Gut feelings: bloating and period poos

Bloated jeans before your period, then dashing to the loo on day one? Totally normal. In one study of 156 healthy women, almost three in four had at least one tummy symptom, such as pain, diarrhoea or constipation, in the days before or during their period.

What is going on

The NHS says some people feel bloated around the time of their period. The most common reason for bloating is gas in the gut. Once your period starts, prostaglandins, the chemicals that make your womb contract, are thought to affect the bowel too, which may be why looser poos are common in the first days.

Things that may help

• Eat smaller, regular meals and chew with your mouth closed, to swallow less air.
• Move your body. The NHS says exercise helps digestion and can help when you are already bloated.
• Drink plenty of water, and go easy on fizzy drinks.
• If constipation is part of it, foods with soluble fibre like oats and linseed can help. Build fibre up slowly.
• Gently massage your tummy from right to left to release trapped wind.
• Notice your personal triggers. The NHS mentions some vegetables, beans, lentils, fizzy drinks, alcohol and caffeine, but triggers differ for everyone.
• A pharmacist can suggest treatments like simeticone for bloating, or something for constipation.