When does your period start?
Most first periods arrive between 9 and 15, often around 12. Pick an age for what that usually means — this is a range, not a prediction for one kid.
Age
Age 12
This is the most common window. Plenty of kids have already started, and plenty are still waiting. Both are ordinary. A small pad pouch in the school bag is a calm kind of ready.
The usual range
A first period between 9 and 15 is the span most families can treat as expected. Around 12 is a typical age, which is why that button starts selected. Bodies do not follow a birthday. Breast changes and discharge often show up months or a couple of years before the first bleed, and they are hints, not a countdown.
A longer version of this, written for the person waiting: your first period, what to expect. Parents comparing ages: a period tracker at 10, 11, or 12.
When a doctor visit helps
- Puberty signs or a period before age 8
- No first period by 15 or 16
- A period that lasts more than about a week, very heavy bleeding, or pain that keeps her home
Those are check-ins. They are not a sign that a 13-year-old who is still waiting is late.
General information for families, not medical advice. For a health worry, talk with a trusted adult and a doctor.