Last updated on October 17, 2020
Question:
Hi! I’m 14, almost 15, and got my first period two years ago when I was 12. Since then I’ve grown 2 inches and I’m now 5’4′. I haven’t grown for about a year now. My parents are 5’10” and 5’7″ but the rest of my family is completely short. Do you think I’ve stopped growing? Also, the Tanner Stage Calculator estimated I was at stage 4.6, what exactly does that mean?
Answer:
Doctor Tanner devised a system to measure the progress of development during adolescence. Stage 1 is childhood, stage 2 is the beginning of puberty, stage 3 is the phase of rapid growth, stage 4 is the completion of adolescence, and stage 5 is adulthood. A “4.6” means you are about halfway through stage 4. During this stage, growth in height slows down and eventually stops. Your hips are growing wider and your breasts are nearing an adult shape and size. If you do grow much more it will be less than an inch by this point.