Welcome to the Hormonal Hotline, where there's truly no such thing as TMI. And today's question from musician Lydia Night is exhibit A—because seriously, what is the actual deal with period poops?
Yes, our digestion tends to take on a life of its own during our menstrual phase (insult to injury, if you ask us). But if you've ever wondered why, you can look to the same culprit behind period cramps: that would be hormone-like lipids called prostaglandins, which help the muscles in our uterus relax and shed its lining every month. The thing is that they're not exactly discriminatory to all the smooth muscle tissue in the vicinity, and our bowels are right there, too—resulting in contractions that can cause things like diarrhea and nausea. (It's also why some of us experience back pain during this time.)
Watch as leading OB/GYN and our Medical Co-Founder explains below—along with a bonus question on deciphering the different colors of our period blood.
So the question becomes: How do we soothe some of the effects of these prostaglandins? There are a few at-home methods that have been shown to provide some relief for cramps and body aches during this time—namely, applying heat by way of a heating pad or warm bath. But for those digestion-specific issues like bloating, it's worth supplementing with vitamins that were designed to sync with your cycle and its related symptoms. Our Cycle Support Pack was created with precisely this in mind: Each pack contains a set of Bloat Relief capsules that are meant to be taken during your menstrual phase, to relieve some of the digestive issues we face during this time.*
Shop the Article:
Curious how to target other symptoms throughout your cycle? Learn more.