Advice for Mum with daughter going through early puberty - no nutters or sarcasm please!!?

Question

I'm based in the UK so UK answers would be especially helpful.

My daughter is 7 and appears to be going through the start of puberty. The main changes are her glands in her armpits are a little swollen and so are her ni*ples (trying not to offend here!).

The change that is really upsetting her is that she is starting to sweat, and is coming home from school (especially in this weather) with slight body odour.

Obviously I don't want to make it into a big thing, as she is really embarrassed by it - but luckily she is comfortable talking to me about it - but can anyone tell me:-
1) Does she need to see a doctor because of the early age she is - or is this now more normal for girls of this age?
2) Is it considered harmful for her to use deoderant or anti persipirant - and can you recommend a gentle brand?
3) Any other tips? Or helpful stories from other mums who have been through similar - and yes she showers and baths very regularly and wears cotton dresses to school everyday

I would be really grateful for the advice, and have a nice weekend everybody x x

Answer 1

My daughter is 15, she started her puberty at an early age, like you, I was worried and took her to the doctor. He told me that what she was going through was normal. Teen Spirit deodorant would be best for her, it is made for younger girls in mind. Talk to her, explain what is going on and what is to come, be up front and straight with her, but, also talk to her is a way her age would understand. I am very close to my daughter, any question she has I answer. For the tenderness in her glands and nipples, very normal. A cool or hot compress does wonders. Make a day just for her when you talk to her, after the talk, just be with her, whether it's watching movies, going to the mall, or talking about wahtever comes to her seven year old mind.

Answer 2

When I hit 15, I suffered really bad from sweating. No deodorants worked until I went to the doctor. They prescribed me a 20% aluminium chloride deodorant that did the trick, thank God, but I suffered with sore, cracked skin when I first started using it. That is unlikely to be the case with your daughter, as she's so young. Try getting a deodorant for sensitive skin. A creme would probably work best, as I find aerosols leave white powder and roll-ons are sticky. The creme ones are usually mild too. She should like the nice smell of it. It should sort out the smell too.

She might not be going through puberty yet but it's not a problem if she is. If you're worried, take her to the doctor, for peace of mind if not anything else. It could be something else.

Remember, puberty is a natural thing. Explain to your daughter that it means she's growing up, becoming a woman. Focus on the good parts of it, like maybe she can stay up later and get special priviliges like wearing make-up at home. Make it a bonding thing between you, tell her about when it happened to you.

I wish you all the luck in the world with this. Childhood is always so short and it's getting shorter all the time. I know you want her to stay your little girl forever but if you support her and help her through this, you'll get through it fine.

Answer 3

You are very sensitive and understanding of her situation. No wonder she talks to you!

I would take her to the doctor for a check up - just to make sure this is early puberty and not over-active glands. Hopefully you have a caring doctor who will understand your daughter's needs. Explain the situation beforehand so she doesn't unnecessarily embarrass your daughter.

I think the big issue here is your daughter's self esteem. She needs to feel comfortable with her body and good about herself. Daily baths will help and refresh her. Deodorant is a good idea too. Check the labels for something mild and scent-free.

My daughter's problem was different. She has pale skin and dark hair so her legs looked more hairy than other kids. A few children made unkind comments and she was heart broken.

She was 7 at the time and that day I shaved her legs. Young? - sure! but I'll never forget the smile on her face when she looked at me and said "Thanks Mom!"

The problem is gone and she's happy and healthy.

Answer 4

Growth and developpment are natural processes that we can do nothing much about.We may in one way succeed in delaying them but not stopping them. The human body's functions are controlled by hormones.There is some complexity in how they perfom their "job".
To begin with you have some big advantage about your daughter in that she is confiding in you: in such cases, the main trouble comes when the girl cannot talk of what she is experiencing in her body.Though not fully ruling out an eventuality, if there is no clinical thing or any cause of great concern, one doen't need see a doc.As I have highlighted, these function especially in female bodies may come in delayed or early. (Some are recorded not to have them till age sixteen/seventeen!!)
The way I see it, the concern is more psycological; (the way she sweats and feels put off by it). Encourgae her to keep speaking to you. Cultivate more trust from her because this is a delicate period emotionally.Keep re-assuaring her that all is well. Because of the hormonal acitvity and growth rate(which is abit high at this stage), metabolism rate consequently goes up;thus the sweating. Realise that she has become more active; sweat is a by-product of metabolism. Sweat in itself doesn't have an offensive odour, but if left for long, because of bacterial action the smell develops. Let her know it's all natural. If she reads some sense of alarm in you, she will loose confindence in you and thus complicate the matter.
Use of deodrant is ok so long as it's not counter-productive!!Some people have sensitive nasal linig and can't contain the fragrance Just make it moderate.
As is normal for females, the mumary glands begin to devlop as the body matures and thus the nipples which may feel uncomfortable. Let her know that she is growing into "woman". Also bring into her notice, the on-set of the mensetrual flow as it's the next thing on the line..but do it with caution in an assuaring and loving way. Dis-allow a tense atmosphere when discussing these things.
Hope this will help. Thanks

Answer 5

It sounds very much like the onset of puberty with the hormonal changes starting to take place.

Her whole physical appearance will change with the things like growth,shape change in the areas of the stomach legs arms which might make her feel clumsy for abit.

Her sweating is normal and by showering/bathing or just a quick freshen up every morning will help and by using a deodorant it should make her feel better.
Explaining everything to her will give her confidence and you need to reassure her this happens to all females as they start the road to becoming woman.

If you are still worried then maybe a talk to your GP.
She might only be 7 but the more you explain the better it will be and maybe it might be worth telling her about the start of her periods at the same time.

What ever you do I am sure it will be fine.

Answer 6

This age does seem pretty early, therefore, you should take her to the doctor, just to put your mind at ease that there is nothing out of the ordinary. She should definitely use deodorant, you do not want her to feel embarrassed or have any of the school friends say something, you know how mean some kids could be, buy her the Teen Deodorant, I believe that is the lightest one out there.. Also, you should speak to her, communication is very important, explain to her that what she is going through is normal and that it is part of life and that everyone goes through, every human being.. This simply means, that she is getting older and her body is growing with her. Therefore, we need to take care of our bodies more by making sure that the body is always clean and we use deodorant, etc. until, of course, you take her to the doctor... But at least she is not freaking out thinking that there is something wrong with her. Make sure that you let her know that some girls develop earlier than others and therefore, some of the girls in her class may not be going through the same thing as her, and if they are, the probably do not talk about it with their friends but with their mom... You want to make sure that any change in her body, she tells you and not her friends... There are girls that have their periods by the age of nine, so maybe she is just one of those early birds.

Answer 7

ok, i ain't from uk, but that happened to my now 14 cousin (although it happened to here at 10, not 7)
no, it will not hurt her, it will just cause dudes to think she is older than she is when it gets proggressed futher, by 10-11 probably, and you'll have the problem of 15-and up year olds bein interested in your very younge old daughter. (goin on experience here, i had to "whoop" many a guy that tryed to make move on my baby cousin..)
but dove is a good gentle deoderant, if yall have it in uk, i've never been, i don't really know. but it's becoming more and more common for girls to have early puberty. trust me, in a couple years, she won't be embarassed any more, she'll probly be glad on it, because, also goin on experience here, it wil make her very popular.... so just keep a close eye on who whe hangs with as it progresses.
and no, the deoderant will not hurt her.
that is if you are absoltely sure that is is puberty, and not a disease of the glands, or some searious disorder. you might be good to take her to see a doctore just to make sure and be safe.

Answer 8

I'm not an adult i'm only 17 but i went through this same thing only i was 8 when i started puberty. I was mostly scared of the blood i knew nothing about periods or puberty or anything and i couldnt handle it. My mom took me to the doctor and they put me on a shot that i got in the butt once a month. this shot stopped me from having periods and helped slow the growth of my breasts so i wouldnt feel so uncomfortable with my friends. the doctors gave me "kids" books about puberty so if u can find those i think they are very beneficial. Be calm with her understand shes' going to be scared and dont be offended if she pushes u away a little bit at first i did and i lvoed my mommy but then again its like i said i wasnt mature enough tohandle it at that age she might be. The world has changed a bit in the past 9 years. good luck with everything-much hugs n luvs

Answer 9

She is perfectly normal. My daughter is 9 and is going through this, I was a bit worried and even took her to the dr. I felt like an idiot because she was just going through puberty..lol

For deodorant you can try teen spirit if they have it in the UK. Also take her shopping and let her pick out a training bra that way she is comfortable with it and its not embarrasing for her.

Just wanted to add that girls are starting puberty earlier and earlier due to all the hormones placed in our food especially meat. They put growth hormones in our chicken and beef to get them to grow faster for processing, what did they think was going to happen when our children consumed the same hormones ??

Hopefully my american answers are okay since I am not based in the UK..lol

Answer 10

i was about 8 or 9 when i started puberty, i got breasts, started my period and had LOADS of growth spurts. The age for starting puberty varies a lot so it isn't really possible to tell exactly when anyone will start. As for seeing a doctor, if you want to talk to a doctor about it or if you and your daughter have any questions a doctor can be a good person to ask but it is normal for girls to start early in puberty. Also using any deodorant is fine but if she is allergic to any then obviously don't buy them but hypoallergenic ones are your best bet if you worried.