X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parenting & Play by Friso
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Ages & Stages
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-schooler
    • Kids
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • Money Parenting
    • Tips for Parents
    • Tips for Toddlers
    • Tips for Older Kids
    • The 5 Personas
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Bloated? Your hormones are to blame. Here’s what you can do about it

3 min read
Bloated? Your hormones are to blame. Here’s what you can do about itBloated? Your hormones are to blame. Here’s what you can do about it

The good news is that bloating is relatively harmless, and women shouldn’t worry too much about it.

Mums, do you constantly feel as though your belly is about to explode? You’re not alone. Many women experience bloating at some point or another.

Not only is it unsightly, making you look like you have ingested two extra meals, but it is also annoyingly uncomfortable.

Published in International Scholarly Research Notices, Gastroenterology, a study revealed that 10 – 25 percent of healthy people experience bloating. However, more women suffer from it than men, and it has something to do with their hormones.

Menstruating women can attest to that.

“You can blame your hormones,” says to Dr. Carrie Smith, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, in a TODAY story. “Before menopause, for most women, bloating generally is a monthly occurrence, and follows a pattern.”

Part of the menstrual cycle which causes bloating is called the luteal phase, which begins right after ovulation and lasts for about two weeks.

The uterine lining starts to prepare for a possible pregnancy during this period, and estrogen then takes a bit of a nose-dive and then begins to rise and remains high.

Another hormone also kicks in: Progesterone.

All these changes play havoc on women’s digestive tract.

“When estrogen is high, women seem to retain more water,” said Dr. Holly Thacker, director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Specialised Women’s Health.

Water retention equals bloat.

Find out what you can do about bloating on the next page

The TODAY report also says: “Some of the effects of progesterone—when it's high, like during the luteal phase of menstruation, right after ovulation—include what doctors call delayed GI transit time, which means exactly what you think it does: food moves more slowly through your intestine, resulting in constipation and bloating.

“However, when progesterone decreases and bleeding begins, you may experience an increase in bowel activity. That means some women may get diarrhoea and bloating.”

Not only that, women bloat through the ages, whether you’re a young woman or already in your mid-ages.

Dr. Lori Tishler, medical director for the Phyllis Jen Center for Primary Care at Brigham and Women's Hospital says that when women’s estrogen begins to fluctuate at peri-menopausal stage (mid-forties), it results in water retention, gas, bloating.

It’s common for pregnant women too to bloat. "There are higher levels of progesterone and your intestine slows down," she says. "Basically, slower contractions mean potential constipation, gas, and bloat."

The good news is that bloating is relatively harmless, and women shouldn’t worry too much about it.

"Many women worry that something really bad is going on, and part of our job as doctors is to reassure them that sometimes bloating is really nothing more than just bloating," Dr. Tishler says. "But we all know it's not much fun."

To alleviate the discomfort of bloating, Dr. Tishler suggest taking in more fibre to help stool move smoothly through the intestines, as well as doing more exercise and taking in more water to hydrate.

"That's all the stuff that people don't want to hear, but it does work," she explains.

 

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below or check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful parenting news and tips . 

Partner Stories
Experiencing Mood Swings, Irregular Periods and Weight Gain Among Other Things? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hormonal Imbalance
Experiencing Mood Swings, Irregular Periods and Weight Gain Among Other Things? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hormonal Imbalance
Is the Spice in Your Life Taking a Toll on Your Tummy?
Is the Spice in Your Life Taking a Toll on Your Tummy?
Read This Before You Enjoy the Satisfaction of Cracking Your Joints!
Read This Before You Enjoy the Satisfaction of Cracking Your Joints!
Pregnancy 101: 6 Types of Pains and Ways to Manage Them
Pregnancy 101: 6 Types of Pains and Ways to Manage Them

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

James Martinez

  • Home
  • /
  • Health
  • /
  • Bloated? Your hormones are to blame. Here’s what you can do about it
Share:
  • Baby's stomach is bloated

    Baby's stomach is bloated

  • 7 Things You Should Know About Your Baby’s Tummy

    7 Things You Should Know About Your Baby’s Tummy

  • "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

    "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

  • Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

    Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

app info
get app banner
  • Baby's stomach is bloated

    Baby's stomach is bloated

  • 7 Things You Should Know About Your Baby’s Tummy

    7 Things You Should Know About Your Baby’s Tummy

  • "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

    "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

  • Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

    Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2022. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.