Period Fact #1 – What is a Period Anyway?

Period Fact #1 – What is a Period Anyway?

In the next few months, we’ll be covering various topics related to periods to help parents explain to their daughters the changes that are taking place in their bodies.  We start off with a simple explanation of a menstrual period.

When a girl’s body gets to the right stage of development, it will start to release an egg each month of one of the two ovaries.  The lining of the uterus will thicken in preparation to hold and nourish a fertilized egg.

The egg is released two weeks before bleeding starts.  Most of the time the egg is not fertilized causing it to be flushed from the body through the vagina along with the lining of the uterus.  A menstrual period is that time when the egg and uterine tissue are being flushed.  A girl’s first period is typically light and may not be regular for several months.