5 Ways Your Period Messes With Your Pooping Habits Plus And How To Avoid I

As if the mood swings, cramps, and cravings didn’t make that time of the month your least favorite time, there’s a good chance your cycle can also wreak havoc on your going-to-the-bathroom routine. Here’s exactly what happens to your tummy when you’ve got your period—and how to get sh*t under control—literally:
During the first few days of your period, your body releases prostaglandins—hormone-like compounds that have a ton of complex roles, including triggering the uterus to contract (hello, cramps). Unfortunately, these prostaglandins don’t just stay in the uterus; some stray over to your bowel, prompting it to contract (and, well, you know what happens from there). “Prostaglandins have an effect on smooth muscle, and the bowel is actually a smooth muscle,” says
Jennifer Gunter, M.D., an ob-gyn in San Franciso and a popular blogger.
However, not all women get this extra movement, says Gunter. When women poop more during their cycle, it’s often due to an excess of prostaglandins; if you tend to get stopped up, it can be because your body makes fewer prostaglandins.

Once again, those prostaglandins are to blame for seemingly out-of-nowhere bouts of diarrhea during the first couple days of your period. In fact, it could be a sign that you have an especially large amount of prostaglandins floating through your body. “Looser stools than normal, having to go to the bathroom more often, and feeling more urgency—like, I gotta go now —are all very common side effects of a sharp rise in prostaglandins,” says Gunter.
A lot of women change their diet before and during their period, says Gunter, and if you’re crowding out fiber-rich fruits and veggies with simple carbs and sugar, that will change your usual bowel movement habits and you may find yourself pooping less.
Ironically, stressing about whether or not you’ll make it through your commute without having to use the (gross) train toilet or feeling anxious about stinking your new boyfriend out of the bathroom can make your situation worse and make you have to go more, says Gunter. “There are more neurons in the gastrointestinal tract than in your brain and spinal cord,” she says. “When you get nervous, it throws your bowels out of whack.”
Luckily, there are things you can do to keep your pooping routine running smoothly during that time of the month.
This prevents the release of prostaglandins, limiting the amount that will float around your body during the first few days of your cycle (and lowering your likelihood of experiencing bowel issues as a result). “The key is to start the ibuprofen before your period starts,” says Gunter. “Otherwise, you’re playing catch-up and won’t get the same preventative effect.”
Want some inspiration to avoid caving in to those PMS cravings for chocolate, bread, and anything fried? Keep in mind that all of the foods that typically cause digestive woes will wreak even more havoc when you’ve got your period. Another tip: Avoid gastrointestinal stimulants, such as coffee, prunes, and too much water if you tend to poop more on your period; do the reverse if you’re more likely to be constipated.

Women release more prostaglandins when they ovulate along with their cycle. Since birth control pills prevent ovulation, your period will come with a lot less poop-inducing prostaglandins if you’re on the Pill. (This also explains why you might experience more cramps when you go off the Pill, says Gunter.) However, Gunter warns that going on the Pill is an extreme treatment if all you’re really trying to do is treat out-of-whack pooping habits that only last for a day or two.
We get it: It’s not exactly like poop is at the top of your list of topics to talk about. But if your bowels are typically screwy—and get even screwier when you have your period—it could point to a bigger problem, says Gunter. “About 12 percent of the population has irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], a condition where you might have alternating constipation and diarrhea—and IBS symptoms can get worse when you menstruate,” she says. If you suspect you might be dealing with IBS, talk to your doctor or gynecologist about treatment options that’ll help you find relief all month.