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There are tons of kinda gross things that happen during your period that can make you curse being a girl — at least for a day or two. One of those involves running to the bathroom way more than normal, and that might make you feel pretty icky. But there's a reason you poop more when it's that time of the month and it might not be fun, but it's totally normal.
Refinery29.com reports that there are two main chemical signals to blame for your stomach troubles: prostaglandins and progesterone. The below video from PBS show Gross Science explains more, but here's the deal:
Prostaglandins signal the uterus to contract, which pushes out your uterine lining, so you get your period. But what most likely happens, is some lost prostaglandins head over to your bowel and cause that to contract, making you feel like you have to poop and causing gas. Fun, right?
In addition, progesterone is a hormone that "helps you maintain a pregnancy," explains host Emily Rothschild in the video. And progesterone can make you a bit constipated. But progesterone levels drop during your period, causing the opposite effect. This is what causes diarrhea.
So while having to poop more during your period can stress you out, at least you know it's totally normal. Of course, if you feel it's affecting your life too much, ask your gyno about some options to help lessen the symptoms.
Check out the entire Gross Science episode below, and learn even more about that time of the month.
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