Right, So This Is Why You Poo More When You’re On Your Period

As if there weren’t enough things to deal with during your period; nasty cramps, bloating, and breakouts to name a few, you may have noticed another sly side effect of being on your lady flow, and that’s more frequent trips to the loo.

But it’s not just a figment of your imagination. You really do need to poo more often when Aunty Flo’s in town. So what gives?

In a Gross Science video, host Anna Rothschild explains what’s going on and not surprisingly, it’s all down to hormones. You see, two bodily chemicals, prostaglandins and progesterone are responsible for your extra trips to the toilet.

Prostaglandins tell your uterus to contract so you can push out the uterine lining. Unfortunately, sometimes they can also wreak havoc on your digestive system, causing you to feel gassier and making you need to go more frequently.

Then add the double whammy of Progesterone. Anna explains that higher levels of it can have a constipating effect, but when you’re on your period, and levels of the hormone are at an all-time low, it can, er, help loosen things up, explaining why you need to dash off to the loo, AGAIN.

Watch the video below to find out what else Anna has to say about being on your lady flow.

• menstruation
• Period