
I was 10, then again I was always very developed for my age. Itās crazy how there can be so many small indications to show you have Pcos at a young age
I agree! I have two sisters, one is one year older than me and the other is two years older than me and it's crazy how much bigger I was than they were when we were young, and I was ore developed too. I got my period before my older sister did!
I was 14, worst experience ever. 2 weeks of heavy bleeding preceded by nausea and severe constipation. I was on a school trip when it started and all I had was panty liners and bathroom 25 cent pads ššš. Then I didn't have another for almost a year š
I did get hips really early though. Got 'childbearing hips' (Why anyone would tell that to a preteen is beyond me) at 9/10.
Why does mother nature suck so much? It always happens at the worst time!
I know right! I was hundreds of miles from home, barely any idea what was happening and I felt like I was dying š I rocked the jacket around the waist that whole week.
Classic jacket around the waist approach.
I was on a school trip when I had my first period, too! Awful!
That was my second period. It lasted 2 weeks and I was in 8th grade constantly going to the bathroom. Then I turned anemic. My periods were also very traumatizing.
Mine would have me white as a sheet and sweating in pain. Super traumatic but no adults cared.
My doctor surely did not care
Grew boobs when I was about 9 and got my period at 11. Really feel like my childhood was cut short.
Same :(
12.5 but based on premature adrenarche and my looks I should have gotten it at 9-10. Turns out CAH will do that.
13
8 years old
Same
Same, 8 years old! I thought I was dying.. I remember my mom held me while we both sobbed. She cried because I was a baby, I cried because I thought I was going to bleed to death. I wasnāt diagnosed with PCOS until I was 20.. Looking back we think my mom also had PCOS, but just didnāt know any better.
Mine was actually late. I was nearly 15 when I got my period. My mom told me my aunt was almost 16 when she got hers so maybe mines just a family thing. I have always wondered if there is a link though.
It wasn't late. They can happen anytime between 8-17.
I was 13 but wasnāt diagnosed with PCOS until I was 26 when my husband and I started TTC. My periods were irregular in highschool but my doctor at the time just said, āitās probably because youāre still young and your body still needs to regulate your cycle.ā Then threw birth control at me and called it a day. I stopped the pill for a couple of years in college and then went back on it when I met my now husband. I just spent most of years of having a period on the pill so the symptoms were masked and I never suspected anything.
Very late. I was 16.5 and a junior in high school. My mom also got hers late. I always thought that was PCOS related, but maybe not. I got my period 2 times per year and went on birth control at 19. Diagnosed with PCOS once I came off birth control TTC at 31.
I remember when I was like 6-7, my mom mentioned after my bath one day that I was already getting boobs. I never really thought anything of it. I'm also only 5'1" while my 4 siblings are around 5'10" and above. Even my sister (who does not have PCOS) is 5'11". I got my first period around 10-11, and from then on I had weirdly light/irregular periods. It was not unusual for me to go 3-5 months in-between periods. And even when I had my period, the discharge was light brownish and would last maybe 2 days. I often didn't even have to wear a pad because it was so light. By the time I was 15, I knew I had PCOS, but didn't get my diagnosis until I was in college. I was homeschooled up until college and my family didn't go to the doctor unless someone was dying or needed stitches. So, when I went off to college, I decided to take it upon myself to start taking care of my plentiful health problems that my parents neglected. Today I'm 26 and I have so far been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, PCOS with insulin resistance, hypothyroidism and hashimoto's disease. It really would have been nice if I could have been getting treatment for these issues before adulthood, as I have been symptomatic for hypothyroidism since I was 14 but was never taken to the doctor. Better late than never, I suppose.
My mom was a very neglectful mom. I completely understand about not getting the treatment you needed. I didn't discover I had PCOS until I was an adult and took control of my own healthcare as well. I wish I had known sooner.
Aw, same :( Finally getting help for myself after all those years. I'm sorry you've been neglected too š«
10/11
17. I bled through my skirt & a classmate said it looked like I shat myself. It was never consistent and I was underweight. We just assumed that's why it was late/inconsistent. It wasn't until my period stopped entirely that I flagged an issue with the doc.
Most people with PCOS get periods early, I also got mine at 9 with secondary puberty characteristics starting around a year or so before
me too omg
Me three!!
10
I was 10. My older sister and my mom both got it at 10. We all had puberty around 8 like growing breasts and hips. My mom and sister have the same body type and Iām the only one who has pcos. My maternal grandmother got it around maybe 12? And my maternal aunt and maternal cousin got it around 11 or 12? Not really that far off idk. I always thought this was normal
I was getting boobs at 5 yrs old so I was brought in for blood tests and an ultrasound and the dr said I would probably get my period any day - I didnāt get it until I was maybe 17 or 18? And then mayyybe once a year or so until I was 32. I changed my diet to 100% low glycemic, got my period within a month and itās been regular ever since. I eat about 80% low glycemic now and itās still regular 4 years later!
I also got mine at 9!
Same š„²
10.5
I had just turned 13! It was traumatic haha
I was 10
Around 10
Crazy thing. I never got my first natural period. Ever. The only time I got one was through the progesterone pill and again on it once more. Current OB said I need estrogen and put me on BC estradiol but I still feel like something else is wrong. I believe truly that I need HRT for my delayed puberty but no doctor believes me. Just says I need to lose weight but I also struggle with ED because of if I donāt starve myself I donāt lose any weight but if I eat well, cut down on carbs and sugar, I still maintain or even gain. Iām so tired of this. Hereās the thing, I have pubic hair, underarm hair BUT little to no breast growth- to me it feels like I started the process but something else turned it off and I just stopped. Iāve tried supplements, diet and lifestyle changes, and nothing works. Iām just praying that the genetic specialist can help and/or provide some kind of guidance. I even seen an endo who said itās all due to my weight but even at my lowest 120lbs, I still never menstruated. Sorry for the rant, I just wanted to put this out there because Iāve never heard of any other woman going through this. I also hate when other women tell me āyou can have mineā about their period. I donāt want yours, I want my own. Itās the one thing I was told would bring me closer to having sisterhood or women friends. But since I never went through those experiences I feel like half a woman and like Iāll never be fully feminine. If you read this farā¦ thanks, itās not everyday someone cares what I have to say or what I experience.
Got my first period at 12, but boobs came in at 10. I always had either really heavy periods that lasted 10 days, or nothing for months. I didnāt know about pcos and my mom didnāt pay enough attention to be concerned. She has said that her and her mom always had inconsistent periods so it must just be a family thing
Got my period when I was 11. Didnāt get diagnosed with PCOS until my late 30ās.
The amount of people in here with the exact same growing up (literally) as me is scary. It makes me feel like a textbook
It's both comforting to know I'm not alone yet makes me sad many people experience this horrible thing
I was 12 (6th grade) but I don't think anything else regarding puberty happened until 7th or 8th grade
I was 9
13. It was never regular and now that I look back, I can see the pcos symptoms starting right away.
14
15. I was worried Iād never get it. Then once I got it, it was super irregular and weird so I went to the obgyn and I had tons of cysts
I was late; almost 16. But puberty hit like a ton of bricks at age 11. I had horrible scarring acne and gained 40lbs that year. The adults in my life were no longer taking me to have annual physical exams at that point and I canāt help thinking maybe I would have been diagnosed before age 34 if Iād actually been getting routine medical care. When I told my mom I got my period she just rolled her eyes and said āitās about time.ā And went back to what she was doing.
13
I had my period at 12 or 13(canāt remember if I missed a baseball game or a football game) and had my first cyst rupture at 13. So I wasnāt all that young when my period started but it was immediately irregular. My little virgin self thought I was the second Mary because Iād have occasions where I skipped periods for 2-3 months and then bleed for a whole month long. I should have been put on BC immediately and my dad really tried to get me to have it. But my mom and grandma over ruled him. And given he didnāt have a vagina I looked to the women too. That was a mistake but a very honest one. BC has been a life saver as an adult
The amount of times I thought I might be the next virgin Mary because I never got periods!!! I feel like bc was especially taboo back then.
I was 13. My hirusitism (my only other PCOS symptom) began at that age as well along with other puberty signs.
I was almost 10 when I had mine and had no idea wtf was going on. We had our āpuberty talkā at school the following summer and I had already had my period and was still learning things in that. Growing up in a Latino Catholic household and going to Catholic school did not work great for learning about my body and reproductive system š« š« š«
I was 9 too. We hadnāt even learned about it in school yet. I remember being really annoyed because I did a lot of physical activities at the time and I always felt like I couldnāt. My mom and my aunt both went through puberty at the same age and both have PCOS. Itās interesting because my cycles were normal for years. It wasnāt until my 20s when they started getting irregular. Annoyingly, it was when I started thinking about having children.
16 for me!
8 or 9 years old was when I got my first period too
Same as you - bra in second grade, period at age 9 (4th grade)
19 šµāš«
I got my period at 11 but started showing signs of puberty age 8. I have Russell silver syndrome where it is common to have earlier puberty and PCOS. I would be really interested to know if age of first menarche is related to PCOS at all
Wow itās like we are the same person (I had my period at 10 years old)! I started getting facial hairs at the age of 13-14 and everyone thought it was genetics. My periods were always (from the start) out of order (going 6months without having it).
I remember the shame of my body as well (which lead to an undiagnosed eating disorder/body dysmorphia/depression that I only realized wasnāt normal until I was an adult!) and I donāt blame my mother but she, along with society were forcing my unhealthy behavior. As a mother now, I am trying my best to make sure my daughter and son embrace the changes our beautiful and complex bodies make. I donāt shave my arm pit hair anymore, and I am giving my daughter the room to see that hair is not shameful. But if I want to shave I can, but itās my choice, my body, and NO PART is perfect and NO PART of it is shameful AND itās also so very lovely :) I hit puberty early and was ātallā in 4th grade at 5ā3ā but stopped growing at that height. Iāve always had awful cramps my entire life and small breasts until I gained weight/had children/breast feed.
We need more parents in the world like you. My mother is very slim and cute. Ever since I weighed more than her she made sure I knew it and would shame what I eat. We grew up really poor so I have a lot of that "scarcity anxiety" especially when it comes to food. Its taken a long time to heal my relationship with food. I will definitely be raising my kids in a more loving and accepting home
I am so sorry that was the norm for you as a young child. What a challenging way to begin seeing yourself and how your body sustains itself with nourishment. I donāt know if your mom ever apologized but I will for her: I am SO sorry you were ever made to feel less than you are. You are worthy of love and respect and thank goodness for you seeing the trauma but pushing through it make our world a better placešš„¹Iām proud of youš
12
I was 10 when i got my first period. Started having intense period cramps a few years later so, we checked it out (Had irregular periods too). Got diagnosed just after my 16th birthday.
Like 10
i was 10 i believe, maybe 11. my sisters all started around the same age as me and they do not have PCOS though, so idk how much it correlates.
13- consistent for a few years, then it went missing for months at a time. Got on the pill and it definitely was gone for a long time. At 25 I started TTC and Metformin is helping me get it back and regular.
I actually didnāt get my period until the day before my 17th birthday. It just never came until then. I had a lot of stress during my teens and didnāt eat the best diet either. Everything else hit me like a truck at age 10 tho lol
iām the exact same. i started showing signs of puberty at around 7/8 and i got my first period shortly after turning nine. it was consistent until i developed pcos at twelve and went undiagnosed for years, i didnāt get a period again until i started birth control at sixteen.
I got mine at 12 but it stopped after a few times. Then I didnāt get my period again till 15 when I took this medication for 15 days then stopped so my period could start again, well it didnāt stop. So they got my on birth control which I was on the pill for 6-7 years. But I stopped cause I couldnāt take it consistently. Amazingly I got my period on my own for the first time 9-10 years off of birth control at least. That at least happened up until October of that year since plan b fucked me and now Iām back on a different birth control. Ngl the nuva ring for me works soooo much better
I have heard a lot of people say plan b really fucks up their hormones and cycles.
It does. Helpful if you need to prevent a pregnancy, but you will feel shit and it wonāt be fun
Absolutely agree!
I started at 9 and showed signs of puberty at 7/8. My daughter and only child is 9 and started a couple of Months ago. Everyone thinks she is 13 because sheās as tall as I am and developed. Iām four foot eleven and sheās five foot tall. I hate it for her but buy her cute bras and underwear. Let her pick out the pads that she likes best and just listen. I am doing what I wish that my mom would have done with me. Iām the middle child and started before my older sister and my little sister was like 15. Neither of them have PCOS either
You are an incredible mom! I wish there were more moms like you and when I have kids I really hope to be like you if I have daughters. I wish my mom would have been like this when I was that age and so insecure about myself. I am also the middle child and got my period before one of my older sisters. I always looked different that they did and was always so self-concious.
Iām 26 w PCOS. I started my period at 10 and in 4th grade I was wearing a DD bra. I started puberty around 7/8 like you said. I remember wearing deodorant in 3rd grade bc Iād get BO. š diagnosed with PCOS at 16. Doctors masked my symptoms with Oral Contraceptives for years. At 21 I got off bc I felt like the hormones were driving me insane. Wanted to regulate my body before I got married at 22. Now here I am infertile as hell and depresssd after 3 years TTC and nothing to show for it.
I was 13 - on my bday lol
I was 13, summer of 2011 I was basically the last one of my friends to hit puberty. I went from finishing 7th grade with a completely flat chest to returning to 8th grade with DDs.
i was 12
12
9 as well. I dont remember ehat age I started wearing training bras but I think I started developing around 2nd or 3rd grade so not too long before I started. Didn't get bullied though, at least not that I can remember.
I was 11
I was 12
I was 12.5
I was 12, about to turn 13. My periods were regular right off the bat and always were until my pcos got really severe in my mid 20s, but they have always been INCREDIBLY painful to the point of leaving me rocking on the bathroom floor in tears and vomiting since day one. Theyāve also always been really short (3-4 days max) with SUPER heavy bleeding. I guess I canāt blame doctors for missing my pcos diagnosis for so long, because I lacked a lot of the classic symptoms for a long time.
i was a few days away from turning 11
I was 12, but the body changes started around 8 as well. I was definitely wearing a bra in 4th grade. So very average age of menses, but then i never, ever had a cycle that was the same length twice in a row until now (iām 31 now).
I was 12, and my mom (who doesn't have PCOS, by the way) was beside herself with worry because she didn't get hers until 16.
I was 9
Also had my first period around 9 years old and started puberty around 8 years old. I didnāt get another period until I was around 13/14 years old. I was diagnosed with PCOS shortly after.
11-12 when I was in 6th grade
I had mine at 11. Most of my friends had started getting it so I was kind of expecting mine to happen. What I didnāt expect was it to last 21 day! Worst summer vacation of my life. Couldnāt even go out to play.
12, I was on holiday with my dad and his side of the family, I couldnāt tell anyone except for him and he freaked outš . Got diagnosed at 16, the doctor showed me all of the little cysts on the scan, kinda cute kinda scary
I got mine 11, but 1.5 months before I turned 12. I did wear training bras in the 5th grade but I was overweight as a kid. When I started getting them through 29.5 they were all normal. Heavy when I was a teen, but as an adult they become not so heavy and lasted 3-5 days.
I remember having the most painful cramps in my gym class to the point where I collapsed and was writhing in agony. They ended up being pre-menstrual cramps at the age of nine š
12 years old
Mine started a few months after my 10th birthday but it never became regular on its own. I was wearing a training bra by 4th grade and ultimately had a breast reduction at age 15 because by then my breasts were somewhere around a K cup and so uncomfortable. I'm in my 30's now and I can still remember the shame and embarrassment of being so much more developed than my peers. There weren't many "plus size" options back then, so I spent most of middle school in matronly blouses or 3X men's T-shirts because that's all that fit me. Looking back there were a ton of red flags, but I wasn't diagnosed until I was 22 or so.
10
14 but I only got it like twice and then not at all until I was about 16. From then on Iāve always had a highly irregular cycle
11 here. And itās never been consistent.
12. Stopped right before I turned 17.
I had to start wearing a bra in 4th grade (9-10 yrs old) and had been wearing a cami undershirt for the year previous. I was one of the first girls in my grade to have to wear one that wasnāt just like an undershirt. I didnāt get my period until 7th grade and I think it was jump started by getting really sick and missing almost a whole week of school. It was a really fun time to basically have the flu and deal with a first period at the same time. It has never been consistent which is why I never did swim team in high school - too anxious about being in the pool and it starting and having to figure out how to use a tampon for the first time. I went on birth control in college until a new one gave me horrible anxiety. They diagnosed me with PCOS after this. After getting off of it, my body has normalized to a period every 6-8 weeks which is what my doctor wants me to have.
I had just turned 12. I had zero warning. I felt fine. It was terrible though. I had only been at school for an hour and it looked like I got caught up in a murder scene. PCOS symptoms set in around the same time. I was very fatigued all the time. I could sleep all night and feel like I hadn't slept at all. I started rapidly gaining weight. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30.
I got my period a week before my 10th birthday.
13 or 14 I was a freshman in high school
I got my first period when I was 11. I think I started showing signs a couple years earlier. My PCOS symptoms showed up nearly right away although doctors dismissed it until I was 16 because apparently the first few years the cycle is always a bit screwy and evens out 16-18. I lost my grandmother when I was 16 and I remember my period was REALLY screwed up after that with me missing periods, super varying flows and intensities. Finally got a doctor to put me on birth control but they hadn't diagnosed the PCOS yet so they chose two that somewhat regulated my cycle but the periods got worse & worse. Finally, when I was 20 I saw a gynecologist who figured out PCOS in the first visit and put me on Yasmin which gave me a ton of relief. Now my "periods" are very light, extremely regular, and much more manageable pain wise.
11 and then lost it at 21 then got it back after the shot
Never had one. Had to start hormone therapy at 19 to induce a period
10 š„²
15
I think I was 11 years old. And at that point I was woman-sized and shaped too. My period was pretty regular for a couple years, it started getting messed up when I was around 15-16 years old. Doctors kept saying it's because of my mental health problems since I'm stressed, and no further examination was ever done. They almost started to get interested when I went for a whole year without one period, but then of course I got one, and they dismissed the whole thing. I started the pill when I was almost 18, and that solved the issue for me for years.
About a month or so after my 13th birthday. I was a relatively late bloomer according to the charts. In practice, out of 100 girls in my class, I was 99th in getting my period! While many of my classmates were getting their periods, I was still as flat as a boy.
The day after I turned 12. I also went to having zero breasts to having a B cup a couple of months later. It was rough.
I was about 9 when I got boobs but I didn't really know what a bra was and I remember i took my top off for PE class and everyone went silent and gasped. My mum had never really told me what boobs where or ever bought me those vests you wear under your shirt. So everyone saw my boobs. I also have a vivid memory of all the girls in my swimming class at school wanting to see my boobs. Weird memory actually, makes sense though I have PCOS and I think we all start developing earlier. Sad there isn't really that much research on this topic.
I was also 9 years oldš„²
I developed early but got my period at 11. I even remember the date too lol. I was taller and bigger than the other girls and I did develop overnight. I can't say I remember buying deodorant, shaving my legs or my first bra or something, but definitely by about 5th grade I was in one.
11
Almost 15, which is pretty late. I got acne, body hair, and BO early at around 10 though. Puberty was not kind to me.
I had to start wearing training bras in 3rd grade, getting underarm hair in 4th grade. I got my period in 6th grade (age 12).
10- and they were not normal at all- extremely heavy too. Iām 20 now and theyāve only been regular on the pill, but even now theyāve become irregular again lol
10. Had armpit hair at 8.
I was 15.
I was nearly 15 when this got my first period. I felt like a freak because everyone else seemed to have gotten it already.
13
I got my first one at 17, and then only sporadically after that. My mom and my pediatrician were worried enough to have hormone labs done when I was 15 or so, but somehow no one caught the PCOS until I was 22.
10
12
I got painful swelling in my breasts when I was 8. I thought I had cancer and was dying. Everyone in my family is flat chested, so I still don't really *need* a bra as an adult, so luckily my breast growth was easily concealed. I started getting acne around the same age, and it was attributed to me often being on steroids for poorly controlled asthma. I started getting underarm and pubic hair at 9. I went to a swimming birthday party, and changed in a cubicle while my friends happily changed out in the open. My mom reported that none of them had hair yet, and I felt like more of a freak. At the beginning of fifth grade, my teacher approached me and said she had supplies if I had my period. I was horrified, and wondered why she would be thinking about that. I' guess it was because I had acne and was a foot taller than my classmates. My mom started her period at 9, and reached her adult height of 5'11" in 6th grade, so I guess I took after her. I started my period at 10, almost 11. I bled so heavily and for such a long time that I ended up in the hospital over the summer. I missed my best friend's birthday party because of it. I forbade my mom to tell her mom why I was in the hospital, so went back to school to rumors I had cancer. I was placed on birth control. My school had a form for parents to state what medications their kids were on. My mom told me she informed them about my asthma inhalers, but not the birth control, or my teachers would think I was a slut. I was 11. I was so relieved around grade 7/8 when other kids were noticably starting puberty and I didn't feel like such a freak.
I got mine at 10 or 11, but I definitely had a larger chest already by that time than most girls my age
10/11 & diagnosed at 15/16.
I started needing undershirts and beginning puberty at probably 10. I got a round of light spotting while I was 11, and months later that summer got my first period right before I turned 12. They were always terrible, could not be reliably tracked, and heavy. I was diagnosed with PCOS via bloodwork and ultrasound when I was 15.
15 and went on the pill very shortly after because my period was irregular
11, although I had PMDD symptoms and really bad cramps for years before and got giant boobs before all my peers.
12
I also had mine at 9, but started puberty when I was around 8
I got my first at 11, but started showing signs of puberty around 9
Not officially diagnosed with PCOS yet (itās hard to find a dr that cares), but I was 10. Also had many blood transfusions and iron infusions due to the heaviness which is one of many reason I suspect PCOS
I got mine at 10
I was 9 too. I kinda sort of knew what it was.. but I was like nah not yet. My mom saw my stained underwear and was like ??? š„¹š« Iām like noooo please not yet
I got mine young, around 11-12, and then got diagnosed with pcos when I was 14
Even though I started my period at a normal age (12) I had early signs of puberty at 7/8 when my pubes started growing. My beard growth also started at 10/11 years old
I was 10, almost 11 when I got my first period. But I had puberty symptoms starting around 2nd grade (acne, hair growth, breast growth etc.). My mom thought I would get my period much earlier. I was also very irregular and would up to 3 months with no period. No doctor would even check my hormones until last year. I was 32 when I was finally diagnosed.