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It has become a social norm for women to visit their gynecologist at least once a year. They do this because of the very successful awareness campaigns which inform people about female cancers, sexually transmitted infections and other gynecological complications like ovarian cysts. Adult women are aware of the risks and the best way to prevent and detect these life-changing conditions. Women, as mothers, will pass on this knowledge on to their daughters, and introduce them to this practice as part of their daughters’ journey into womanhood.

If you are a single father, raising a young girl, you might already be aware of certain changes she is experiencing, physically and emotionally. Girls enter puberty at a younger age, on average, these days. Signs of puberty may start as early as eight years old. Outliers can start even younger. As a father, it will be up to you to explain to your daughter why her body is changing, what she can expect to happen, and how to prepare for it.

This will probably begin as an awkward conversation, and you may feel uncomfortable in the process of educating yourself about female puberty. You may be tempted to pass it off to a female relative; an aunt or grandmother. You need to know that if you can take on this responsibility, you will be reinforcing your bond with your child, and the benefits of laying this foundation will help to strengthen your relationship during those dreaded teenage years.

Finding Help

The first and most important step in preparing your daughter for her life as a woman will be to find the most reputable female gynecologist Colombus, Ohio has to offer. This specialist will be able to offer your daughter the feminine connection she needs, and will be able to answer all of the difficult questions your daughter might need to ask.

Your daughter does not need to be menstruating or sexually active or sick for you to take her to the gynecologist for her first visit. An initial visit just to meet and greet her doctor will set up the basis for a trust-based relationship. This will help your daughter to approach the annual pap smear (which she will eventually need to start having) with a positive attitude, instead of viewing it in the same light as a root canal.

The first visit to the gynecologist will usually consist of an interview, and a basic check of vitals (temperature, pulse, blood pressure) to establish a baseline dataset. The doctor may palpate the ovaries and uterus from the outside, or do an ultrasound for a non-invasive check for any abnormalities. She will ask health-related questions to provide a benchmark for future care, and then ask your daughter (and you) if you have any questions for her.

Once your daughter becomes sexually active, she will need to have an annual pap smear, but she may also want to visit her doctor for advice on hormonal support for acne or excessive menstrual pain. Things crop up, and it is important not to panic and assume the worst. Just make the appointment and follow through.

Your Role

Before you take your daughter to visit her gynecologist for the first time, you need to read up on puberty in girls. If you are a “man’s man” and have never really felt comfortable around women discussing their periods, then it’s time to suck it up and remind yourself that your daughter is going to need your help and support through those changes, and onward into her life as a woman. It’s not about you.

This is an important behavior to model at this stage. Being able to talk openly and knowledgeably about the female reproductive system and puberty (and sex) shows your daughter that she need not feel ashamed of her body and its processes.

Your daughter’s first and most lasting relationship with a man is her relationship with you. If you can show her that she can be loved, and can trust a man, without a sexual element to the relationship, you will ensure that when she grows old enough to begin dating, she will make good choices. This in turn means she will be less likely to be pressured into having sex before she is ready, and will most likely not entertain abusive partners.

She will also be able to talk to you when there is trouble in her life, and that is the most important thing.

Resources

The internet has a wealth of resources on female puberty. Whichever place you start at, remember to use legitimate sources. Avoid sources with information based on superstition or religious doctrine, and rather go for medical websites.

Once you have chosen a good female gynecologist, you can work together to support your daughter’s health, and you should use the doctor as your go-to resource.

Remember always to talk openly to your daughter. Admit when you don’t know things. Admit when things make you feel awkward, and reassure her that it is your upbringing as a man, and not because she should feel embarrassed or ashamed. Check your reactions and how they might impact her self-esteem, before you make them. This means you will need to work on your poker face. And lastly, when your daughter sits in her room crying for no reason, and you know she has started her period, don’t try to fix it. Just sit with her, give her a strong hug and tell her you love her.