Your first period guide: age, symptoms, duration & more

By Dr Melisa Holmes, OBGYN & Founder of Girlology

If you’re looking to learn more about when to expect your first period or how to manage it, congratulations on being prepared! Knowing what to expect when getting your period and having accurate information can really increase your confidence and decrease worries as puberty progresses and you start to get signs of your first period. The first menstruation is one of the symptoms of puberty. It is a very important stage in development. Find out what to expect when starting your period - read our first period guide.

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There’s a lot to understand about the menstrual cycle and periods, but basically, a period is something that begins to happen a couple of years after puberty begins. When someone has a period, it means they have bloody fluid that is released from the uterus and trickles out of the vagina. Most periods last 3-7 days each month. It’s called the menstrual cycle because it is a cycle that repeats itself over and over. It may sound weird, but it’s totally normal and it happens to half of the world’s population, so it’s actually a sign of good health.

The whole reason people go through puberty is to be able to reproduce in the future (to continue the human species!). If you have a uterus and vagina, you have the potential to grow a baby. A period is a sign that your uterus (the place inside the female body where babies grow) is beginning to prepare for the possibility of pregnancy. It does so by forming a thick, lush lining where a baby could grow. If there’s no pregnancy, the uterus releases the lining as a period, then it starts creating a new, fresh lining over the next 3-5 weeks. If there’s no pregnancy, there’s another period, and so the cycle continues. Periods happen this way from puberty until menopause, which is when the menstrual cycle stops around age 50. Have a look at this guide to learn more about periods and the menstrual cycle.

As a doctor, one of the most common questions I hear from young girls is, “When to expect first period?”. Although there’s no crystal ball to tell you exactly when you’ll start, there are definitely some signs to look out for that your first period is on its way. 

It’s normal to get your first period as young as age nine or as old as age 16, but the average age that most people start their periods is around age 12. Your age has a lot less to do with your first period than the way your body is changing during puberty.

The first menstrual period begins the first menstrual cycle in a woman's life. Its appearance in most cases is not yet associated with readiness to become pregnant, because ovulation does not yet occur (the egg cell is not released). However, this does not mean that it is not possible at all. So, when will I get my first period? The timing of the first bleeding depends on many factors. Genetic predisposition, body weight or even how regularly we practice sport are very important.

The best way to predict your first period is to look out for signs that changes are happening to your body during puberty. What are the signs of first period? The body changes that can be a sign your first period is on its way are your breasts, pubic hair, and height. Most periods start one and a half to three years after breasts first start growing, when the pubic hair has filled in, and about six months after your fastest growth in height. Obviously, that doesn’t tell you the day, the week, or even the month it will start, so you will just have to accept that your first period will be a bit of a surprise. That’s why it’s so helpful to be prepared – just in case!

Signs your first period is coming that you are about to have your first period are:

• lower abdominal pain,
• water retention in the body,
• increase in body weight,
• increase in abdominal circumference,
• mood swings,
• breast pain,
• facial skin changes.

The above complaints are symptoms of first period, but they can also occur before each subsequent period. It also happens that before the first period appears, none of the symptoms of first period are observed.

You already know that a period is when the lining of the uterus is released and flows out of the vagina as bloody fluid – but what exactly will that feel like? Does it come out quickly or slowly? How much fluid will there be? How long does it take? Will it hurt? What does it look like? It’s normal to have all these questions, so keep reading to become a period pro!

If a period is made of bloody fluid, you would expect it to look like blood, right? Well, sometimes period flow can look thinner or thicker than regular blood. First periods sometimes show up as a thick, dark smear in your underwear. The colour can definitely be a lot different than what you’d expect, ranging from deep red, to maroon, brown or even black. This happens because blood changes colour over time – sometimes your period blood has been waiting in your uterus or vagina for a while before it comes out, so it isn’t the colour of fresh blood like you’d see if you cut your skin (the older the blood is, the darker it looks). The colour doesn’t mean anything in terms of your health, so just know that if you see brown stuff in your underwear, it’s probably starting your period.

Remember that the course of the first bleeding is very individual. It usually lasts between 3 and 7 days and is not very heavy. It is also characteristic that during the first few months your period may be irregular. Are you still wondering what does your first period look like? Remember that it can vary greatly - abundant and long lasting, regular or irregular, scanty and short. The most important thing to remember is that if it doesn't appear after 16, you need to go for a gynaecological consultation

First of all, starting your period will trickle slowly out of your vagina over several days. It’s not a stream like when you pee, and it doesn’t come out all at once. Although everyone’s period is a little different, most people release on average six to eight teaspoons of menstrual blood over the entire period. It’s normal for the first day or two to be heavier than the last couple of days, because the flow typically gets lighter towards the end of your period. Those differences in flow mean that it’s normal to use two or three different sizes of period protection products (e.g., pads, tampons and cups) during each period.

On average, periods last anywhere from three to seven days. After you’ve had several periods, you’ll learn what’s normal for you. A period that lasts longer or shorter should be treated as a menstrual disorder, but you will be able to assess this after your next periods have occurred. So, you don't need to keep asking yourself how long does a first period last? Just observe your body.

If you’re not sure if your normal is actually normal, take a look at this guide on how to know your flow – and it’s also never a bad idea to talk to your gynaecologist.

Since periods involve blood, it seems only natural to think that they might hurt. The good news is that first periods usually don’t hurt! In fact, you might even start your first period and not even know it until you see it. Some people have menstrual cramps, which involve a mild crampy feeling in the lower abdomen. Cramps happen because the uterus is made of muscle, and muscles can cramp when they’re working hard. There are lots of ways to ease cramps, though, so your period doesn’t slow you down.

Obviously, if you have bloody fluid flowing from your vagina, you’ll want to do something to keep it from soaking through your clothes. That’s where pads and tampons come in! A pad is an absorbent, fabric-like pad that sticks to the crotch of your underwear and catches your period flow as it comes out. A tampon is a period protection tool that fits inside your vagina to absorb the flow before it comes out.

There are lots of different sizes of pads and tampons. Larger sizes are good for heavier period flow, and smaller sizes are best for lighter flow.

A lot of people think you have to use pads when you get your first period, but there’s no reason why you can’t use a tampon if you want to. It’s your choice! Both pads and tampons are safe, even for your first period. The most important thing is to know how to use them properly and safely. You can learn how to insert a tampon here.

After your first period, your second one can be pretty unpredictable. Most people expect it to come one month after the first period, but in reality, it's pretty normal for it to happen anywhere from three weeks to three months after your first period.

Once you’ve had a few periods, the best way to predict future ones is to write down the dates of every period you’ve had and count how many days there are from the start of one period to the start of the next. That tells you your cycle length. Obviously, you’ll need to have a few periods before you can do this, but it is really helpful for staying aware and prepared. Then you will be able to prepare for this and assess the likelihood of how often should your period come. The regular menstrual cycle of a healthy, fully developed woman is the occurrence of bleeding every 21-35 days.

When you keep track of your periods like that, it’s called “period tracking”. There are lots of ways to track your periods – you can write them on a calendar, in a journal or notebook, or use a period tracker. Just make sure you record the day you start and every day you have flow. You may also want to note when your flow is heavy and when it is light. This is the best way to know your flow so you can be aware and prepared!

Besides tracking the timing of your cycle, some people also know a period is near when they develop certain symptoms of first period that are caused by the menstrual cycle hormones. The most common symptoms reported before a period include bloating, moodiness, food cravings, breast tenderness, headaches, or menstrual cramps. Within a day or two after the period begins, these symptoms disappear naturally. If you experience some or all of these signs before most of your periods, you may have a condition called premenstrual syndrome or PMS.

Don't want to give up on your training or physical exercises during your period, but are afraid about possible leakage? Worry not - Tampax Pearl Compak Regular tampons come with a unique MotionFit technology that gently expands and fits your body's unique shape, while a LeakGuard braid prevents any leakage before it even happens. With Tampax Pearl tampons you can exercise to your heart's content!