Why Does Your Period Affect Your Poop?

I’m so glad you asked this. We so rarely talk about periods in general. And when we do, it tends to be really limited in terms of what we talk about.

And so many people have these experiences with their bodies around their periods and have no idea that what they’re going through is normal because we never talk about it.

The short answer is because of hormones. Sort of. Specifically it’s tied to prostaglandins which are hormone-like lipids.

The hormonal changes that happen throughout someone’s cycle has the potential to impact almost every part of the body.

I’m not going to go through a phase-by-phase explanation of each of the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle. Because when I do this in person, people’s eyes tend to glaze over. And I think it makes it easy to get lost in some of the details.

If a phase-by-phase explanation is something that you do want me to talk about, then just ask me!

I am going to talk about the menstrual phase since that’s when you have your period and when your poop changes.

During this phase, most of the hormones involved in the menstrual cycle are at their lowest point.

This is when you’re probably pretty tired. You’ll feel cramping as you bleed. Your breasts are tender. You’re probably bloated. And you may or may not get headaches.

To help normalize this, you may get some of these symptoms, or maybe all of them and more I haven’t listed. Or you may get none. Everyone’s body is different so don’t worry if your period symptoms are different from what I’ve mentioned.

Let’s get to the poop. There are hormones that are responsible for your uterine cramping. This cramping is what leads to the shedding of the uterine lining.

These hormones also impact the muscles in and around your gut. This means that you’re probably pooping more frequently. And the poop is looser than usual.

Can you do anything about period poop? The best thing you can do is to watch what you’re eating and try and stay hydrated.

I say this knowing full well that many people find that not so healthy comfort food makes them feel better during their period. So if the period poop is bothering you, then you may want to try and balance food that makes you happy with the food that makes your gut happy.

Hydration is always important. But especially if you’re having a lot of diarrhea during your period.

Two last thoughts on period poop.

Some people may have the opposite of period poop. Instead of really loose poop, they may get constipated. This is also caused by hormones.

If this is happening to you, try the same things I listed earlier. Eat well and stay hydrated. You might want to try some light exercise if you feel up to it. Exercise helps move things along through the gut and may help with constipation (period related or not).

Last thought – if there is blood in your poop, that’s not normal. If this is happening, consider going to a health care provider. Same thing if the pain during pooping is debilitating. Or if you’re running a fever.

Until next time, be safe, and have fun!

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