Contraceptives for a young girl

[blackion]

My adopted daughter is 10 years old. She hasn't been menstruating yet. She got an idea of taking contraceptives in order to start menstruating and she would like her breasts to start growing. She is complaining that her chest is almost flat, which I think is perfectly normal for her age.

I read that small estrogen doses indeed may speed up development, however I would like to discourage her taking the contraceptives. I have no idea if she took them once, or taking them regularly.

My questions:

1) What is likely to happen if she took it once?

2) What is likely to happen if she is taking it regularly?

3) Is there anything like medicines or natural (including food supplements) that she may take or should I really try to discourage her? (Mind she is really stubborn.)

[Sheryl]

Contraceptive pills will be unlikely to cause her to start menstruating (in fact in women who have reached puberty, they often suppress menstruation) nor will they make her breasts grow.

Trying to prematurely induce puberty is medically unwise. And at age 10 it is indeed normal for her not to have reached puberty yet. Are there many girls older than her in her class, that she feels some pressure to "catch up" with? Or does she for some reason hang out with much older girls? (A bad idea on several fronts...) Because the great majority of girls her age will be just like her.

So yes, you need to discourage her. I suggest you do so by telling her that (1) the pills will not work for this and (2) they will mess up her natural body rhythm and might actually delay the onset of puberty.

You can also tell her (and this is tru)e:

- the most effective way to encourage an earlier puberty is to get plenty of good nutrition. If the body is lacking in any nutrients, and/or not getting its caloric needs fully met, it will delay the onset of puberty as a compensatory mechanism, since it senses that it is not in good shape to sustain a pregnancy (which from nature's point of view is what puberty is for!). .

- once puberty starts, the most effective way to have a bigger chest is to gain weight. Breasts are mostly fat tissue and will automatically be bigger if you weight more. Of course, in order to have a nice figure, she should mix weight gain with plenty of exercise so that her waist/tummy and rear end stay trim. Many Thai girls fail to exercise and then starve themselves to stay thin, which of course leads to being flat-chested (as well as unhealthy).

As to harmful effects if she is already taking pills, aside from incurring the risks of oral contraceptives without any of the benefits, she may mess up her body rhythms for a while, which might delay the onset of puberty proper and.or lead to some function vaginal bleeding or spotting -- which will not be a true "period". She'll return to normal after she stops but it may take months or even a year or two depending in how long she has been taking the pills for.

See what you can do to put the kibbosh on this and also if possible get her to associate more with girls her own age. Hanging out with older ones will lead to more problems than just these, in time.

[blackion]

Thanks Sheryl,I agree with your suggestions. Will try to do that.

What is your opinion about http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/delayed-puberty ? "However, short courses of sex hormones are an option if delayed growth and puberty are causing psychological distress. CDGP in girls: gradually increasing doses of oestrogen treatment, with cyclical progesterone therapy once adequate oestrogen levels have been achieved."

I just did a bit of research, and read that contraceptives indeed may delay the development and menstrual periods.

However, considering the quote above it might be that some contraceptives may actually do what she has in mind, depending on the specific ingredients?

She was also referring to taking a part of a pill, I think a half or one fourth.

Also I read that estrogen in form of ethinyl estradiol can be used for that purpose. However all contraceptives that got it contain as well another ingredient.

[A1Str8]

What is going to happen is that if she starts taking it, she's going mess with her hormone balance which is very dangerous and usually have several adverse effects. The body controls the hormones and messing with nature leads to trouble. But she's only ten and she won't understand it. Also if you tell her no, she's going to do it anyway.

So just do some research on the negative effects of taking hormones and read the long list to her. Show her pictures of mentally challenged people who were dumb enough to do it and then faced the consequences. Then tell her that she can do what she wants. But this is what's going to happen.

Edited January 10, 2015 by A1Str8

[Patsycat]

Ten? Shise, i was still playing with my barbie dolls at ten!

I started my period at 13 and hated it for the next 30 years. Let her be a little girl and let nature do the rest. Never mess around with the pill until she is of an age to be having sex, and even then insist on condoms.

I guess when you are ten being twelve or thirteen seems very very far away.

[blackion]

She isn't playing barbie dolls. She got a tiny body but clever for her age, she can make research on the internet too.

I'm trying to be honest to her.

Would be interested in more input from Sheryl.

Edited January 10, 2015 by blackion

[hhgz]

"Would be interested in more input"

Here's mine...

1. Where is her mother in all of this?

2. How can a clever 10-yo child out think and intimidate her adoptive father?

If she can get you to start doubting your skills as a father, and match you intellectually at 10 years of age, you are in for a very rough time.

[sanuk711]

"Would be interested in more input"

Here's mine...

1. Where is her mother in all of this?

2. How can a clever 10-yo child out think and intimidate her adoptive father?

If she can get you to start doubting your skills as a father, and match you intellectually at 10 years of age, you are in for a very rough time.

Another helpful poster for you blackion....if the poster doesn't know the answer to How can a clever 10-yo child out think her adoptive father ....then he has either never been a father, or its so ... so long ago.........

.(*and intimidate--) I certainly don't see any intimidation there, just the normal worries all kids (but especially girls ) have when reaching puberty.

[digbat]

As a father of 3 girls (many years back) I can certainly 2nd that

[Sheryl]

Thanks Sheryl,I agree with your suggestions. Will try to do that.

What is your opinion about http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/delayed-puberty ? "However, short courses of sex hormones are an option if delayed growth and puberty are causing psychological distress. CDGP in girls: gradually increasing doses of oestrogen treatment, with cyclical progesterone therapy once adequate oestrogen levels have been achieved."

I just did a bit of research, and read that contraceptives indeed may delay the development and menstrual periods.

However, considering the quote above it might be that some contraceptives may actually do what she has in mind, depending on the specific ingredients?

She was also referring to taking a part of a pill, I think a half or one fourth.

Also I read that estrogen in form of ethinyl estradiol can be used for that purpose. However all contraceptives that got it contain as well another ingredient.

For actual cases of delayed puberty, it is preferred to let nature take its course but if causing severe pyschological stress hormones can be tried. In which case the formulation would be different from contraceptive pills.

No way to do this with OCs. And no reputable doctor will prescribe the hormone regimen used for delayed puberty to a 10 year old.

Again, strongly urge putting the kibbosh on this thing, and firmly.

[Sheryl]

P.S but as you say she has a tiny body, and also likes to look things up on the internet, steer her towards googling "nutritional status age of puberty" and the like. Might encourage her to eat more. Also "breast size weigh gain" etc etc .