What Helps Period Bloating? Why You Feel So Puffy Before Your Period.

You wake up feeling fine.

Then your period gets closer and suddenly your jeans feel tighter, your stomach feels uncomfortable and you look in the mirror thinking:

“Why am I so bloated?”.

Period bloating is incredibly common, but it isn't necessarily just about eating too much or gaining weight.
Your menstrual cycle can influence fluid balance, digestion, gut motility and abdominal comfort.

Here's what's actually happening.

Period bloating isn't always “fat gain”.

One of the most important things to understand is that the sudden increase in abdominal size you notice around your period doesn't necessarily represent an increase in body fat.

Research tracking women throughout the menstrual cycle has found that perceived fluid retention changes across the cycle, with fluid-retention symptoms tending to be particularly noticeable around menstruation. [1]

In other words, that heavier, puffier feeling can be related to changes in fluid balance and it can happen surprisingly quickly.

Your hormones can affect your digestive system.

Your reproductive hormones don't only act on your reproductive organs.

Oestrogen and progesterone receptors are found throughout the gastrointestinal system, and fluctuations in these hormones can influence gut motility, transit time and sensitivity.

Progesterone, in particular, can influence smooth muscle activity within the digestive tract.

Research suggests that gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, altered bowel habits and bloating can change throughout the menstrual cycle. [2]

This helps explain why you might experience:

• Constipation before your period

• Increased gas

• A feeling of fullness

• Abdominal discomfort

• Changes in bowel movements

• General “puffiness”

It's not necessarily all happening for the same reason.

There's more than one type of “period bloat”.

When people say they're bloated, they could actually be describing several different things.

Fluid retention

Changes in fluid balance can make you feel swollen or puffy.

Slower digestion

Hormonal changes may affect gastrointestinal motility, meaning food and waste can move through the digestive system differently.

Constipation

If bowel movements become less frequent, your abdomen can feel noticeably fuller.

Gas

Changes in digestion and gut bacteria can contribute to increased gas and abdominal pressure. This is why simply drinking less water isn't necessarily the answer. In fact, staying hydrated is generally important for normal digestion.

What can help?

Eat regularly

Large meals can sometimes make an already uncomfortable stomach feel worse.
Try eating smaller, balanced meals throughout the day if you find large meals trigger discomfort.

Keep fibre consistent

Fibre is important for normal bowel function, but suddenly increasing your fibre intake dramatically canactually make bloating worse. Increase gradually and drink enough fluids.

Move your body

Walking, gentle exercise and regular movement can support normal bowel function and may help you feelless sluggish.

Watch your individual triggers

Some people notice that very salty foods, carbonated drinks or particular foods make their bloating worse.

The key word is individual

There is no universal “period bloating diet”.

What about supplements?

Soov created Deflate specifically around digestive and bloating support.

Its formula combines digestive enzymes including papain and bromelain with magnesium and botanical ingredients including fennel, peppermint, ginger, turmeric, dandelion and burdock. The aim is to support normal digestion and gut comfort throughout the month. [3]

For women whose bloating is part of a wider collection of PMS symptoms, Flow may also be worth considering as a daily cycle-support formula, containing magnesium and a range of vitamins, minerals and botanical extracts. [4]

The important distinction is that supplements aren't a substitute for investigating persistent or severe bloating.
If bloating is new, severe, persistent, associated with significant pain, unexplained weight loss, blood in your stool or other concerning symptoms, speak to your GP.

Your period doesn't have to mean feeling uncomfortable in your own body.

Period bloating can be frustrating because it can make you feel like your body has suddenly changed.

But understanding that your digestive system and fluid balance can respond to the hormonal environment of your cycle can make those changes much less mysterious.

Your body isn't “doing something wrong”.

It's responding to a constantly changing biological cycle.

Feeling bloated every month? Discover Soov Deflate →  Checkout Deflate here.

References:

[1] Prospective research on fluid retention across the menstrual cycle.

[2] Reviews examining sex hormones and gastrointestinal symptoms.

[3] Soov Deflate product formulation.

[4] Soov Flow product formulation.