When did you start?

I just became curious as to when you guys started your period. We talk about it all the time so it seemed appropriate haha

a few weeks before my 18th birthday!

just barely eleven....

So I'm NOT weird! haha

I played a ton of sports growing up and was always told I probably wouldn't start my period until I was older bc of it but started at age 11.

I had the 'joy' of starting at 10. Was just so thrilled and that no one else has started yet; it was awkward to say the least. We were traveling at the time overseas and we were in a museum. We joke that it was a 'monumental occasion', LOL; fortunately my mum had things with her not expecting to have share however, so trying to find a grocery store was fun in a foreign language but we had a good time.

I never ever heard of anyone starting older than 15..... could there really be some girls that don't start till 17 or even 18 years old???

I'm so glad I didn't start at 11-- I raised myself so I think that would have been too much for me to cope with along with everything else I was already dealing with....
I got absolutely no advice/help as it was when I was 14... thought for sure I was dying as I didn't think it was normal that I'd be in such pain with it........ and I didn't have anyone to go to for help.

fins

I was 12...and it was Christmas day! Nice Christmas gift, eh? :P

My older sister was nearly seventeen...she had to take steroids to start, possibly related to medication my mother took when pregnant with her to prevent miscarriage...

I was scared too, had no idea what is was. Honestly thought my abuser had been too "rough" because that had made me bleed before

9, a young starter

I started when I was 11. I remember proudly declaring it to my dad.
"I just had a period!!!!"
"So, do you want me to throw you a party or something?"

Am lucky enough to have been regular like clockwork since I was about 14.

That's cool that some of you were excited about it. I did everything I could so that I didn't have to tell my parents. I think I kept it a secret until I was about 15 or 16. I never said a word to anyone. I don't know why but I was embarrassed and ashamed of it.

I was almost 14

Me too, I've been almost right on the nose every month since I was about 15!

I started when I was 12. Shortly after I got into eating disorders. I am 38 now and my periods are still irregular!

Gee that must have been hard to keep it secret....How did you buy sanitary supplies?

My mom was mad at me when I told her I started.... anything that wasn't about HER was a reason to be angry.

I started at just under 11. I knew about it and what it was from "health" class, but I was so embarrassed. I thought it was really icky and painful. And unfortunately all they had at the time were those big thick pads that attached to a belt. I think I was the first girl in my class to get it, so I was constantly terrified of leaking. Been hating my period ever since. I've never been regular, and now one of the meds I'm on really messes up my period, so I never know when I'm going to get one.

12 and a half... I was on the lookout every day for at least a year! I was really excited because of all those Judy Bloom books. It was like, Oh boy, blood! I'm not sure that it's lived up to the promise but oh well.

Hahah, lastyearisblank I too read those books. I was disappointed that it was just a little smudge and hard to even tell if it was a period. I had to ask my mum to check! I was much less self-conscious at 11 it seems!

LOL! Lonetwin that's hilarous!!!

I started 3 months after my 10th Birthday I hated it as I was the only Girl in my class who had started soooo early

I started when I was 13. Too bad my mom didn't explain the different types of pads and so I was using light day pads at school the next day and so had to keep running to the bathroom to put toilet paper in my pants. I was horrified.

My cousin started when she was 7! 'Course she told me this when I was like 5 so I didn't understand that it was a bizarre age. It must have been so traumatic for her! As for me I started when I was 11.

Googley - that's how I hid it from my parents was the old toilet paper trick. One day at school thought I started and, because I had hid it from my parents and, therefore, had no pads or tampons, I bled right through my jeans. (of course we were on a field trip and I couldn't run to the restroom).

eve - 7! That's crazy! Glad that wasn't me or I would have kept it a secret for a decade!

God I feel so stupid... I can't remember! I think I was 14.

I too was an unusually early starter. Just added to the issues I already had