“The stage of youth or adolescence when a person becomes physically capable of reproduction”.
The Onset of Puberty
Puberty usually starts at around age 10 but may start earlier.
It is a time when a girl begins to mature.
What is Reproduction and the Menstrual Cycle?
Simply put it means “to make a copy of something”. All life must reproduce to remain in existence. Human babies are created when the male sperm fertilizes the female egg. When in puberty, a girl’s brain will send hormones to her reproductive organs to tell them it’s time to prepare her for her first period. Once her reproductive organs are active and she begins ovulating, one of her ovaries will release an egg (ovum). This egg will travel from her ovary through her fallopian tube and imbed itself into the lining of her uterus. The egg is so tiny that it can only be seen under a microscope. This is the first phase in the reproductive cycle.
The tiny egg will then leave her ovary and travel to her uterus as part of this process. The uterus lining will become swollen with blood to provide a soft, place for the egg to rest. The soft lining is called the endometrium. The egg will rest in the endometrium for 24 hours and then, if unfertilized by male sperm, will dissolve. A small amount of blood will flow from the uterus and out through her vagina to wash away the dissolved egg and the endometrium. This is called the menstrual period.
What is a Hormone?
A hormone is a chemical produced in a gland in her brains.
Hormones carry messages to her tissues telling them to do things, like to grow.
Hormones are one of the tools her brains use to make sure her bodies stay healthy.
What are Ovaries?
Women have two ovaries where human eggs are stored until
a specific time, once each month when hormones from the brain instruct one
of the ovaries to release a tiny egg. Each baby girl is born with all the eggs
she will ever have in her lifetime, thousands and thousands of them? She will
not grow any more new eggs. However a man is able to grow new sperm throughout
his lifetime. The peak physical years for a woman to have a baby are between
the ages of 25 and 35. After the age of 35, a girl’s eggs begin to age. This decreases a girl’s chances of getting pregnant. One egg is lost each time a girl has her period. Many women choose to put off having children until they are well past the age of 35 not realizing that their eggs are aging and they chances of having a viable pregnancy are decreasing. This isn’t true for all women, but it is for some.
What are Fallopian Tubes?
The fallopian tubes are about four to five inches long with
flowery-like fingers called fimbria at their ends. The fimbria gently sweeps
over the surface of the ovary, searching for the newly released egg. Once the
fimbria finds the tiny egg, they will guide it into the fallopian tube. The
egg is moved down the fallopian tube by tiny hair- like strands called cilia.
Cilia are hundreds of times smaller than a single hair. The cilia move the
egg like thousands of tiny hands passing it from one set of hands to the next.
The egg takes three to four days to travel the five inches from the fallopian
tube to the uterus.
What is a Uterus?
Also known as the womb, the uterus is hollow and about the
size of a pear. When the ovary releases the egg, it also releases a hormone.
This hormone will send a message to the uterus telling it to begin thickening.
The uterus wall is called the endometrium. It must thicken to provide a safe
place for the egg to rest while waiting to be fertilized. If the egg is not
fertilized it will dissolve naturally after about 24 hours. A small amount
of blood will flow from her uterus washing away the dissolved egg and endometrium.
How Many Days Each Month Will A Period Last?
Most girls have their periods for three to eight days in
a row, once a month. The length of her full cycle will be about 28 days total,
but you will only be aware of her cycle during the time you are having her
period.
How Much Blood Is Lost During A Period?
The total amount of blood a girl’s body loses during their period on average is less than one-half cup, although it may seem like more. She may notice that, at the beginning of her period, the amount that she bleeds is light (light flow days). After a day or two, the amount of blood she loses may increase slightly (heavy flow days). Young girls who are just starting their menstrual periods may have light ones at first because their body is regulating itself. It may take a few months or even a few years for a girl’s body to get on a regular cycle. By regular, we mean that she can expect her period to begin around the same time each month and last about the same number of days. It is important to keep track of when each period starts, when the flow is light or heavy, and when it stops. In this way, if a change is noticed, a doctor can be notified if necessary.
It is important to note that girls who experience extreme weight loss or who participate in strenuous sports may have diminished periods or may not have a period at all. Consult a physician if this occurs.
The Conclusion of The Monthly Menstrual Cycle
Toward the end of her period each month, a girl's brain will
send a message to tell her body to begin releasing another egg and the cycle
will begin again. She will have hundreds of these cycles in her lifetime.
Additional Benefits of Hormones
Besides preparing a girl’s body to one day have children, hormones keep her healthy in many other ways. They keep bones strong, skin and hair healthy, regulate body temperature, help regulate metabolism, balance moods, and help the brain to think more clearly.
