Menarche

Menarche is the medical term for the very first period a woman has in her lifetime. Uncertainty is part of menarche for every woman!  We say it in our talk: no one can tell a girl precisely when this momentous event will occur.   Not a doctor.  Not a family member.  Not a fortune teller- at least not any of the fortune tellers I have met.  😉  This uncertainty frequently creates fear and anxious feelings around the event.  

How can you combat the anxious feelings that are caused by this uncertainty?  The answer is easy: education and reassurance.  Education regarding what will happen, what it will feel like, and what to do when it happens alleviates fear.  Reassurance that this happens to all healthy bodies and that everyone around will want to help when it does happen helps alleviate fear further.  As we say over and over again, this education and reassurance is not a “one and done” conversation.  She needs to hear it many times, and she needs to be given many opportunities to ask questions.

Hopefully, she will be focused on the certainty that she is prepared for what is going to happen rather than the uncertainty of the timing.  Knowledge really does equal the power to dispel fear when it comes to menarche!

-Dr. Nancy