When Did Your "Late Bloomer" Grow?

Updated on October 21, 2013
S.R. asks from Scottsdale, AZ
13 answers

My dd is small and very much a late bloomer....she is 10.5 and very undeveloped...still wears clothes a size or two under her age mostly because a tiny waist and rear. I'm waiting for this magical growth spurt....For those of you with older kids...when did it all happen or did it happen so slow that you didn't really notice? I'm especially interested in those of you with smaller kids or late bloomers.

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T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

My son didn't really fill out until his freshman year of college. My daughters are like me, no period until 13/14, the almost 18 year old is 5"2"" and the other one (14) will be lucky to be my height, MAYBE 5"5" she's 5'1" now but still growing.
My youngest daughter is a HS freshman and I can still buy her clothes in the girl's dept, size 14. I don't worry about it, smaller clothes are cheaper and easier to find, and my husband and I are both fairly short after all, it's genetic!

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L.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I was a very late bloomer. As in, I did not really need a bra until I was 17. In some ways it was awful. In others, it was just fine. I was a dancer and in the ballet world, no hips and no breast=a good thing. All of the women in my family develop late. You should think about when you had a growth spurt as your guide. And don't talk about it in front of your daughter. I had so many humiliating conversations with my aunts (other side of family).

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

My older brother was always the smallest in his class, and while we were growing up I was as tall as him - he's two years older than me. We had jockeys in our ancestry and my mother always said he was taking after them. Then he turned 16. Well, now he's 6'2. I suppose he was a late bloomer.

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V.S.

answers from Reading on

I would ask your pediatrician's opinion on this matter - there is a very wide range of normal. That alone will probably put your mind at ease. But my daughter is in the same boat. Almost 12, just now fitting into a size 10, in a booster up until a few weeks ago (and that ended only because it's hard to pull up to middle school in a booster seat). But in our family, we're all really small - much shorter than average, even the men, so it's pretty well expected. If you're all over 6 feet tall, then maybe I'd be concerned, but again, there's a really wide range of normal. Start with your pediatrician.

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L.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

Here are my stats:
5th grade - 55 lbs
6th grade - 65 lbs
7th grade - 75 lbs
8th grade - 85 lbs
9th grade - 95 lbs, but I hit 5'0"
10th grade - 95 lbs, 5'1"
11th grade 100 lbs 5'2-1/2"

And I am still 5'2-1/2" tall. The biggest height growth spurts were between ages 12 and 14. I'm guessing that my tiny 8 year old daughter will follow my growth pattern.

M.N.

answers from Phoenix on

I have identical twins.My oldest twin is normal height and weight and she is turning 5 in 11 days.My youngest twin is the same size but is a little lighter..she fits in clothes for 3 year olds.

A.G.

answers from Dallas on

I'm 4'11 and very thin. My husband is 6'2 and a nice weight. Our boys were/are extremely small when they were young. Now our oldest is almost 16 and our youngest is 9. Here's what is going on now.

Our oldest was tiny until he was about 13 or 14. He was always the shortest in his class, and his weight was average (50%). Now he is 5'8" and is still growing, and he is underweight. I'm sure he will fill out as he matures.

Our youngest is small, and is underweight. His doctor is concerned about his weight, but I'm not. I was the same way, and am still small. I think he's just built like me. He's 9 now, so I'm expecting him to sprout in a few years. He's a bit taller than his brother was at 9.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

At 10.5 she's not supposed to be developing yet....

She should still have her kids type body. She should not have breasts yet or big hips. Unless she is a more shapely girl.

Some kids start growing their breasts at 11 or 12 and some still don't have much at 16.

I have at least 2 friends that grew after high school. One of them was shorter than me at graduation and now he's over 6 feet. Another friend didn't have much of anything as far as breasts are concerned at graduation but as soon as she started having kids she grew to a DD cup. Talk about a "change". She goes to high school reunions and everyone thinks she got them done but I know she didn't.

Kids between the ages of 8 and 12 are supposed to be growing their adult bones in their hands, nose, face, ears, feet, skull, etc...then one they pass 12 they should start to grow their adult legs and arms, torso/ribs, and start to grow breasts and fuller hips/menses, etc...

At 10 they should be at about 80% of their adult growth.

http://www.cahisus.co.uk/pdf/GROWTH%20AND%20BONE%20AGE.pdf

Signs of abnormal issues

http://www.hgfound.org/pub_patterns.html

J.B.

answers from New Orleans on

My kids are all still pretty young, six and under, but one of my best friends is super petite. Five feet tall and slender, in college she shopped in juniors all the time and as a professional she has clothes altered often. So maybe she is a petite person :)

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M.C.

answers from Rockford on

Well, with my boys, the older one had rapid growth spurts around 12 or so until about junior year in high school. They were so dramatic he was often in pain and crying, especially at night. He was always at 100% for height and weight since birth. He's now 19 and is 6' and 155 pounds. My younger son grew more slowly and steadily, but did not really take off until about age 14 where he grew quicker until about age 17. He was always at about 50% on the charts for height and weight. He's now 18 and 5'9" and 145 pounds. My cousin, on the other hand, was about 5'6" through high school, but then shot up to 6'1" AFTER graduation! I know, these are all boys and you have a girl, but these are the examples I can share.

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M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

I don't have kids this age, but I myself was a very late bloomer. I am very thin framed and small boned. I didn't start my period until I was almost 16 (which was very awkward as a young teen). I grew 4 inches in college- from 5'2 to 5'6. Until then, my growth was very slow.
My daughter is 3, but she already has my build. Just look at your own family and see who is similar- someone is, I bet!

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

I'm still waiting. My 11 year old son is still wearing size 8 jeans. His 8 year old brother is now in size 10.

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M.R.

answers from Seattle on

Our family is considered to fall under the 'late bloomer' category.

I was 14 years old when I started to develop and get my periods.

My son is 14 1/2 and he just started this past summer to develop. Meaning he sleeps, eats and grows. He went from a size 12 to a 14, and is now into a size 16 in just the last few months.

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