Kelli Dunham - Girls Body Book

Big Changes Ahead

In the Beginning: A Quick Intro to Puberty

Taking Care of Business: Your Changing Body and all its Bits

The Care and Feeding of Your Body (Part Two)

Your Health and Your Body

Changing You, Changing Home

The Ever Growing Outside World: School, Friends, and Feelings

Staying Safe in the Real and Virtual Worlds

Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards

Resources and Further Reading

What kind of changes? Well, lots of things.

The first thing youll notice is that your body is changing. There are bumps where things used to be flat, and hair where things used to be smooth.

Then you might notice that your feelings are changing. Maybe you dont like the same things you used to, or maybe you feel happy or sad or tired or grumpy at strange times for no reason.

Finally youll start to see your relationships changing. Boys start to act funny around you and your friends seem to be going through changes of their own.

Why all these changes? Well, youre growing up and entering a new phase of your life. Those of us who have been through it before know it can feel a bit like youre caught up in a whirlwind sometimes. Just when it seems like youre getting really good at being a kid, you start to notice little changes in your body. Then you start to notice changes in the way you feel about yourself, your family, and your friends. In the meantime, maybe the grown-ups around you start talking about how youre on your way to becoming a woman, even though no one even asked if you were done being a girl yet! Congratulations and welcome to the wonderful world of whats usually called puberty. You might call it a pain in the neck. Keep in mind that while it can be a difficult time, it can also be very exciting.

We hope that this book helps guide you through some of the more challenging times ahead. And whether it was a gift or something you found at the bookstore yourself, its yours now (well, unless you checked it out from the library) and that means you get to read it however you want. You might have questions that this book can answer, especially about what is happening now with your body and what is going to happen next. You can read just the parts that answer those questions, or you can read the book from cover to cover. Really, you can read it while you stand on your head if you want to (and if youre good enough at standing on your head!). While youre reading, if you find anything that doesnt make sense to you or makes you feel weird or scared or that you have questions about, ask your mom or dad or find another adult you can talk things over with.

Theres one thing you should know about adults, though. Even though theyve been through puberty already that doesnt mean they are comfortable with the subject. Just like you, adults may be a little scared about talking about all this stuff. You could try using this book as a starting point in your conversation. Sometimes just having something in your hands makes getting a conversation going much easier. Also, this is just one little book so we cant possibly answer every question you have. Thats why youll find additional resources in the Resources section in the back of this book.

While this time may pose some challenges for you, you already have many resources for dealing with the changes that are coming your way. You have people who love you and want to help you make sense of things. You have friends who are experiencing the same things you are and can understand what youre going through. You have past experiences that youve learned from, and you have your own ideas and hopes and dreams to look forward to. All these things will help make the next few years easier for you. Best of luck to you as you begin the journey that will take you from a girl to a woman. You can do it!

THE EXPERT SAYS

It is very important to get accurate information about the changes that occur in puberty, so talking to an adult is the way to go. Your friends may have lots of information, but often it will be wrong.

Feeling confused about all the changes going on inside (and outside) your body? Youre not alone. Whether youve already experienced some of the changes in your body that are described in this book, or whether you are at the very beginning of this process, having the right information about what is happening in your body can make this time easier and perhaps just a teensy weensy bit less stressful. Puberty happens whether you feel ready for it or not, but as your teachers have probably already told you many (many) times, knowledge is power. Knowing in advance what will be happening in your body can help you get ready for whats ahead. Surprises might be good for birthdays, but theyre no fun when youre talking about pubertys big changes.

Ah, theres that word again. Puberty. Its possible youve been wondering what this puberty is that your parents, teachers, and friends are talking about, and what on earth it has to do with you. Heres the scoop: puberty is the name of the process that your body goes through when it makes the transition from kid to adult. There is growth and changea lot of itsome of which can be seen from the outside, and some that just happens inside. Often when girls think of puberty or growing older, or what adults call becoming a woman they think of getting their menstrual period. But while starting your period is one obvious sign of puberty, theres a lot more to it than that.

The changes of puberty begin with some action from the pituitary gland. The pituitary glandwhich is located just under the base of your brain, in case you were wonderingsends a chemical message to two small glands called the ovaries. In response, your ovaries begin to grow and produce another substance, a hormone called estrogen.

Know the Facts

Some girls start puberty as early as eight years old, but other girls start much later. Developing earlier or later than your friends doesnt make you weird; puberty is a very individual process, and your body develops when its ready.

Almost always, the first sign of the newly released estrogen doing its work in your body is a growth spurt. Your hands and feet grow first usually, then you will grow taller, your hips will get wider, and your waist will get smaller. Usually the growth spurt slows down a little about the time you start your first period. But most girls do still grow an inch or two after their first period.