As if the mood swings, cramps, and cravings didn’t make menstrual period our least favourite time of the month, there’s also a good chance that the cycle can wreak havoc on our bathroom routine. Ladies, you know what we’re talking about.
If you were born with a uterus and have been wondering why your business downtown kicks into overdrive whenever you have your period, question no more as Anna Rothschild of PBS’ digital series, Gross Science reports that there are two main chemical signals to blame for your stomach troubles, prostaglandins and progesterone.
Prostaglandins signal the uterus to contract, which pushes out your uterine lining, so you get your period. But what most likely happens, is some lost prostaglandins head over to your bowel and cause that to contract, making you feel like you have to poop and causing gas. Fun, right?
In addition, progesterone is a hormone that helps you maintain a pregnancy, whilee progesterone can make you a bit constipated. But progesterone levels drop during your period, causing the opposite effect. This is what causes diarrhea.
So while having to poop more during your period can stress you out, at least you know it’s totally normal. Of course, if you feel it’s affecting your life too much, ask your gyno about some options to help lessen the symptoms. Check out the entire Gross Science episode above, and learn even more about that time of the month.
