Many women suffer from flatulence from time to time during their cycle, which can sometimes be unpleasant in everyday life. Bloating can also occur around ovulation. In this article, we explain the causes of this and give you some tips on how to get rid of these annoying digestive problems.
Ovulation and flatulence: The most important facts at a glance
- Hormonal water retention can lead to bloating in women around ovulation.
- Avoiding high-salt foods and flatulence can help to prevent water retention and bloating.
- Regular exercise boosts digestion, which can help relieve bloating, among other things.
- If your symptoms are severe or persistent, it is advisable to contact your gynaecologist to be sure.
Hormonal changes during your cycle
Your menstrual cycle is influenced by changes in your hormones. Depending on the phase of your cycle you are in, the level of certain hormones may be higher or lower. In addition to oestrogen, which is probably the best-known female hormone, luteinising hormone (LH) also plays an important role in this context.
Both the LH level and the oestrogen level rise in women when ovulation is imminent. This not only causes the follicle to burst so that the egg can enter the fallopian tube. In addition, the rise in hormone levels also causes your body to store water and you suddenly feel a little heavier.
Typical complaints around ovulation
As if the temporary weight gain wasn't enough for us women, around ovulation we often also have to deal with an unpleasant pulling sensation on the side of our abdomen and annoying bloating. Sometimes there is also spotting. Fortunately, these are usually only very light. Nevertheless, they are of course not something that has a positive effect on our mood.
The perfect hygiene product for spotting Period slip
If you experience spotting around ovulation or if your vaginal discharge increases dramatically during this phase of your cycle, it's best to wear a period panty with low to medium absorbency, such as our comfortable Weekiss Brazilian. That way, you don't have to worry about an unpleasant mishap in everyday life.
Relieve ovulation bloating with nutrition
Of course, hormonal changes and the associated water retention and bloating cannot be completely prevented. Nevertheless, you can have a significant influence on the severity of the symptoms with your diet.
This is true in both a negative and a positive sense. If you eat the wrong foods, you can increase the bloating during ovulation. With the right foods, on the other hand, you can reduce it considerably.
To this end, avoid foods that have a flatulence effect. These include legumes such as lentils and beans, and cabbage vegetables such as white cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Apart from that, you should avoid foods that are too high in salt, as this will increase water retention.
If you have a lot of bloating during ovulation, you can also try products such as fennel seeds, aniseed or caraway seeds.
Physical activity boosts digestion
Aside from your diet, a moderate exercise programme can also help you to boost your digestion and ultimately counteract your bloating.
You don't have to worry about running a half marathon every day or spending hours in the gym. All you need to do is exercise regularly and find a good balance between relaxation and physical activity.
Whether your exercise programme consists of a short jog, a few yoga exercises or something else entirely is secondary. The main thing is to have fun and get active.
Bloating before and after ovulation
Unfortunately, bloating is a well-known problem for many women, not only directly at ovulation, but also before and after. They often occur in direct connection with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), for example.
Basically, no matter when bloating occurs, you can usually manage it on your own with a combination of a balanced diet and exercise. So, in most cases, it's largely up to you to decide how much bloating before, during or after ovulation affects your quality of life.
Keep in mind, however, that recurrent, severe bloating can sometimes have a serious cause and you may need to see your gynaecologist soon.
Ovulation and bloating - our conclusion
As you can see, you are definitely not alone if you are experiencing bloating around ovulation. Fortunately, you can do a few things to counteract it yourself. Often a few changes in your diet and a little more exercise are all it takes. If this is not the case for you, we recommend that you get a check-up to be on the safe side. This is especially true if the flatulence is very severe or if you have other symptoms that you cannot control yourself.
