Society shuns away from the difficult topics but we have to know…what is period poop and why is there so much of it?
“What is period poop?”; “Why do I poop so much on my period?”; “Why does it hurt to go?”. And these are just some of the things you could think to ask!
Here, we’ve set out a friendly, helpful guide of answers to everything you’ve ever wanted or needed to know about period poop. We’ve also added a few tips on what you can do to help yourself.
Period poop is pretty much exactly how it sounds: a poo you take on your period.
However, you might have noticed it’s probably be a bit different to the ones you have when you’re not on your more delicate days, when talking about the consistency, frequency, and (unfortunately) the smell as well.
But before we get into all of that, it’s important to remind you that period poos are perfectly normal and are actually really common. There’s nothing to feel embarrassed about when you need to know what’s going on in your body, no matter where in the body the “goings on” happen to be.
Throughout a menstrual cycle, a person’s hormones are on a kind of rollercoaster ride. Right before your period starts, your body will stock up high on the hormone progesterone just in case you get pregnant. Then, when you’re on your period, this will drop away again and your body will increase levels of compounds called prostaglandins. These make your womb muscles contract to help break down the uterine lining.
What does this have to do with period poop, exactly? The release of prostaglandin compounds are supposed to target your uterus at this time but if too many are produced they can enter your bloodstream.
If the prostaglandins travel to other organs, including your bowels and the rest of your digestive system, they’ll do what they do best and encourage your organs to basically clear themselves out. This results in you needing the bathroom more often. Low levels of progesterone can also make you need to go more.
Our menstrual cycle hormones can leave us feeling all over the place, especially in terms of anxiety. This increase in stress can also be one of the contributing factors to needing the bathroom more while you’re on your period.
You might need to go more often but why on earth is your poop now suddenly green? The simple answer is your hormones. The same hormones that are causing you to go more often are also changing the texture and colour of your poop. But it should quickly return to normal - even if it seems like you're waiting forever for your period to come to an end.
PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome causes a variety of side effects, including low mood. It can cause:
It is recommended to:
If your mood is not getting better, it is best to reach out to your GP for advice and medication to help make you feel better for when Mother Nature next visits.
Having all those prostaglandins or that lack of progesterone in your body doesn’t just make you want to poop more at a comfortable, natural rate. One or both can also give you diarrhoea.
If you’re a coffee-lover, this can also make you poop more than you normally would, especially during a period. This is because coffee has a laxative effect ‒ nothing to do with any of your hormones this time but you might want to ease up on the coffee if it's getting in the way of your day-to-day.
We all know that it seems like a huge irony, having two symptoms of PMS and being on a period that is the complete opposite of each other. But, it is possible to be on your period and not poop more, but actually end up pooping less.
This is, again, to do with progesterone and prostaglandins, but it happens when you’ve got the opposite problem to those with diarrhoea on their periods. If you have too much progesterone in your body and not enough prostaglandins, you’re likely to end up constipated because your digestion will slow down.
If this is causing you significant discomfort, consult with your GP who might be able to prescribe laxatives.
If it hurts to go while you’re on your period, there could be a few things that are happening in your body:
According to BMC Women’s Health, people also report greater sensitivity to pain and feelings of discomfort while they’re in the premenstrual phase, as well as when they’re on their actual periods. The sensitivity might be why it hurts more to go when you’re on or coming up to your period.
It’s totally normal to confuse the pain and discomfort of period cramps with needing to go. Again, we have prostaglandins to thank for that! The easiest way to tell is to notice if there’s any feeling of pressure anywhere around your pelvis, lower back, or even occasionally your bottom.
If you feel any pressure in any of these places, you’ve got period cramps and probably don’t need to go. Though you may want to try and go anyway, just to be sure!
Another side effect of PMS that we can get (and sometimes love, if we feel like indulging) is food cravings. Progesterone can make you want foods you might not eat otherwise, or might give you a stronger compulsion to eat. The change in your diet affects the smell of your poo, and can also lead to those “period farts” we all want to avoid (more on that later).
Of course, any bowel movement you have during a period is likely to involve menstrual blood as well, which has its own smell. Other people shouldn’t be able to smell this, though, and it’s a sign that your vagina is healthy if it has its own distinctive odour.
You might have noticed you’re more gassy during your period, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Again we have hormones to thank but this time, it’s our estrogen. Estrogen rises in the days leading up to your period which can cause gas, constipation and trapped gas in your intestines.
Sometimes our tighter pairs of jeans are just a no-go until your period goes away. But why? They fit just last week!
An increase in oestrogen causes your body to retain more water and salt, which swells the cells in our body that look like bloating. We find people get self-conscious about this, worrying that they look like they could be pregnant instead or gained weight but it’s just our body’s way of protecting us while it puts us through hell for about a week.
The way your pelvic muscles are arranged means that going to the toilet during a period can sometimes make your tampon come out. Even if you do pelvic floor exercises, your muscles all down there are connected - why do you think people often poop when giving birth? - so you might prefer to change your tampon when you do go to the bathroom. Straining especially hard when you need to poo can also be the reason this is happening for you.
If you’re able to go without your tampon coming out, there shouldn’t be any reason to change it unless you get poo on the string. This is because it’ll have harmful bacteria in it that could cause an infection, so it’s best to keep it away from your body.
If you’d prefer to change your tampon every time you go to the bathroom, that’s up to you. Otherwise, you can just hold the string out of the way while you go.
Wiping while you’re on your period isn’t going to be nice. If you’re not using a tampon it can even get quite messy! You’ll still need to do it, of course, but you might want to find biodegradable wipes that aren’t perfumed or covered in chemicals so that your skin doesn’t dry out or become irritated. Finishing off with some wet toilet paper can also provide relief, if you don’t have any wipes.
We’d suggest not getting “flushable” wipes, as these can be bad for your drains.
You might not be able to get around it entirely because everyone poos, but if you want to make it less painful or don’t want to poop so much, there might be a few things you can do:
If you’ve tried the remedies we’ve suggested and you’ve found that a trip to the bathroom still hurts, or is still causing you a lot of discomforts, then there might be another gastrointestinal or gynaecological condition behind it. There are several common conditions that are affected by the menstrual cycle, including:
You’ll need to get medical advice or talk to your doctor or health provider if the problem doesn’t get better, gets worse, or if you experience:
A doctor should be able to suggest a range of different treatments, including hormonal birth control (like the oral contraceptive pill). This can help to regulate your hormone levels, and might help with the more painful and uncomfortable symptoms of PMS.
We know all about uncomfortable moments involved with periods, including everything around period poop. If you need a new hygiene product that won’t move when you’re on the toilet, or even if you’d just like something super-soft and ultra-absorbent to wear on heavier days, why not check out our collections?
Our leak-proof period pants are designed to hold between half and five whole tampons’ worth of flow, all while keeping you dry and fresh with an in-built moisture wicking layer. When you decide on a tummy-hugging, high waisted pair, you’ll even get a little extra protection and security against bloating!
Find your perfect fit online and buy a set or two today to see how they feel. We’ve even got a 60-day money-back guarantee if you don’t feel like your monthly cycle has changed forever after trying them out!
