It’s a week before your period and you are backed up.
Like, you know you need to go, you can feel it in there, but nothing is happening. You’ve tried all the tricks too – drinking coffee, checking in on your fiber, talking walks, and doing the yoga stretches and self massages to see if things get moving.
As soon as your period arrives, your backed up issue turns into the opposite problem. Now you can’t stop going!
And honestly what’s worse than period poops? They are a whole different level of discomfort and you don’t know which you’d prefer – constipation during your luteal phase or loose stool during your period.
What’s going on with your digestion around your period?
To understand your digestion, first we need to talk about a hormone called prostaglandins.
Prostaglandins are a hormone that’s in charge of your inflammation, controlling your blood pressure, and blood clotting.
They also have a large role for the reproductive system! They regulate ovulation and the menstrual cycle, and they are used to induce labor (uterine contractions!).
Prostaglandins, if elevated, impact your intestines, which is what leads to your diarrhea and period poops when you are on your period.
However, when you are backed up (aka, constipated) this is connected to your progesterone levels. If your progesterone is low, it can slow your digestion and cause constipation.
What can you do to help?
Though it’s frustrating to experience one or both of these digestive issues around your period, you have more control over your digestion than you think.
If you’re looking to support your prostaglandins and progesterone to prevent diarrhea and constipation, here’s what you can do to help:
Increase fiber for better bowel movements.
Most people are not getting enough fiber, which can cause a back up in our system. And when we are not having bowel movements, we are more prone to estrogen dominance that leads to PMS symptoms. It’s a terrible cycle.
When you focus on your fiber intake and having regular bowel movements, it will help your period symptoms, but also improve your bowel movement.
For reference, aim for 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day – getting this through fruits, vegetables, beans, rice, oats, chia seeds, and more!
Drink plenty of water.
If you’re dehydrated, it makes it more difficult for your digestive system to do her thing. Dehydration slows down digestion.
Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day to help your digestive system!
Avoid dairy or processed foods if they worsen your bloating and gas.
If dairy is a trigger for your digestive system, it’s wise to avoid it where you can in your later luteal phase and during your period.
Processed foods are also higher in fat and can disrupt your digestive system, leading to more bloating and gas.
You may have other food triggers too that are impacting your bowel movements. When you are struggling with bloating, constipation, or diarrhea, take a look at what you’re eating around those times, write it down, and start spotting trends and patterns.
Drink ginger tea to soothe your stomach.
Ginger tea is an anti inflammatory tea and has antioxidants that our body needs. Calming down the inflammation in your gut will also lead to better and more consistent bowel movements.
For the most noticeable impact, drink ginger tea for 11 days in a row. You can start drinking the tea around ovulation (or for the entire month if you want!) to improve your luteal and menstruation digestion.
Take probiotics to support your gut.
Probiotics, yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut all have good bacteria in them that can improve your digestion.
On a plus side with probiotic-rich foods or supplements, by balancing your gut with healthy bacteria, you will see improvements in your anxiety (hello, PMS), mood swings, and have a stronger immune system.
I’d love to hear from you! Do you have a funky digestive system around your period? Have you found anything that works for you outside of what I’ve recommended?
If you’re still struggling with your digestive system, especially around your period, take the Hormone Symptom Analyzer quiz to see what else is contributing to your symptoms.
Or let’s schedule a free Hormone Analysis Call to uncover what’s going on under the skin and what the next steps are for you to improve your digestion (and ultimately your period and hormones!).
