Scarleteen

Really the title says it all. The first few days of my period, I poop very frequently along with terrible cramps. Sometimes I even experience diarrhea with my period, which is quite unpleasant. Are these kinds of changes normal durring one's period? Is there a way to prevent this? Or is it just part of my cycle?

Bowel issues during or around menstrual periods are very common, as we mention in our guide to menstruation on the site.

What you can do to help with this is mostly just doing what you can to eat well and avoid foods you find make this worse for you before and during periods. Dairy, sugar and junk food tend to be big offenders with gastrointestinal distress.