When did you start?

I was 14 and in 8th grade, so not too traumatic. By that point I was worried something was wrong with me as everyone else I knew had theirs!

I believe I was 11, almost 12 when mine started. I remember being in 5th grade and the office not having anything for girls starting their period. I wasn't sure what was going on for sure. I thought I knew, but it kind of scared me. When one of the office staff figured it out, she said, "you want me to call your mom?" And my mom came to my rescue.

I was 14 years old.

My first was a week before my fifteenth birthday... then it didn't happen again for nearly a year. My mother was convinced I was pregnant (so humiliating for the virgin I was... I'd just got over the shock of discovering I had a vagina when the first period hit, now I was supposed to have put something in it?) I had to go to the doctor's with her to confirm a) that I wasn't pregnant, and b) that I was virgo intacta. Anyway the second came shortly before my sixteenth, then six months later they finally kicked in regularly. And they were awful... so painful I threw up and fainted regularly. It got so bad that when I was at college my Dad often had to come in and drive me home because I'd puked, then passed out in my own vomit, and on coming to couldn't walk.

Best thing about pregnancy (physiologically speaking... the baby was the best thing) was that my periods stopped feeling like I was being stabbed repeatedly in the nether regions with a hot knife. It only hurt like hell... and they finally became regular when I was nursing my son.

But I have to say, the pain of my first few years menstruating was so bad that, if I had to go through them again, I'd seriously consider suicide. It was awful.

((((((((((((mgran)))))))))))))

I was 13 when i started (i think, i'm not 100% sure though....i just remember waking up and feeling really ill)

I was one week away from my 12th birthday. I could not believe the pain. Mom told Dad and I tried to hide the shame I felt. I was a little angry too as I had a big softball game coming up in just three days ! It was the beginning of some very difficult/painful/irregular periods for me. At the age of 32, and a 3rd miscarriage, a hysterectomy was medically necessary for a pre-cancer condition. I was glad to get rid of the "mess" but really struggled with my identity as a woman.

interesting! i didnt' start till i was 2 months away from my 18th b-day i thought it was normal. i was highly allergic to foods so i grew up on fresh goats milk and everything was made from scratch we even raised our own cows and pigs..chickenc...ectt... didn't even have a soda till my twenties and none of the candy or snack s u see in stores.

Yeah, my mom started to be concerned when I hadn' started by age 12. When I finally got it at age 14, she was so excited! lol

Oh god! I would go to the doctor if my periods were ever that bad.

I was 13, and asked my mum if i would have to have a hysterectomy because it was heavy!

My parents didn't even know until I was about 16 even though I started at 11. My family never did "the talk" about sex or development or anything. So I was embarrassed and really didn't know what was going on. I did the toilet paper method or stole tampons from my sister for as long as I could remember.

I was 13.

I was nine. I wasn't afraid. My Aunt has always been really open about things like this and on my father's side all the women started at a very early age.

Wow, for all you early starters I am going to be paranoid now. My daughter is 9! My mom started at 8 or 9.. We are so not ready for that yet!!!

I started at age 11, I was a swimmer and it was a big meet that day.

I am so worried. my daughter has started in with major moodiness, which could just be her, or it could be pms! I hope she doesn't start this young (she is 9)!!!

I hope you don't resonate that worry to your daughter. that would be so sad.(IMO)
I hope she can feel (as I wish I'd been taught)- that she is special and that this is a VERY natural thing, not to be frightened, ashamed or to feel she is a burden or flawed.(not that you would do that-- just my own experience) I hope she can be taught to accept it as it is and embrace herself and her body with love, respect and comfort.
I grew up near a family -- when the daughters started- their mom took each daughter out for a mom-daughter day. They shopped, went out to dinner and saw a movie. It was a "connection of femininity" (i watched, from afar with admiration for that mother)
That's what I'd do if I had a daughter.

best to you and your daughter-- hope she can feel good about her being female.

fins

I started at 11. I remember crying when I started mine.

I started mine at 14, a couple of hours before my ballet grade! I remember I burst into tears and my Mum gave me a tampon and got on with it and passed my grade

I then went on to develop Endometriosis which is a nightmare to deal with every month!

i voted 11-13, but it actually started when i was 10. from what i remember it wasn't that big of a deal. my mom told me about it two years before hand. so i guess that helped take the weirdness out of it. not long very long after that i went from having a flat chest to having b cups. but i guess that's for another discussion .