Soso Answers: Pink Pee, Menstrual Discs and Period Spots (October 21 to 28)

This week your questions were about the moments when your body does something surprising and you are not sure whether to worry: pee that looks pink, spots that pop up right before a period, a period product you have never tried, and a body that seems to be growing on its own timetable. Below are the five questions that came up most, each with what is going on, what the research says, what to actually do, and the signs that mean it is time to get help. Every question has been rewritten so nobody can be recognised.

Q1. My pee looked pink, and I have already had my period. Is that normal?

What is going on

Most of the time, pink pee at the end of a period or just after it is not blood in your pee at all. It is period blood that was sitting around your vaginal opening mixing with your pee in the toilet bowl or on the toilet paper. The opening where pee comes out (the urethra) and the opening where period blood comes out (the vagina) are very close together, so a little blood easily ends up in the same place. A small amount of blood in a bowl of water looks pink, not red, which is why it can look so alarming.

The NHS page on blood in pee lists a few harmless reasons pee can look pink or red: it is happening during your period, you have recently eaten beetroot, or you are taking a new medicine. It also says clearly that real blood in pee always needs checking, even if there is only a little or you are not sure it is blood.

What the research actually says

There is no big study on this exact question, because the answer depends on where the colour is coming from. What the health guidance does give is a way to tell the difference:

• Period blood mixing with pee happens during your period or in the day or two of spotting at the end of it, and nothing else feels wrong.
• Food colour follows a meal. The NHS names beetroot specifically.
• Blood from your bladder or kidneys can make pee bright pink, red or dark brown, and the NHS says it needs an urgent appointment, even if there is only a little or you are not sure it is blood.

The NHS page on urinary tract infections lists burning or pain when peeing, needing to pee more often or more urgently, cloudy pee, tummy pain, a high temperature and feeling generally unwell as signs. For anyone aged 15 or younger, it says to get an urgent appointment.

What to do about it

1. Check the timing. Are you bleeding right now, or did your period end in the last day or two? If yes, period blood is the most likely reason.
2. Do the clean test. Wipe front to back first, then pee into the toilet and look at the colour. Or hold a pad or a folded piece of toilet paper over your vaginal opening while you pee. If the pee itself looks normal yellow, the pink was most likely period blood. If you are not sure, or it looks pink again, tell an adult.
3. Think back to what you ate. Beetroot in a salad, a smoothie or a juice the day before can do it.
4. Notice how you feel. Does it sting or burn when you pee? Do you need to rush to the toilet all the time? Is your tummy or back sore?
5. Track it. Log the day in Soso and add a note. If it happens again, you will be able to show an adult exactly when.

A script for telling someone: "My pee looked pink today. I think it might be from my period, but I am not sure. Can we check?"

A worked example

Imagine your period has been light for two days and is nearly finished. You pee, look down and see pink water. You stop and think: you are still spotting, it did not sting, and you feel fine. You wipe, put on a fresh pad, and next time you pee with a folded piece of toilet paper held over your vaginal opening. The pee is plain yellow. That makes it very likely the pink was period blood. You log it in Soso as a spotting day, and if it happens again you show an adult.

Now imagine a different week. Your period finished eight days ago, you have not eaten beetroot, and your pee is pink and it burns. That is not period blood, and it is a reason to tell an adult today.

When it is more than period blood

Tell an adult today, so they can get you an urgent appointment, if:

• Your pee looks pink, red or brown and you are not on your period or at the very end of one.
• It burns or hurts to pee, or you need to go much more often than usual.
• You have a high temperature, feel shivery or unwell, or have pain in your back or side.
• You see blood clots in your pee.
• It keeps happening.
• You are being sick, or you feel very drowsy, confused or find it hard to talk. An adult needs to get help straight away. Do not wait for an appointment.

Q2. How do I put in a menstrual disc if I have never seen my vagina?

What is going on

First, a quick map, because the names get mixed up all the time. Your vulva is everything on the outside: the outer and inner lips (labia), the clitoris at the top, the small opening for pee (urethra), and below it the larger opening of the vagina. The vagina itself is the stretchy tube on the inside that leads up to the cervix, the bottom of your uterus. So when you look with a mirror, you see your vulva and the opening of your vagina, not the vagina itself. That is completely normal: nobody "sees" their vagina.

A menstrual disc is a flexible, shallow ring with a soft, bag-like middle. It is different from a menstrual cup. A cup sits lower in the vagina. A disc is pushed further back, to the widest part at the top of the vagina just under the cervix, and the front edge tucks up behind your pubic bone, the hard bone you can feel at the front under your pubic hair. When it is in the right place, it should feel comfortable. If you can feel pressure or it is uncomfortable, it usually needs moving.

What the research actually says

Honestly: there is very little independent research on menstrual discs, and we could not find any studies of discs in teenagers. Most of what you will read online about discs comes from the companies that make them.

Menstrual cups, which are also worn inside the vagina, have been studied much more. A large review of 43 studies with 3,319 participants, by van Eijk and colleagues in The Lancet Public Health in 2019, found that leakage with cups was similar to other products in three of four direct comparisons and less in one, and that studies which examined the vagina and cervix found no damage. The review also found cups take practice: about 3% of people could not insert one at all, and 35.3% reported discomfort on insertion in their first cycle, falling to 13.0% in later cycles. These figures are pooled across all ages, not teenagers specifically, and the authors judged the quality of the quantitative studies to be low, with only two of moderate to high quality. Discs are a different shape, so treat this as a rough guide to what learning any internal product is like, not a study of discs.

Two things are true of every product worn inside the vagina, discs included. Nothing can get lost: the vagina ends at the cervix, and the opening in the cervix is far too small for a product to pass through. And toxic shock syndrome, a rare but serious illness, has been linked to products worn inside the body, so wear time matters.

What to do about it

1. Look first, with no pressure. On a day when you are not rushing, sit somewhere private with a hand mirror and find your urethra and your vaginal opening. Just knowing where things are makes the first try much easier.
2. Pick a calm moment. Practise on a day when you are not rushing. Having pads or period underwear as a backup the first few times is completely fine.
3. Wash your hands before and after, every time.
4. Get into position. Sit on the toilet with your knees apart, squat, or stand with one foot on the edge of the bath.
5. Fold it. Squeeze the sides of the disc together so it is long and narrow.
6. Aim back, not up. Slide it into your vaginal opening pointing towards your lower back (your tailbone), not straight up. Push it as far back as it will comfortably go.
7. Tuck the front edge. Use a finger to push the front edge of the rim up behind your pubic bone. If you feel pressure or discomfort, it usually needs moving.
8. To take it out, sit on the toilet, hook a finger under the front edge of the rim and pull it out slowly, keeping it level so it does not spill. Removal can be messy at first, which is why doing it over the toilet helps.
9. Know your times. Check the maximum wear time in your disc's instructions and never go past it. The guidance we follow for other internal products: change a tampon every 4 to 6 hours and never leave one in for more than 8 hours, and empty a menstrual cup at least every 12 hours.
10. If it hurts, stop. Breathe out slowly, relax, and try another day. It is fine to decide discs are not for you yet.

A worked example

Imagine you got a disc as a gift and feel nervous about it. On Saturday morning, the second day of your period, you look with a mirror first and find your vaginal opening. You wash your hands, sit on the toilet, fold the disc and slide it back towards your tailbone. The first try feels odd, so you take it out, breathe, and try again, this time tucking the front edge up behind the bone. Now it feels comfortable. You set a reminder on your phone well inside the time on the box, wear a liner as backup, and take it out over the toilet that afternoon. If Saturday had not worked, pads would have been just as good.

When it is more than practice

Take the disc out, say you were using one, and get urgent help if, while using it or just after, you have a high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery, muscle aches, a rough, sandpaper-like rash, being sick or diarrhoea, feel dizzy, faint or confused, or feel like you have the flu. These are the signs of toxic shock syndrome. It is rare, but you need to know them.

Tell an adult if:

• You cannot get the disc out. A doctor or nurse can remove it quickly and it will not be the first time they have done it.
• It hurts every time you try, or you cannot get anything into your vagina at all. Sometimes the shape of the hymen or other things make insertion hard, and a doctor can check.
• You notice itching, soreness, a change in the colour or smell of your discharge, or pain when you pee.

Q3. I have had bad spots for months and just got my first period. Are they connected?

What is going on

Very likely, yes. Spots (acne) happen when tiny openings in your skin, called pores or hair follicles, get blocked with oil and dead skin cells. During puberty your body makes more of the hormones that tell your skin to produce oil, and these start rising well before a first period. So spots on your face, chest or back in the months before your first period are a very common sign that puberty is underway.

Once your periods start, the hormones go up and down across each cycle, and many people notice spots in the days just before a period.

What the research actually says

The NHS lists changes in hormone levels "such as during puberty, periods, menopause and pregnancy" among the causes of acne. The American Academy of Pediatrics, in its guide to physical development in girls, notes that many young people develop acne during puberty and links it to changing hormone levels.

On spots before a period, the clearest data is from adults. Geller and colleagues surveyed 105 women aged 18 and over at a dermatology clinic in New York, published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology in 2014. 65% said their acne got worse around their period. Of those, most said breakouts started in the week before bleeding, and 77% said they cleared up within a week after. The authors point out the limits: these were adults who had already gone to a skin clinic in one city, they answered an English-only questionnaire, and they were remembering rather than tracking. So it shows the pattern is common, not that it will happen to you.

The good news is that what helps is simple and well agreed. The American Academy of Dermatology advises washing gently up to twice a day and after sweating, using your fingertips rather than a scrub or cloth, choosing gentle, alcohol-free products, and not picking. It also says treatments can take several weeks to a few months to show a difference.

What to do about it

1. Wash twice a day, gently. Morning and night, plus after sport. Use a mild cleanser and your fingertips, then pat dry.
2. Do not scrub. Scrubs, rough cloths and strong toners can irritate skin and make acne worse.
3. Hands off. Picking or squeezing makes spots last longer and can leave marks or scars.
4. Check your products. Choose gentle products that say "alcohol-free" on the label, avoid greasy creams and hair products near spots, and take off any make-up before bed.
5. Give a treatment time. If an adult or a pharmacist helps you choose a spot treatment from a pharmacy, use it as directed for several weeks before deciding it does not work. An adult decides which product is right for you.
6. Track it. Log spots in Soso as a symptom. After two or three cycles you may see whether they cluster before your period, which makes them feel a lot less random.

A worked example

Imagine your spots have been getting worse since the summer and now your first period has arrived. You start washing morning and night with a gentle cleanser, stop using a face scrub you had been trying, and leave the spots alone even when it is tempting. You log spots in Soso each day you notice new ones. Two months later you look back and see most new spots showed up in the five days before your period. Now when they appear, you know why, and you know they usually settle once your period starts.

When it is more than ordinary spots

Ask an adult to book an appointment with a doctor if:

• Spots are deep, painful lumps under the skin, or there are lots of them.
• The skin around a spot becomes hot, swollen, red or more painful, or the redness is spreading.
• They are leaving scars or dark marks.
• You have tried the steps above for two or three months and nothing has changed.
• Your skin is making you feel low, anxious, or like you do not want to go out or see people. That is a real reason to get help, not vanity.

Q4. Does dark chocolate help with period cramps?

What is going on

Cramps happen because your uterus is a muscle. Just before and during your period, your body releases chemicals called prostaglandins that make that muscle squeeze to shed the lining. Strong squeezes briefly reduce blood flow to the muscle, and that is what hurts. Prostaglandins also make your body more sensitive to pain generally.

Dark chocolate contains magnesium, a mineral involved in how muscles relax. That is why people wonder whether eating it might ease cramps.

What the research actually says

It may help a little, but the evidence is thin.

• A small study by Ferina, Hadianti and Fatimah, published in Healthcare in Low-Resource Settings in 2023, gave dark chocolate daily from the start of the period to students with period pain in Indonesia, and compared them with students who only had education about periods. 40 students took part, and the chocolate group reported less pain from the second day. But students were not randomly assigned to the groups, the study was small, and it was done in one place, so it cannot prove the chocolate caused the difference.
• On magnesium itself, a review by Parazzini and colleagues in Magnesium Research in 2017 suggested it may help with period pain, but the authors say the quality of the studies behind that is limited. For your age, food comes before supplements, and you should never take a supplement without an adult and a doctor deciding.

The options with stronger evidence are different:

• Heat: a review of six small trials by Jo and Lee in Scientific Reports in 2018 found a heat pad did at least as well as pain medication in the trials that compared them. The reviewers say the trials were few and small.
• Regular exercise: a 2025 review by Xiang and colleagues in Frontiers in Medicine found the helpful dose was more than three sessions a week, over 30 minutes each, at least 90 minutes a week in total, kept up for 8 weeks or more. That is prevention across months, not a one-off on a painful day.
• Pain relief timing: a review by McKenna and Fogleman in American Family Physician in 2021 says pain relief works best started one to two days before bleeding and continued through the first two to three days. An adult decides the medicine and the amount for your age and weight.

What to do about it

1. Enjoy the chocolate if you like it. A couple of squares of dark chocolate is a fine comfort snack on a period day. Just do not count on it to fix strong cramps.
2. Use heat. A warm (not hot) hot water bottle or heat pad, wrapped in a tea towel, on your tummy or lower back, or a warm bath or shower. Take it off before you go to sleep.
3. Move most days, all month. Walking, dancing, cycling or a sport all count. The studies that found a benefit used more than three sessions a week, each over 30 minutes, kept up for at least 8 weeks, so it is the long-term habit that matters, not one walk on a sore day.
4. Massage. Rub your lower tummy and back in slow circles.
5. Plan pain relief with an adult. If you usually get strong cramps, track your cycle in Soso so an adult can help you start pain relief a day or two before your period is due, if that is right for you.
6. Eat regular meals. Foods that contain magnesium include nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, bananas and leafy greens, as well as dark chocolate.

A worked example

Imagine Soso says your period is due on Thursday and your last two periods came with strong cramps on day one. On Tuesday you remind an adult, and they decide with you whether to start pain relief on Wednesday. Thursday morning you put a wrapped hot water bottle in your bag for the school nurse's room, and after school you have two squares of dark chocolate and a warm shower. Over the next months you start walking home with a friend and going to dance class, so you are moving most days of the week. The chocolate is the treat; the heat, the timing and the movement do the heavy lifting.

When it is more than ordinary cramps

Tell an adult and see a doctor if:

• Cramps stop you going to school or doing everyday things.
• Pain is getting worse from one period to the next.
• Pain relief chosen by an adult does not help.
• You have pain at times other than your period, or heavy bleeding: changing a pad every 1 to 2 hours, bleeding for more than 7 days, clots bigger than about 2.5 cm, or bleeding through to your clothes or bed.

Q5. I am shorter than my friends but more developed. Am I behind or ahead?

What is going on

Both feelings make sense, because height and development follow different clocks. Puberty in girls usually starts with breast buds, and the biggest growth spurt in height comes early in puberty, before the first period. That means a girl who starts developing earlier also has her growth spurt earlier, and a girl who starts later grows later. Classmates can look very different from each other for a few years, then even out.

How tall you end up is mostly decided by your genes, meaning the heights in your family (about 80%, according to the US National Library of Medicine), plus things like good food and good health. Being short right now does not mean you will be short as an adult, and being more developed right now does not mean you are "older" inside.

You may also have heard of Tanner stages. They are a 1 to 5 scale doctors use to describe how far along puberty is, for breasts and for pubic hair, from stage 1 (before puberty) to stage 5 (adult). It is a description, not a grade, and two girls at the same stage can be very different heights.

What the research actually says

The American Academy of Pediatrics explains that the fastest height growth usually happens between when breast buds start and about 6 months before the first period. Once a girl has had her first period, growth has already started to slow, and most girls grow another 1 to 2 inches (about 2.5 to 5 cm) after it. It also says puberty changes before age 8, or none by 13, are worth checking with a doctor.

Research on feelings fits what you described. A 2007 review by Mendle, Turkheimer and Emery in Developmental Review found that girls who develop early are more likely to feel unhappy with their bodies, and that girls who simply saw themselves as early also had more negative feelings. The effects were modest and many early developers feel fine. A large US study of 7,728 girls, by Hoyt and colleagues in SSM Population Health in 2020, found that feeling out of step with friends, either ahead or behind, was linked to more low moods. That is a link, not a cause, but it shows the feeling of being "out of sync" is common and worth talking about.

A Swedish study of 680 girls in seventh grade, by Skoog and Bayram Özdemir in The Journal of Early Adolescence in 2016, found that girls who developed earlier faced more unwanted sexual comments and attention, partly because they looked more mature. The authors describe this as other people reacting badly to normal development. It is never your body's fault.

What to do about it

1. Name what is happening. "My body started puberty earlier than some friends, so I grew earlier too. They will grow later." That one sentence can calm a lot of worry.
2. Look at your family. Ask an adult how tall your parents and grandparents are and when they grew. It gives a more honest picture than comparing with your class.
3. Look after the basics. Regular meals and being active support healthy growth, and enough sleep (9 to 12 hours a night is recommended for ages 6 to 12, 8 to 10 for ages 13 to 18) helps you feel well. Nothing safe makes you grow taller faster.
4. Get clothes that fit now. A comfortable bra or crop top that fits your body today can make a big difference to how you feel in PE or at the pool.
5. Have a line ready for comments. "Everyone grows at a different time. Can we talk about something else?" Then change the subject or walk away.
6. Tell an adult about unwanted attention. If anyone comments on your body in a way that makes you uncomfortable, sends you messages about it, or touches you, tell a trusted adult. You will not be in trouble.

A worked example

Imagine in your class photo you are in the front row, but you already need a bra and most of your friends do not. At home you ask your mum how tall she was at your age, and she says she was small until 13, then grew suddenly. You realise your growth spurt may already be happening and your friends' will come later. When a classmate makes a joke about your chest during PE, you say your line, walk away, and tell your teacher at the end of class. That evening you log "feeling self-conscious" in Soso, so you can see whether it comes up again and talk about it.

When it is more than growing at your own pace

Talk to an adult and see a doctor if:

• Puberty changes started before you were 8, or you have none at all by 13.
• You have not grown at all in 6 months and your periods have not started yet, or a doctor says you have dropped to a lower line on your growth chart.
• You do not have a period by 15.
• Comments, messages or touching about your body happen at school, online or anywhere else.

If feelings about your body get so big that they scare you, or you do not feel able to keep yourself safe, tell a trusted adult straight away.

The bottom line

The thread running through this week's questions is that a lot of what feels like "something is wrong" is your body doing something normal in a way nobody warned you about. Period blood can turn your pee pink. Hormones can bring spots months before your first period and again before each one. Growth spurts and development do not keep the same timetable as your friends. And new period products take practice, so a hard first try means you are learning, not failing.

The key takeaways:

• Pink pee during or just after a period is usually period blood. Pink pee at any other time, or with burning, needs checking.
• Learn your map first: the vulva is the outside, the vagina is the inside. Discs go back towards your tailbone and tuck behind the pubic bone, and every internal product comes with wear times and toxic shock signs.
• Spots are common in puberty and around periods. Wash gently, stop picking, and give any treatment weeks, not days.
• Dark chocolate is a nice treat, not a treatment. Heat, regular exercise and well-timed pain relief, decided with an adult, have more evidence.
• Being short and developed at the same time is a normal combination of two different clocks.

Your next step: pick one thing from this week to track in Soso, whether that is spots, cramps or a strange colour, and after a couple of cycles show it to a trusted adult. Patterns are much easier to talk about than worries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called vaginal discharge if I find it on my vulva?

Because it is made inside, by the vagina and the cervix, and then flows out through the vaginal opening onto your vulva and underwear. You find it on the outside, but it comes from the inside. Clear or white discharge without a strong smell is normal in puberty. Tell an adult if it changes colour or smell, or comes with itching, soreness or pain when you pee.

Why does discharge look yellowish and crusty in my underwear?

Clear or white discharge can leave a pale yellowish mark on fabric as it dries, and dried discharge often feels stiff or crusty. That on its own is normal. Tell an adult if it is yellow or green when it comes out, smells strong, or comes with itching, soreness or pain when peeing.

Can a period last only 2 days?

It can happen, especially with the first few periods, which are often light and short. Most teenagers bleed for 3 to 7 days once things settle, but early cycles are irregular. Track it in Soso so you can see your own pattern over time.

How much blood is normal in a first period?

A first period is often light, sometimes just a reddish-brown stain. The NHS puts a whole period at about 20 to 90 mL, roughly 1 to 5 tablespoons, spread over several days. A heavier first period is not automatically wrong, but tell an adult if you are changing a pad every 1 to 2 hours, bleeding for more than 7 days, passing clots bigger than about 2.5 cm, or bleeding through to your clothes or bed.

What are Tanner stages?

A 1 to 5 scale doctors use to describe how far along puberty is, separately for breasts and pubic hair. Stage 1 is before puberty and stage 5 is adult. It is a way of describing development, not a timetable, and it cannot tell you exactly when anything will happen.

Will washing my face more often clear my spots faster?

No. The American Academy of Dermatology says up to twice a day, plus after sweating, is enough. Washing more often or scrubbing can irritate your skin and make acne worse.

Can I use a menstrual disc and a pad at the same time?

Yes. Wearing a liner or pad as a backup while you learn to place a disc is a good idea. It catches any leaks while you work out the right position.

Where this comes from

These are the sources we checked for this post, with what each one actually found.

• NHS, "Blood in urine." Lists periods, beetroot and some medicines as reasons pee can look pink or red, and says possible blood in pee always needs an urgent appointment.
• NHS, "Urinary tract infections (UTIs)." Lists burning when peeing, needing to pee often, cloudy pee, tummy pain and a high temperature as signs, and says children aged 15 or younger need an urgent appointment.
• van Eijk AM, Zulaika G, Lenchner M, et al., "Menstrual cup use, leakage, acceptability, safety, and availability: a systematic review and meta-analysis," The Lancet Public Health, 2019. 43 studies: leakage similar to other products, no damage found on examination, and a learning curve with discomfort on insertion falling after the first cycle.
• NHS, "Can a tampon get lost inside me?" Explains that a tampon stays in the vagina and cannot pass into the body.
• NHS, "Toxic shock syndrome." Lists the signs and says to remove the product and get urgent help.
• American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, "How to Use Tampons, Menstrual Cups & Other Period Products Safely." Gives the wear times for internal products.
• Geller L, Rosen J, Frankel A, Goldenberg G, "Perimenstrual Flare of Adult Acne," Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2014. 65% of 105 adult women at a dermatology clinic said acne worsened around their period, mostly in the week before.
• NHS, "Acne." Names hormone changes in puberty and periods as causes, and gives self-help steps and reasons to see a doctor.
• American Academy of Dermatology, "Acne: tips for managing." Gentle washing up to twice a day, no scrubbing or picking, and several weeks to months for treatments to work.
• Ferina F, Hadianti DN, Fatimah YU, "Dark chocolate as a non-pharmacological alternative to reduce dysmenorrhea in adolescents," Healthcare in Low-Resource Settings, 2023. In 40 students, the dark chocolate group reported less period pain from the second day, in a small non-randomised study.
• Parazzini F, Di Martino M, Pellegrino P, "Magnesium in the gynecological practice: a literature review," Magnesium Research, 2017. Suggests magnesium may help period pain, with limited study quality.
• Jo J, Lee SH, "Heat therapy for primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Scientific Reports, 2018. Heat did at least as well as pain medication in the small trials that compared them.
• Xiang Y, et al., "Efficacy and safety of therapeutic exercise for primary dysmenorrhea," Frontiers in Medicine, 2025. The dose that helped was more than three sessions a week, over 30 minutes each, for at least 8 weeks.
• McKenna KA, Fogleman CD, "Dysmenorrhea," American Family Physician, 2021. Explains prostaglandins and says pain relief works best started one to two days before bleeding.
• NHS, "Heavy periods." The signs of heavy bleeding to tell an adult about.
• NHS, "Starting your periods." Describes a first period as often light, and a whole period as about 20 to 90 mL.
• Hillard PJA, "Menstruation in Adolescents: What's Normal?" The Medscape Journal of Medicine, 2008. Most adolescents bleed for 3 to 7 days.
• NHS, "Vaginal discharge." Describes normal discharge and the changes worth getting checked.
• Nemours KidsHealth, "Is My Vaginal Discharge Normal?" Normal discharge can look yellow once it dries on underwear.
• American Academy of Dermatology, "Acne: 10 skin care habits that can worsen acne." Washing several times a day, or scrubbing, can irritate skin and lead to more breakouts.
• Cleveland Clinic, "Puberty." Tanner staging has five stages, with breasts and pubic hair rated separately, and is a general guide, not a strict rule.
• Allen B, Miller K, "Physical Development in Girls: What to Expect," American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, 2019. The fastest growth comes before the first period, with about 1 to 2 more inches after it, and many young people develop acne in puberty.
• MedlinePlus Genetics, US National Library of Medicine, "Is height determined by genetics?" 2021. About 80% of the difference in height between people comes from genes, with food, health and activity making up the rest.
• Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust, "Short height in children." Advises seeing a doctor if a child's height does not increase over 6 months, or if they drop to a lower line on their growth chart.
• Mendle J, Turkheimer E, Emery RE, "Detrimental Psychological Outcomes Associated with Early Pubertal Timing in Adolescent Girls," Developmental Review, 2007. Early developers report more body dissatisfaction, with modest effects.
• Hoyt LT, Niu L, Pachucki MC, Chaku N, "Timing of puberty in boys and girls: Implications for population health," SSM Population Health, 2020. Feeling out of step with peers was linked to more low moods in 7,728 girls.
• Skoog T, Bayram Özdemir S, "Explaining Why Early-Maturing Girls Are More Exposed to Sexual Harassment in Early Adolescence," The Journal of Early Adolescence, 2016. Looking more mature partly explained why early-developing girls faced more harassment.
• Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D'Ambrosio C, et al., "Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine," Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2016. 9 to 12 hours for ages 6 to 12, and 8 to 10 hours for ages 13 to 18.

This post is here to help you understand your body. It does not replace a doctor, so if something worries you, talk to a trusted adult and get it checked.