Hi, you don’t need to wipe until you can’t see any blood. When you’re on your period, it’s best to gently wipe or pat just as much as feels comfortable, similar to what you normally do. Trying to wipe over and over to remove all the blood can actually make your vulva sore or irritated.

Because period blood is released gradually, you may notice more after you stand up and that’s normal, and your pad will catch it. Being gentle, clean, and comfortable is what matters most.

Hi, this is extremely unlikely! 

Here’s why, there are three separate openings in that area, and they are in different places. The urethra (where pee comes from) is very small and a tampon physically cannot go into it. The vaginal opening is where a tampon is designed to go and is positioned so it’s the most natural place for it to fit. The anal opening (butt) is further back, and you would have to deliberately place a tampon there for it to go in, it wouldn’t happen by accident.

Puberty has certainly arrived for you, and I’m so glad you found our site, as we have so many blogs that can help reassure you on this journey. 💛

What you’re noticing does mean your hormones and feelings are changing, and that’s a completely normal part of puberty. Things like discharge, hair in your armpits and between your legs, more sweat and body odour, and big emotions are all common signs that puberty has started. Hormones can affect both your body and your mood, which is why you might sometimes feel upset or angry over small things and not understand why!

Does this mean your period is coming soon? Possibly, but not definitely yet. For many people, periods start anywhere from a few months to a couple of years after these first changes begin. Everyone develops at their own pace, and being 10 and noticing these signs is very normal. Puberty can feel confusing at times, but trust me your body knows what it’s doing. 

Check out my blogs below for more advice.

What Is Puberty & How To Manage It?

Growth Spurts & Growing Pains

My First Period

What Is Vaginal Discharge? A Guide for Teens on What’s Normal and What’s Not

Hi, Try not to worry — what you’re describing is very normal, especially at your age. In the first few years after periods begin, it’s common for them to seem regular for a while and then become irregular again, with changes in both cycle length and flow.

At 12, your hormones are still settling into puberty, and that can cause periods to vary from month to month, becoming lighter or heavier and less predictable. This doesn’t mean anything is wrong; it usually just takes time for the body to find its balance.

What you’ve described sounds completely normal for this stage of development.

My First Period

Yes, this is normal, so please try not to worry. After breast buds appear, it’s very common for breast growth to slow down or seem to stop for a while, as breasts often grow in spurts rather than all at once. Even if you can’t see much change on the outside, your body is still developing on the inside, and as you grow taller and the rest of your body changes, breast growth often starts to feel more in proportion later on. Everyone develops at their own pace, and puberty usually takes a few years, so what you’re experiencing is very typical for your age.

Why not read the blog below, it has lots of information and advice on Breast Development.

Breast Development & Breast Buds

Yes, this is completely normal, so please don’t worry!

Breast buds are usually one of the very first signs of puberty. After they appear, it’s really common for breast growth to pause for a while. Breasts often grow in spurts, which means it can feel like nothing is happening on the outside even though changes are still going on inside your body.

It’s also important to remember that everyone develops at their own pace. Some people notice more breast growth quickly, while for others it’s slower and spreads out over several years. As you grow taller and the rest of your body changes, breast growth often starts to feel more “in proportion” later on too.

There’s no right or wrong timeline, when it comes to puberty, starting with breast buds last year and not seeing much change yet is very typical for someone your age. Puberty usually lasts a few years, not months.

Your body knows what it’s doing, even when it feels slow.

Hi, it’s completely okay to feel this way, and you’re definitely not alone! Developing earlier or having a larger chest than others your age can make you feel very self‑conscious, even when you’re dressed totally appropriately. That doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong.

It’s also important to know that no one has to wear a bra if they don’t want to. Bras are about comfort and support, not rules. Some days you might feel better wearing one, and other days you might not and both are absolutely okay.

If you do want support without extra attention, you could try things like:

• Minimiser bras (these smooth rather than enhance, and usually don’t have heavy padding)
• Soft bras or bralettes without wires
• Vest tops or camisoles with built‑in support
• Sports bras, especially for everyday comfort

Choosing clothes that make you feel comfortable and confident matters most. Be kind to yourself. You’re allowed to take up space, grow at your own pace, and wear what feels right for you.

Hi, thank you for your question. I know girls often worry that their period may never arrive, especially if friends around them have already started theirs.

Almost everyone who is born with a uterus will get periods,  but not absolutely everyone. There is a very small percentage of people (much less than 1%) who don’t menstruate because of medical reasons, such as:

• Being born without a uterus
• Certain genetic or hormone conditions
• Some long‑term medical treatments or illnesses

This is very rare, and usually something doctors know about quite early on.

For the vast majority of girls and people who have periods, getting them at some point during puberty is completely normal, even if they start late, are irregular, or take a while to settle into a pattern.

So if you’re wondering because yours haven’t started yet or don’t feel “normal” remember our bodies are on their own timeline, and that’s okay.

Your mum is absolutely correct, for adults with regular cycles. A monthly cycle can last for between 21-34 days and for those with a shorter cycle such as 21-25 days, they might have 12 or even 13 periods a year because some months fit two in.

But if you’ve only recently started your periods, your body is still learning what rhythm works for you. During puberty, periods can:

• Be far apart
• Be irregular
• Sometimes skip months altogether

So having only 4 periods in one year is very normal when you’re young or newly menstruating. Hormones take time to settle, and it can take a couple of years before periods become more regular.

As long as you’re otherwise feeling okay, irregular periods during puberty are nothing to worry about, your body is just figuring things out at its own pace.

No, I'm afraid not!  Squeezing your vaginal muscles won’t make your period end faster, even though it might feel like it should.

Your period blood actually comes from the uterus, not the vagina. Your body releases it slowly over a few days when hormones tell the uterus to contract. That timing is controlled by your hormones, not by how much you squeeze or clench.

If you do squeeze, you might notice a little blood come out that was already lower down, but that doesn’t mean your period is “finished” or empty. Your body will release the rest when it’s ready, whether you try to help or not.

So, s frustrating as periods can be, there really is no trick to rushing them, periods just have their own schedule and that’s totally normal!

Hi and yes, it absolutely is normal for your period to skip a day.

A lot of people imagine periods flow steadily every single day, but that’s not how it actually works. Period blood isn’t released continuously, it tends to come out when the muscles around the uterus and vagina contract. That’s why you might bleed less while you’re asleep, and why you can sometimes have a day (or even two) with very little or no blood, then see some again later.

This is especially common towards the end of a period, which is why many people choose to wear a liner just in case there’s a little more blood left to come. As long as this is normal for you and you’re not in severe pain or bleeding very heavily, there’s nothing to worry about at all.

Hi! This is actually very normal and happens to lots of people, especially during the whole of their period.

When you’re sitting on the toilet and weeing or pooing, you naturally use and relax the same muscles around the vagina and uterus. That gentle pushing and muscle movement can make menstrual blood that’s already in the vagina flow out all at once, which is why you notice more blood when you wipe. When you’re not on the toilet, the blood can sit higher up in the vagina or come out more slowly, so you might not see much (or any) in your underwear.

Periods can show up differently for different bodies, and that’s completely normal.

Ingrown hairs are really common, especially when you first start shaving — so you’re definitely not alone. One of the best ways to prevent them is to gently exfoliate the area about twice a week. This removes dead skin cells that can trap hairs under the skin and cause them to grow inward. Use a soft washcloth or a gentle exfoliating product, and avoid scrubbing too hard, as armpit skin is sensitive. Shaving with a clean razor and using moisturiser afterwards can also help keep the skin calm and reduce in grown hairs.

When Should I Start Shaving? A Simple Guide for Teens

If you live in the UK, Matalan, Primark and New Look have a great range as do supermarket stores like Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys.

I do have a little experience when dealing with pimples and my advice is to leave them be. Spots are common during puberty at sebaceous oil glands start to produce more sebum, the natural oils that keep the skin moisturised.

If they are red, angry and itchy it's because they are in their early inflammatory stage, during this time picking, squeezing or using harsh skin products will only make them even more visible and angry. 

So, my tip would be to use a clean, cold damp cloth to reduce the redness and irritation. Keep your hair away from the forehead as the natural oils on the hair can transfer making the spot more aggravated. If you can also wash pillow cases every week this will also help keep the area clean. 

Spots are a normal part of puberty, and they don’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. Even with the best skincare routine, hormones can still cause breakouts that come and go, and that’s completely okay. Be kind to your skin, keep things simple, and remember, this stage doesn’t last forever, even if the spots feel frustrating right now.

Hi, yes period underwear is great for light to medium flow periods and there should be no need to wear a pad with the period underwear. If you feel nervous about trying this when next on your period, do so at home and continue with pads when in school or out and about. You can then gauge how effective the underwear is at managing your period.

Hi, period cramps are caused mainly by hormones making the uterus (womb) contract, rather than anything you’ve done “wrong,” so diet and exercise won’t magically make them disappear.

That said, there are a few gentle lifestyle habits that can help reduce how intense they feel over time. Regular gentle exercise during the month, things like walking, yoga, stretching or swimming (my personal fav) can really help, especially just before and during your period, as it improves blood flow and releases natural pain‑relieving hormones.

Some people also find small dietary tweaks help: staying well‑hydrated, cutting back on caffeine around your period, and sipping soothing drinks like chamomile tea can ease tension and bloating. Making sure you’re eating regularly and not skipping meals can help too, as low blood sugar can make cramps feel worse. Heat (like a hot water bottle) during your period is one of the most effective, natural pain relievers there is. If cramps ever become severe or start to interfere with school or daily life, it’s always okay to speak to a GP, you don’t have to just “put up with” pain. 

Hi, I absolutely agree it's a great idea to get used to tampons before a holiday, rather than trying them for the first time when you’re away. If you’re worried your mum will make it into a big conversation, sometimes keeping things simple really helps. You don’t need to explain everything, you could say something like “I’m going on holiday soon and I’d feel more comfortable using tampons sometimes” or “Some of my friends use them and I’d like to try them too.” Keeping it practical rather than emotional often stops it becoming a “big deal”.

If you already know how to use them and don’t want to get into that side of things, that’s okay too, you don’t owe anyone a demonstration of knowledge! You can also ask your mum to pick up a small pack of lite or regular tampons, which feels less intimidating and shows you’re being sensible. Remember: using tampons is a normal part of period care, not a sign of growing up “too fast”. 

Hi, it can be overwhelming if you need to use pads for the first time and that's why we created our How To Use posts, check out the one below on using pads for the first time.

How To Put On A Pad

Yes, having discharge for a long time usually is a sign that your first period isn’t too far away. Discharge appears when your body’s hormones start changing in puberty, and for many people it shows up months or even a few years before their first period.

So while it doesn’t mean your period will arrive on a specific date, it’s a really good indicator that your body is getting ready. Everyone’s timeline is different, and that’s completely normal, having discharge means things are moving in the right direction, even if it feels slow. Why not read my blog all about discharge below.

What Is Vaginal Discharge? A Guide for Teens on What’s Normal and What’s Not