If you homeschool your daughter, or you have chosen not to have her participate in the school presentation about puberty, I have an alternative that will help prepare her for her first period.
She is no doubt anxious about when her period will happen and what it will be like for her. She wonders where she might be when it happens and most importantly, what to do about the blood. The more she understands about why her body needs to have a period each month, the more ready she can be when it happens. It is important that she feels she has some control in the situation and that comes through learning as much as possible.
Illustration from I’m a Girl, Hormones!
This anatomy illustration tells the story about what is happening as her body prepares for her period each month. The lining on the inside of the uterus, called the endometrium, is where the blood comes from during her period. Tiny blood vessels grow into the endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle (about 28 days long) and then fall apart as one menstrual cycle ends and a new one begins. The uterus cleanses this bloody layer away to start a new layer in the new menstrual cycle. That is why her period is bloody. There are about 2-3 tablespoons of blood that is cleansed from the uterus during a period.
Knowledge is powerful and we want our daughters to feel in control when it comes to managing their periods. This information is a good place to start.