Period Poops!

Period Symptom Series

Last week we looked into the main reasons behind cyclical acne and how when your acne shows up can tell you more about why it’s showing up. Before that we looked at cravings-particularly in the luteal phase. First we covered cramps and the main root causes or reasons you may be experiencing cramps month-after-month.

This week we are covering Period Poops!

What’s the deal with period poops? What are the changes throughout our cycles?

Natural hormone fluctuation throughout the month can affect you’re having bowel movements (which should be happening at MINIMUM once per day, normal is 1-3x a day).

Your cycle day 1 is the first day of your period (full bleed, not spotting). Before your period inflammatory compounds called prostaglandins are released to help she the uterine lining. Prostaglandins can also affect your GI tract muscles since your uterus is nearby. This contraction can result in looser stools or even diarrhea on/around your period.

After your period your estrogen levels start to rise. You may experience more regular bowel movements during this phrase since prostaglandins aren’t on the rise and progesterone hasn’t kicked in yet. Typically you feel pretty good during the follicular phase with the rise in estrogen and increasing energy levels.

While you may feel good around ovulation, estrogen peaks, energy is up; right after you ovulate your corpus luteum (leftover sac from where the egg was released) starts releasing progesterone. While progesterone is needed for healthy fertility, it also has anti-anxiety benefits due to it’s connection with GABA (your natural relaxation mood chemical). BUT this can also have some relaxing effects on the GI tract muscles and slow things down resulting in some mid-cycle constipation.

In the second half of your luteal phase, your estrogen and progesterone start to drop and this can provide some constipation relief. As you approach your next period, prostaglandins are released again and the cycle goes on.

So, do you see these patterns in your cycle?

If you are experiencing any of the period symptoms we have been talking about, grab a complimentary discovery session so we can review them and make a plan of action to help you start feeling less and less of these symptoms. You can grab one below. Let’s get started!