2 Part Question for Moms with Young Girls

yes 61lbs is a bit high on weight for 4 feet tall.
My 11 yr old is 55 inches , and 70lbs
breast buds start under the nipple, and they aren't squishy like fat , they are firmer.
A child with a higher BMI is going to start puberty earlier. If she is looking like she's got breasts and it's not firm then it could be an indication of her being slightly overweight. does she get enough exercise? how is her diet? Also as Victoria says another factor in puberty is when you started.

My daughter is 11 1/2, and honestly, I can't remember exactly how tall she was at 8, or what she weighed. I am not even positive what she weighs right now! (I think it is either 82 or 92... but I can't remember. And really, I don't care, b/c she is healthy and fit).

Breast buds are not in the tissue around the nipple area. It IS the nipple. Does that help?

It is my understanding that how old you were when you started menstruating, is a good indicator for an approximate age for your daughter to start. I don't know for sure, my daughter hasn't yet. And to be totally honest, I am not sure when I did.... but I don't think I had started yet at the age she is now. ?

ETA: If you ladies have not heard of it before, I'd suggest you get a copy of The Care And Keeping of You for your daughters. I got it for my daughter when she was about 9 or 10. She had not yet started to develop at that point. Very soon after she was ready for the bralettes so that she didn't show anything through her shirts. My timing couldn't have been better, I don't think. She really has enjoyed the book, and we have had a lot of conversations from it. :)

I'm not sure of my daughter's exact height and weight at 8, but I know that she felt "big" and was a little heavier than average for her grade. Buying clothes that fit was beginning to be challenging. She was a 14/16 but not as tall as needed for that size. She started wearing an undershirt at 9, and camisoles at 10. I was concerned, too, about early periods.

Now, she'll be 11 in March and she is 5'2" and about 95 lbs. She's still wearing a size 14/16! and she's much thinner than she used to be. She still wears just a camisole, her breasts are true buds now, and pubic hair started at 10. No period yet.

I think it's normal for many girls to go through a bit of a chubby stage, before they grow taller and really start developing. As long as she is physically active, and heats a healthy diet, her normal growth should even things out.

I also strongly recommend the "Care and Keeping of You" books from America Girl. They cover all the things that happen during puberty - hair, skin, moods/emotions, periods (but not sex). My daughter read them intently and asked me questions that opened up good conversations. They are appropriate for 8-9-10 year-olds.

my 7 year old is 47 inches and 43 pounds she is normal height.. and very low weight.

your daughter should not gain much more weight till she grows taller..

try offereing healthy low fat choices more fruit veggies..

My daughter who is 8 1/2 is 68.8lbs and 51 1/4 inches tall. She is healthy. Someone may think she is starting to bud, but she's not. The aeriola would be puffy and a lot of times tender when bumped or touched. Has that happened? There would be a "lump" behind the aeriola. Will she let you examine?

My other daughter had precocious puberty and started budding at 4. We held off advancements and actually reversed the breast growth with natural drops and capsules from our Naturalist for a year. Then when she was 5 my husband got laid off and we couldn't afford it anymore and she started again. Our first indicator was adult spelling body odor. Then the buds. She grew breasts, started pubic hair, then underarm hair and started her cycle at 8 1/2. She is now 10 and beautiful. I was thankful that somehow even though her breast growth started at 5 again, her cycle didn't come until 3 1/2 years later.

Unfortunately "they" have made the new "normal" for starting puberty at 8. I was 10 when my buds started forming. I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist if you will and think the garbage in our environment, food, vaccines and so on are wreaking havoc on the populous.

My daughter is average size. She's 9, 4'2", and 87 pounds. She's got a larger bone structure than I do, her wrists are larger than mine for instance. She is already getting pubic hair and yes has been wearing deodorant for a bit of time. Your daughter sounds normal and fine to me based upon the info you've provided. I thought at first it may be out of the ordinary because I was nowhere near her size at her age however I've realized that all kids are different. What is funny is even at my daughter's size she is one of the smaller kids in spite of being one of the oldest in her 3rd grade class. Your daughter may need to wear a bra or camisole undershirt to help her along but that doesn't mean her period is coming or even if it does that there's anything to be concerned about.

Stop worrying. She is fine. My dd is 6 and she is 48 inches and weighs 55lbs. She is not fat at all. She has a nice tush and she is kind of muscular. I had buds and 8 and was in a training bra. I don't remember when I got pubic hair, I think around 9, but I started my period at 10. I of course don't know how your dd will turn out but I was in a D cup by 8th grade. She just may develop big boobs. She's going to be what she's going to be so stop worrying. Just make sure she keeps up with her hygene and she will do fine. You may want to have that talk early. My mother had the talk with me at 8 and I plan to have the talk with my dd at that age. Good Luck!!

I think our daughters may be similar. I have a 9 year old who is 54 inches and 80 pounds. I don't look at her and think she is fat, but she is not skinny by any means, and she is one of the tallest girls in her class. I've been wondering about the breast tissue as well, and I was thinking the same as you - that it's probably just a little extra fatty tissue and not breast buds. But I don't know for sure! I'm not really answering your question! Just thought I'd mention that we're in the same boat. I'll be interested in all of your answers here! The problem we are having over here is I also have an 11 year old girl, but she is 53 inches (TINY amongst her peers) and only 65 pounds! Her chest is as flat as a board. My younger one has begun to notice the differences between her and her sister, and feels negatively about her body. We went shopping the other day and my older one left the dressing room to go get something and my younger one said, "Why does she look so cute in everything, and I don't?" Breaks my heart. Ahhh, I could go on and on.

Anyway, I agree with you in thinking that my 9 year old is healthy. What helps me (and I tell her) is that she is built EXACTLY the way I was at her age. I was a competitive swimmer - and so is she. Her big sister is also a swimmer, but little sister can beat big sister in almost every event. So I try to help her focus on the great things her body does for her. Also (and this may help you?) I was built this way but did not menstruate until I was 14. I don't think the swimming kept me from menstruating - that usually happens when athletes get really skinny (which wasn't me). So maybe your daughter will be like that? I'm thinking that's where my daughter is headed, so no, I'm expecting her to menstruate soon. At least I hope not!

EDIT - Victoria W., what you said about the breast buds helped ME! I didn't know that. Pretty much confirms that my daughter isn't developing yet. Thanks.

Good Gosh!!!! She is fine. Those Dr. charts suck and are based on a general number. Depending on her bone structure and genetics, she cannot be compared to some stupid chart. She will outgrow any babyfat she has now. Boobies blossom at about 8, get her a training bra, and yeah, you may just have a 9 year old with a period and pubic hair. Think to when you first got your period, it's usually the same for our daughters. Buds blossom, within the year, she can menstruate. My youngest seemed chunkier than her peers and outgrew it. They slim down and regulate their own bodies once menstruation starts.

My dd is on the very small end of the growth chart. She is 9, between 50-51" (probably closer to 50", and weighs somewhere around 52 lbs. She is the 2nd to smallest in her class and I have to take all of her clothes in or they would fall off. I was an early bloomer (breasts started at 10, I was finished growing at 12 or so, go period at 13. My dd takes after the late blooming side of family (my mom didn't get her period until she was 16 and said she was tiny like my dd, but she was 3" taller than me as an adult.

I will say that there is a lot of variability. My dd has a friend who got her period in 3rd grade, she was tall for her age, but didn't appear to be developing. I see other kids in 4th grade with breasts that are an actual cup size....not just a training bra. Most of those kids are on the heavier side (not overweight, but on the heavier side of average).

There is some research that because estrogen is stored in a girl's fat cells, that girls who have a little more weight do develop sooner. I wouldn't worry too much, they all end up pretty much in the same place by the end of middle school.

My 8 yr old is 54 inches and about 70lbs. My 7 yr old though is 50 inches I think and 60lbs. So 2 inches taller and a pound lighter. She is by no means skinny. She was always chubby and now looks leaner but she's a bit heavy boned and by no means a waif. She has a cute little booty vs no butt and very solid legs. My older was also a bit chubbier at 7 and has grown into her weight some. So I would say your daughter sounds a bit heavy. Mine is 6 inches taller and only 9lbs heavier and she looks good but no one would say skinny. There are those kids who look like you could snap their bones easily - she's not one. She's said some girls are wearing undershirts. She doesn't need one at all and the girls who do need them honestly do look like its bc of excess weight. That's all I know. I don't follow those charts are gospel but I think if they're showing very mismatched height vs weight Percentiles, there's probably something up.

It can be a long process. My daughter started wearing undershirts in 3rd grade due to tiny breast buds. When that happened, I figured she would develop early. It's taken a lot longer than I expected. She got her first bra when she turned 10 (almost a year ago) and she has no underarm hair, pubic hair, or period yet. I've talked to a lot of other moms with girls her age, and they've all said the same thing. So, I wouldn't worry too much.