Girls' first periods

Do girls usually get their periods seemingly out of nowhere, or is there usually breast/pubic hair development first before it starts? My puberty came with some trauma so my memory is a bit foggy. I've talked to my daughter about it so she knows what to expect, but Im trying to gauge when she should start carrying a pad with her. *thanks Allison. I think I need to clarify though, I dont mean symptoms like cramping, more so do they usually start other aspects of puberty first like breast development and getting pubic hair, or does the period usually come first before those other things develop?