Growing and Changing

pubertyPuberty is a time when our bodies begin to change and develop from girls’ bodies to women’s bodies.

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Growing Body

Height and Weight changesDuring puberty sometimes it might seem like your sleeves are always getting shorter and your pants sometimes look like you're ready for a flood — that's because you're experiencing a major growth spurt.

It usually lasts for about 2 to 3 years. When that growth spurt is at its peak, some people grow 4 or more inches in a year.

As your body grows taller, it will change in other ways, too. You will gain weight, and as your body becomes heavier, you'll start to notice changes in its overall shape.

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Breasts: Breast growth is another of the first changes in pubertyBreast Budding (first stage):A breast bud is like a small raised bump behind the nipple. After breast budding happens, the nipple and the circle of skin around the nipple (called the areola) get bigger and a little darker. Then the area around the nipple and areola starts to grow into a breast.

As breasts keep growing, they may be pointy for a while before becoming rounder and fuller. For some girls, one breast might be a little bigger than the other one. A girl's breasts may continue to grow during the teen years and even into her early twenties. Fully developed breasts come in all shapes and sizes.

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Breasts are made of glands and fatty tissue and muscle. They do not have bones so there isn’t anything for the muscles to pull against to hold them up.

Bras keep the breasts supported and can protect breast tissue. Some girls may also like that bras smooth out their silhouettes and make them feel more comfortable. A bra can make a girl feel less exposed when she's wearing a light shirt, such as a T-shirt.

Bras? What are they for?

BODY HAIROne of the first signs of puberty is hair growing where it didn't grow before.

It starts out looking light and sparse. Then as you go through puberty, it becomes longer, thicker, heavier, and darker.

Some girls choose to shave body hair--some girls choose not to. Either way is perfectly fine. :)

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SKIN

Your skin is covered with tiny holes called pores or hair follicles. Pores contain sebaceous glands (also called oil glands) that make sebum, an oil that moistens your hair and skin.

Most of the time the glands make the right amount of sebum, and the pores are fine. But sometimes a pore gets clogged up with too much sebum, dead skin cells, and germs called bacteria. This can cause acne. 8

If a pore gets clogged up, closes, and bulges out from the skin, that's a whitehead. If a pore clogs up but stays open, the top surface can get dark and you're left with a blackhead. Sometimes the walls of the pore are broken, allowing sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to get under the skin. This causes a small, red infection called a pimple. You may notice pimples on your face, your upper back, or your upper chest.

What Can you do about ACNE?○ Wash your face once or twice a day

with warm water and a mild soap or cleanser.

○ Don't scrub your face. Scrubbing can actually make acne worse by irritating the skin.

○ If you have long hair, keep it away from your face and wash it regularly to reduce oil.

○ Try not to touch your face.○ Don't pick, squeeze, or pop pimples.○ If you use hair sprays or gels, try to

keep them away from your face because they can clog pores

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SWEAT When your body gets hotter than about 98.6ºF, your brain doesn't like it — it wants your body to stay cool and comfortable. So the part of your brain that controls temperature, tells it to sweat. Then special glands in your skin called sweat glands start making sweat.

Sweat is also known as perspiration and it is made almost completely of water, with tiny amounts of other chemicals like ammonia, urea, salts, and sugar. Ammonia and urea are what is left over when your body breaks down protein.

The sweat leaves your skin through tiny holes called pores. When the sweat hits the air, the air makes it evaporate. As the sweat evaporates off your skin, you cool down.

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BODY ODORSweat isn't just wet — it can be kind of stinky, too.

Typically sweat by itself doesn't smell bad. Usually it's the bacteria that live on your skin that mix with the sweat and give it a stinky smell.

But when you reach puberty, your hormones affect the Apocrine glands in your armpits — and these glands make sweat that can really smell.

So what is the very best way to not smell?

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KEEP IT CLEAN!Take a shower. If you don't shower every day already, puberty is probably the time to start.

Washing well with soap and hot water can get rid of any smell that's built up on your skin from sweating.

Another good idea is clean clothes, underwear and socks everyday.

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Also, you can use underarm deodorant to help cover up unpleasant smells.

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EMOTIONAL CHANGESJust as those hormones change the way your body looks on the outside, they also create changes on the inside. During puberty, you might feel confused or have strong emotions that you’ve never had before. You might feel overly sensitive or become upset easily. Some kids lose their tempers more often and get angry with their friends or families. You may also feel anxious about how your changing body looks.

Sometimes it can be hard to deal with all these new emotions. It’s important to know that while your body is adjusting to the new hormones, so is your mind. Try to remember that people usually aren’t trying to hurt your feelings or upset you on purpose. It might not be your family and friends--it might be your new “puberty brain” trying to adjust.

BODY IMAGE and SELF-CONFIDENCE Do you ever wish you could change

something about your body? If so, you are

not alone. Lots of people feel unhappy with

some part of their looks. But when you get

stuck on what you don’t like, it can really

bring down your self-esteem.

You don’t need a perfect body to have a

good body image. When you like your body

as it is, right now, you boost your body

image and your self-esteem.

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WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT BODY IMAGE???

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● Accept your body. Everybody wants to be liked and accepted just as they are. That’s true for every BODY, too!

● Don’t body-shame yourself. When you make harsh comments about your own body, it hurts your self-esteem.

● Find the things to like about your looks. Maybe you like your hair, face, or hands. What about your shape, shoulders, or legs? Your eyes or your smile? Tell yourself what you like and why.

● Be aware of your body. Don’t ignore your body as your go through the day. Learn to breathe slowly and calmly as you move and stretch. Learn to tell when your body needs food or rest. Enjoy the way your body feels when you walk, run, and play.

● Focus on what your body can DO. There’s more to your body than your looks. When you play a sport, walk, run, dance, swim--that’s your body in action. Your body is there for you when you stretch, reach, climb, or jump for joy. Be amazed! That’s your BODY!

BULLYING

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Bullying is a big problem. It can make kids feel hurt, scared, sick, lonely, embarrassed and sad. Bullies might hit, kick, or push to hurt people, or they might use words to call names, tease, or scare them.

Why do some kids bully??Sometimes kids bully other kids to get what they want. Most bullies are trying to make themselves feel more important. When they pick on someone else, it can make them feel important, big, and powerful.Some bullies are copying what they’ve seen someone else do (they may come from families where everyone is angry and shouting).Some bullies have been bullied themselves.

What can you do?If you are being being bullied, tell an adult. Find someone you trust and talk about what is happening to you. Teachers, principals, parents, and other staff at school can all help to stop bullying. Sometimes bullies stop as soon as a teacher finds out because they’re afraid that they will be punished by parents. This is NOT tattling on something small--bullying is wrong and it helps if everyone who gets bullied or sees someone being bullied speaks up.

CYBER BULLYINGCyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. Online threats and mean, aggressive, or rude texts, posts, or messages all count. So does posting personal information, pictures, or videos designed to hurt or embarrass someone else.

Sometimes, people are afraid or not sure if they’re being bullied or not. So they don’t do anything about it. If you’re being bullied, harassed, or teased in a hurtful way--or know someone who is--you don’t have to suffer in silence. In fact, you absolutely should report any upsetting texts, messages, posts, or emails.

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Periods and cycles

DischargeBefore a girl starts her period, she may experience vaginal discharge.

Vaginal discharge is a fluid (sort of like thin mucus) that a girl might see or feel on her underwear.

Discharge is normal and is caused by the changing level of hormones in a girl's body. This discharge helps to keep the vagina healthy.

Girls will continue to have vaginal discharge after they get their periods.

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Anatomy of the female reproductive system

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PERIODS AND CYCLES--WHEN DO THEY START????A period happens because of changes in hormones in the body. These hormones cause the lining of the uterus (or womb) to build up with blood and tissue. The reproductive system is maturing, and the uterus is getting ready for a fertilized egg. Without a fertilized egg, the lining in the uterus breaks down and bleeds. This process happens every month. This is called menstruation or a period.

Most girls start to menstruate between the ages of 10 and 15. The average age is around 12 years old.

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PERIODS--What to ExpectFor the first few years after a girl starts her period, it may not come regularly. This is normal at first. By about 2-3 years after her first period, a girl’s period should be coming around once a month.

Periods usually last between 3-7 days. The average period lasts 5 days.

It’s a good idea to keep track of your period with a calendar or an app.

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HOw much blood?

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Menstrual flow can seem like a lot, but usually isn't.

For most girls, it amounts to about 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters).

PADS & TAMPONSThere are a few ways to deal with period blood. You may need to experiment a bit to find which works best for you. Some girls use only one method and others switch between different methods.

The two most common ways to deal with period blood are to use pads or tampons.

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padsMost girls use a pad when they first get their period. Pads are made of cotton and come in lots of different sizes and shapes. They have sticky strips that attach to underwear.

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tamponsMany girls prefer to use tampons instead of pad, especially when playing sports or swimming. A tampon is a cotton plug that a girl puts into her vagina. Most tampons come with an applicator that guides the tampon into place. The tampon absorbs the blood. Don’t leave a tampon in for more than 8 hours because this can increase your risk of a serious infection called toxic shock syndrome.

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CRAMPSLots of girls experience cramps before or during their periods. They can hurt a little like a pulled muscle.The contracting muscles help push the blood out through a girl's vagina during her period.

Things you can do that may help with menstrual cramps include:

- regular exercise- heating pads on your lower abdomen- meditation or relaxation

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BE PREPARED!One of the biggest worries we hear from girls is that they might start their period when the aren’t expecting it. The best way to be prepared for that is to BE PREPARED!!

An emergency kit in your backpack or purse with the supplies you will need is a great way to feel prepared and to deal with any emergency that might happen.

We also have supplies at school in case you get your period when you aren’t prepared or expecting it.

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It's easy to feel embarrassed or anxious when talking about puberty, but making sure you have all the right information can help when you don’t understand something.

Talk to a trusted adult

USE YOUR RESOURCESThere are lots of books and resources out there that can help you with your questions about puberty.

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