About Puberty

What's Happening to Me?

If you are a girl between the ages of 9 and 14, you probably notice changes in your body and in your feelings. This is a normal part of growing up. It is called puberty. Exactly when your body will start to change depends on two things:

1. Genes (traits you inherit from your parents that control much of how your body will develop)
2. Lifestyle (the food you eat, how much exercise you get, and other things that affect the way you live)

Changes During Puberty
As you reach puberty, a small gland in your brain called the pituitary gland begins to send messages to different parts of your body. It does this by means of hormones (special chemicals made by your body). These hormones cause the changes in your reproductive organs that occur during puberty.

There are outward changes, too, that signal your body is maturing:

• Your reproductive organs mature during puberty.
• Your breasts grow.
• You have a sudden spurt of growth-both in height and weight.
• Your hips get broader and hair starts to grow under your arms and in your pubic area (the area between your legs).
• You probably perspire (sweat) more, and your hair and skin feel oilier.
• You have your first menstrual period-the monthly discharge of blood that occurs in an adult woman.
• You might notice a change in your breasts first. They start to look as if the nipples are swelling. During puberty, the tissue inside the breasts under the nipple grows. At times, one breast may even seem a little larger than the other, and they may feel sore. This is normal.

Handling Puberty
Everybody is different. Don't worry if you start to develop before most girls in your class, or if you seem to be later than your friends. Most girls' bodies start to develop before they are 14. If you are worried because your body hasn't started changing, discuss it with your parents or with an adult you can trust. You'll probably find out that everything is normal. It is important to keep in mind that puberty doesn't last forever. While your body is changing, do your best to look good and feel good.

Looking Good

Both friends and family will begin to notice the changes in you. How they react to you and treat you depends a lot on how you act. Here is a list of ways you can help yourself look and feel your best:

• Bathe and wash your hair often. You may also want to use an underarm deodorant, trying different ones until you find the best one for you. Keep your face clean-washing often can help with any skin problems (pimples, acne, clogged pores). Try to keep your hands off your face as this will stir up the dreaded pimples. Eat well-balanced meals to be sure you are getting all the nutrients your growing body needs. Exercise regularly-this will help keep your body in shape and may ease some of the discomforts of your periods.
• You may want to wear a bra. If you do, choose one that provides good support for your breasts.
• Keep track of your periods, so that you won't get caught unprepared.

Feeling Good
Puberty is a very active time of life. The many different changes in your body and its rapid growth may sometimes make you feel uncomfortable, though not really ill. If you are uncomfortable or have other problems, you should talk to someone who will know what to do- your mother or perhaps your school nurse.

For some problems, you may need to see a doctor to get extra help:

• Cramps: Are they so bad month after month that you cry, miss school, throw up, or get very dizzy?
• Skin problems: Are you following a good diet, getting plenty of rest and exercise, washing your face often, and still getting blemishes and pimples that seem to get worse?
• Menstrual bleeding: Are your periods longer than 7 days for more than a few months, or are you 15 or 16 years old and still have not had a menstrual period?
• Depression: Have you been unhappy or worried for long periods of time and you don't know why or what to do about it?

Not everyone feels good every day of their lives.
This time of your life can be especially hard-you don't want to be treated like a child, but you're not yet an adult. Families get confused; you get confused. Your friends become very special, yet you may worry about not having enough friends, or not having a boyfriend, or not wanting to do some of the things your friends do.

Here are three things that can help you get through rough times

• Be healthy: Get enough sleep, eat right, and exercise.
• Be active: Find something that you like to do. Try different activities: some that you can do with a team, like soccer, and some that you can do alone, like swimming.
• Be patient: with yourself and with others. This is a confusing time for everybody involved.

Source: Patient education material from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology was used as a source of information to develop the content for this topic.

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