Yes, Veronica, Period Poops ARE a real thing. 

Let's spill the tea on them.  

Hi, I'm Dr. Kelly Sadauckas (said-OW-skiss, thanks for asking).  I am a double board certified pelvic physiotherapist and in 2020, I created Pelvic Floored with the vision of saving the world, one pelvis at a time.  Our Mission is to reduce geographic, psychosocial and financial barriers to accessing kick-arse pelvic health care and information.  

Our blog today is going to discuss a very important topic: Period Poops!  

What is a period poop? 

I'm so glad you asked.  A period poop is an URGENT poop, experienced immediately before, or during, your period.  It might be combined with explosive diarrhea, or "knife butt" (or in some cases, "knife vag") pain.  It is very uncomfortable and while common, it is NOT NORMAL.  

Why do period poops happen? 

Period poops happen for many reasons, but the main two that we can throw under the bus are prostaglandins and rapidly reducing progesterone.  

1. Period Poops happen, in part, from prostaglandins. 

Prostaglandins are chemical messengers that help convey information about short term, local processes like inflammation, pain perception, and fever.  

Prostaglandins are released by the local cells of the uterine lining (the endometrium), when they die, and their presence triggers the uterus to contract, which then expels the lining (which is your monthly cycle).  

BUT...these prostaglandins are not 100% local, and some escape the local ueterus.  Just like the presence of prostaglandins in the uterus triggers uterine contractions, however, if these prostaglandins make their way over to the smooth muscle of the large intestine, they can trigger those muscles to contract as well!  This results in more frequent bowel movements during your period!!

AND, if the prostaglandin concentration is SUPER high (or in combination with an irritable bowel, or irritated pelvic nerves, etc), this more frequent bowel movement can be coupled with pelvic pain. 

2. Period Poops also happen, in part, from rapidly reducing progesterone. 

During the luteal phase (which is the two weeks leading up to your period), progesterone levels rise.  Progesterone has many functions, but importantly it functions as a relaxer of smooth muscles.  

The building up of progesterone in the two weeks prior to your period can slow down your poop formation and mobility.  THEN...progesterone rapidly drops as your cycle starts (or is about to start), and this, coupled with the presence of prostaglandins, can combine to result in that HUGE (sometimes urgent) period poop!

So you are not crazy. Period poops ARE a thing.  But they shouldn't hurt, or be emergent, and certainly not be combined with "knife butt" or "knife vag". 

How do I reduce painful or urgent period poops?

Another great question, my friend! Despite the real reason for period poops, there ARE certain things we can do to reduce pain and urgency associated with them.  Here's my top recommendations: 

1. See a Pelvic Physio in Person

They are the single best medical professionals to assess and treat any underlying pelvic floor dysfunction, which is likely the root of your pain and urgency.  Let's make these period poops be a FABULOUS experience, rather than a troublesome one :) Here's how to find a pelvic PT near you. 

2. If you can't see a pelvic physio in person, try a trusted online course!

Like Poop Lab, where you'll learn about how to coordinate your pelvic floor for optimal poops!

3. Consider pelvic floor relaxation tools

The Cooch Ball, Pelvic Wands and Rectal Dilators are my favorites, but there are a million more tools for you to explore.  Remember to use coupon code Kelly21 for 20% off any Intimate Rose product (the wands and dilators)!!  Also The Pelvic People have some great tools for reducing excessive pelvic floor tone. 

4. THEN, learn how to engage your deep core WITHOUT overusing your pelvic floor muscles

Your pelvic floor muscles contribute HUGELY to painful and urgent poops, at all times, but especially at period time.  Relaxing them, with tools listed in #3, is amazing, BUT you ALSO need to learn how to move and use your body without returning to your "hyperactive pelvic floor" state.  There are plenty of free blog posts, and Instagram posts dedicated to this idea.  But if you need more personal direction, a trained pelvic physio can work with you on this.  I also go over it in Treasure Chest, Leak Lab and Poop Lab, viewable on my shop.  

5. Finally, be mindful of your water and nutrition intake!

Dehydration, and eating foods that do not agree with you, can contribute to painful and urgent bowel movements at anytime, but especially during period time. 

Being mindful to hit your hydration targets, as well as fiber targets (25-30grams a day) and protein targets (at least 60 grams a day if you're an adult, with closer to 90-100 being a more appropriate "bare minimum").  And LISTEN to your body.  If it doesn't love lentils...don't eat lentils!!  If it doesn't love cottage cheese, don't eat cottage cheese!  It's pelvic health, not rocket science!  

That's the skinny on period poops, and what you can do to make them less painful and urgent!

I hope you learned something from this!  If it was useful to you, please share it with a colleague, friend or family member!  And if you have additional questions or comments, feel free to drop them below!  Thanks for being here!  Together we WILL save the world, one pelvis at a time.

XOXO
Dr. Kelly 💋