Marla Ahlgrimm: Girls And Physical Maturity

Physical maturity is that age at which a girl reaches sexual maturity and has stopped growing. According to Marla Ahlgrimm, this takes place sometime after puberty, typically between 15 and 20 years old. Keep reading for a few quick questions and answers about the transition from girlhood to womanhood. 

 

Q: When do little girls stop growing? 

 

Marla Ahlgrimm: That’s different for every girl, but typically, a female will reach her adult height by the age of 15. Full physical maturity, however, may not take place until several years after menstruation begins. Once a girl reaches her height, her body will still begin to “fill out” with fat pockets around the thighs and breasts. 

Marla Ahlgrimm: What Causes Menstrual Cramps?

As women, we are all intimately familiar with the side-effects of menstruation. One of these is menstrual cramps, the painful contractions that can leave us lingering in bed for a day or two at the onset of our period. But, what causes them? According to Marla Ahlgrimm, it’s hormones. 

 

Marla Ahlgrimm explains that the overproduction of prostaglandins, a hormone that tells the uterus it’s time to shed its lining, is most likely the culprit if you are experiencing menstrual cramps. Fortunately, these are short-lived, and often occur just a day or two before bleeding begins.