My daughter is 14 and got her first period in March and did not get it again till today. Is this normal? She only weights 80 pounds and junior motrin did not work for her cramps> Is their anything else I can give her?
THANKS EVERYONE! She is taking adult ibuprofen and it seems to be working but it does not last long. I forgot to ask when should I start taking her to see an OB/GYN.
It's normal as her body is adjusting to the change in hormones. For cramps, I would give her adult strength of anything, but Pamprin was the best over the counter medicine for me. If nothing else works, my doctor put me on a prescription strength pain reliever when the Pamprin would only dull the pain, not get rid of it.
This is very normal due to the lack of enough estrogen and progesterone production to cause her to ovulate regularly. Usually periods become regular within the first year after having one's first. As her body wt increases, she will have more fat to store estrogen and therefore regulate her cycle. Give her up to 400 mg Adult Motrin as needed every 6 hours. It will help with cramps and if bleeding is heavy, then it may also reduce the amount of flow. Nurse Midwife Mom
yes, it's normal to start off really inconsistent.
for the cramps, try giving her red raspberry leaf tea. you can get it in capsules. it's herbal - no caffeine or anything. but i used to get killer cramps (I'd sometimes pass out and throw up from it), and red raspberry leaf tea takes my cramps away completely! it's like magic:-)
normal.
Pamprin works for me and my girls (including the 12 year old)
Yes. This is normal. Her period will not be on schedule monthly for the first two years or so. As for cramps, our pediatrician recommends Aleve for our girls and it works for sure. Try one pill first, and only take the second pill if after an hour she still needs relief.
It is normal for young girls to be inconsistent for the first few years. For cramps, make sure she takes medicine right away. If she waits until the cramps are bad, nothing will work.
Midol is the only thing that helps me and I think there is a teen formula too?
Like everyone said, this is normal. For cramps, try a hot water bottle or heating pad. The uterus is a muscle and like other muscles, heat with relieve cramping. I got this tip from my ob/gyn.
The local heat helps, and she can take up to 2 of the 200mg capsules of advil = 400mg per dose, every 6-8 hours. Everyone's different, but the first year girls can be very irregular and go months without a period and then have 2 in one month, then slowly start regularizing. You don't have to start taking her to the OB/Gyn soon, unless there is a problem, like excessive bleeding or frequent periods, or if she doesn't regularize in the next 2 years. Otherwise, paps are now recommended to start at 18, or 3 years after becoming sexually active, whichever comes first (as a mom I'm sure you'll be praying for the former and not the latter!).
My 15 year old is very thin and she just started her period this past year. She's extremely irregular, as was I, and she was told by her Dr. that she will be irregular for the first year, and then might regulate. I didn't regulate until after I had my first child.
The only thing that worked for me and my daughter for cramps is adult Advil or Motrin, and like someone else had written, take them the second the first cramp starts. If you have full fledged cramps then it'll take a while for the Advil to work.
Good luck!!
I started my period at age 14 in February and did not have it again until the last day of school in June. I remember it so clearly because my best friend and I walked to a party just 4 blocks away and by the time I got there I bled through everything. Had to walk back home with a sweatshirt tied around my waist. It could have been one of those horror stories but no one else knew.
It may help if she takes ibuprofen before she gets the cramps. That is what my doctor recommended and it did help me. Ibuprofen is an anti inflammatory. He said to take it 2 days before the expected start of my period.
At this age her periods will not be regular but perhaps she'll feel a bit crampy and take it then.
I have never been thin, but my cycles have always been irregular. My girlfriends always seemed to be able to look at a calendar and say, "Oh, not Tuesday, I'll be having my period," but I might not even have one that month. Even as an adult, I regularly went 2 or 3 months without a period. The closest I came to "normal" was having cycles every 40 to 45 days. Now, in my 40s and after my 4th child, I have cycles close to the "normal" 28 day ones, and I'm constantly thinking, "Again? Geez, I just had one!"
My college textbook said that once women have had 1 child, they never get cramps again. HA! I wanted to beat the (obviously male) author with a copy of the book. My periods are always painful. Maybe it's related to the irregularity - I don't know. Luckily, it's usually just a day or so, not the whole period.
The timing is normal. Is she very thin? If a woman (or young woman) has very little body fat, her cycles will be inconsistent or even nonexistent.
As for cramps, ibuprofen or naproxen (aleve is one brand) work well, especially with some caffeine. Make sure she is well hydrated as well because low hydration can cause cramps to be more painful (just like in childbirth contractions!). Another thing to try is homeopathic remedies. There are lots of remedies specific to menstruation. Sepia, caulophylum thalictroides, and a few others.
Another thing to be aware of is her iron rich foods. If her diet is not rich in iron, she will become anemic. This will affect her in many ways so its very important to stay on top of it, especially since she's so small.
Another thing to try is natural progesterone cream. It might help with the cramps and other symptoms of pms.
The homeopathic remedies and progesterone cream can be found over the counter in health stores and some drug stores.
