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	Families-First.com: Fresh AIr Your first period by Joanne Spataro join TeenVoices & make a comment	teen books


	Dear Joanne, I've been feeling really lousy the last couple of days. I feel bloated, I have horrible cramps on my sides, and have ravenous cravings for chocolate. I wish I could tell my mom, but she probably won't listen to me. And I can't ask my dad because it's too embarrassing! I'm twelve years old, and I wonder if I'm having my first period. But I don't know what to do. HELP!! Helpless in Memphis Dear Helpless: It sounds like you are going through PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome). PMS is what every woman gets before her period. She may experience irritability, cramps, bloating (water retention), and cravings for chocolate. They are some of the side effects of the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle is much more then a period, and comes every twenty-eight days. This process is the uterus' preparation for carrying a baby. If we don't get pregnant, the end result is a period (vaginal bleeding). We have ovaries on either side of our uterus, which are connected to it by the fallopian tube. Our ovaries hold 300,000 eggs, and only 400 of them will mature. These eggs will be the only ones we will ever make in our lifetime, unlike men who make sperm daily. During a typical menstrual cycle (every twenty-eight days) the ovaries make the hormones estrogen and progesterone. These hormones thicken the uterus' lining (or endometrium). As this happens, an egg in the ovary develops within a small, fluid-filled cyst called a follicle. The hormones reach their peak in about two weeks. Ovulation begins when the mature egg bursts out of the follicle and is hurtled into the fallopian tube. During this time, it is common for an increase in vaginal secretions. The follicle that remains in the ovary is called the corpus luteum. The egg travels down the fallopian tube, meeting up with either pregnancy or menstruation (period). Pregnancy happens when the egg is fertilized by sperm, during sexual intercourse. The egg and sperm form the embryo, on it's way to making a baby. But having a baby is the last thing on a teenager's mind. When the egg is unfertilized, menstruation always follows ovulation. During this time, the estrogen breaks down the uterine lining; the endometrial tissue and blood is discharged through the vagina. Since this is your first time having a period, they will be irregular at times. The vaginal bleeding will range from light spotting to heavy bleeding. This is normal, because the cycle will regulate itself in a matter of one to two years. It's easier to keep track of it on a calendar, counting from the day it start to twenty-eight days later. It won't be perfect, but this is a rough prediction; no one can pin-point it to the exact day. The menstrual cycle happens to every woman, so welcome to the club!	Families-First.com your online home town Fresh AIr diverse on-line magazine for pre-teens and teens Women's Health Center Teen Health also see: Teen Books Recommended Reading Teenage Health Care: The First Comprehensive Family Guide for the Preteen to Young Adult Years click here to see books by this author by Gail B. Slap, MD, Martha M. Jablow, Benjamin Spock, Paul McCarthy Dr. Gail Slap, "a Dr. Spock for teenagers," teams up with Martha Jablow to present a complete guide for promoting teenage health. Covering the full range of medical and social issues of adolescence, here is a definitive look at the dramatic, often confusing changes that take place during puberty. A family reference explains complex health issues, such as exercise, eating disorders, drugs, depression, sexuality, teen pregnancy, and various medical conditions, helping families understand and cope with adolescent problems.
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