Does when you got your first period have any influence on fertility?

[Boymomsrock]

I was curious if your eggs or fertility age would be younger/older depending on when you got your first period, anyone know? I would think if you didn't start till a later age you only started ovulating at a certain age and vice versa. Thoughts? When did you get your first period?

[Violet_]

Not sure that it really matters. Although I didn't get mine until 13 and 10 months and later when I discovered I have pcos, that seems to be the norm for pcos suffers. A later starting period at puberty. Of course, not everyone who starts menstruating later has pcos. I can't see how it would effect your fertility though. You have a certain amount of eggs and when they are used up they are used up. But if you are older trying to conceive then those eggs that may still be there might not be as good quality. I think a lot of other things come into play when you think of overall fertility though, such as diet, exercise, supplements (vitamins), whether you drink/smoke, how healthy you are overall and how well you take care of your body. Even mentally how stressed and relaxed you are. If you do meditation/yoga can make a difference. Looking at your body as a whole (mind, body, spirit) and keeping it healthy inside and out is one of things that makes the biggest difference. Then of course, there are people who do all the right things and still struggle. But luckily there are a lot of options out there for people now and most will be able to have a baby with or without a little assistance.

[Wanting-a-girl]

I was 13 as well

[Butterfly Spirit]

Not until age 15 for me.

I personally don't think it plays a factor.

[Rainbow baby]

10 :((( I was worried when I read this post so had a google seems their is no relation to early periods and menopause, the more children you have looks like it increases your fertile window and to look at your mother and sisters for genetics is what you can go by. Unless other factors are involved and just because you start your periods early dosn't mean your ovulating. So who really knows. I just noticed I read the post wrong ahhhh I'll post in anywayz I typed it! :)

[LacePrincess]

I don't think it matters. I got my first period at 12.

For the first few years your body's learning how to cycle anyways and many of your early cycles are anovulatory. In the overall scheme of things, a year or two earlier/later isn't going to noticeably affect ovarian reserves either way.

[Boymomsrock]

I didn't get my first period till i was 17 1/2 and i don't have pcos. I was just a late bloomer as my sis and mom both got theirs at 16. Just curious. ;)

[Princess of Pink]

I got mine at 13, my eldest DD got hers at 13 and DD#2 will be 12 in Feb and still doesn't have hers although most people in her class do already. My mother is 54 and has only just hit peri-menopause. I think we are later bloomers!

[NearlyDone]

i was 11

[Cinss]

i was 15

[atomic sagebrush]

Actually YES but it's not the way you mean. It's not that if you have your period at 11 your eggs are going to be 3 years older than someone who got it at 14. But there does seem to be some connection between unusually early and unusually late menarche and less than optimal fertility. In English - if you get your period weirdly young or weirdly old, a lot of times you're less fertile than people who got it at the average age of 12-14. There also may be a connection between more boys and more girls being born depending on if you had menarche at the average age (more sons) or on the extremes (more daughters). With tons of exceptions as the posters above demonstrate.

The studies are out there but for some reason I can't find them in a quick Google search and have to abandon the attempt. The studies are done by the same group of Japanese researchers that do a lot of the more interesting gender ratio studies.

Apropos of nothing, this popped up when I was searching and I thought it was kind of weird Welcome to Menarche Parties R'Us! (http://www.menarchepartiesrus.com/) I would have DIED if my mom threw me a period party. DIED.

[atomic sagebrush]

I don't think it matters. I got my first period at 12.

For the first few years your body's learning how to cycle anyways and many of your early cycles are anovulatory. In the overall scheme of things, a year or two earlier/later isn't going to noticeably affect ovarian reserves either way.

Yes, just to elaborate a bit the eggs are already in there when you're born (and the crazy thing is, the egg that is you actually formed when you were in your GRANDMA'S body!). There are a kajillion things that affect how many eggs you have and how many come to maturity every month.

I got my first period when I was barely 12 and just had a baby at 42.