Periods and upset stomach-TMI warning

[Whowhatnow99]

I need to preface this with my real worry, when DD was born (10 years ago) I was told I may end up incontinent due to a difficult delivery which involved forceps, an episiotomy and (I think) a tear. The hospital were awful, gave me very little information about exactly what had happened during DD's birth and I still don't know why exactly they said this or exactly what damage I had sustained. I healed pretty well and haven't really had any problems since fortunately, until recently.

So now I'm 10 years down the line, in my 40's and starting to see some changes in my periods so am assuming I'm entering peri. Periods are still ok, still reasonably predictable and not massively heavy although a little more so than they used to be. But every so often I seem to get diarrhoea when I'm on my period and, not to put too fine a point on it, I don't seem to be able to 'hold' it I get little or no warning and then 'it's' happening before I can get to the loo. This has happened a handful of times over the last few months.

I know I probably have to see the GP about it, and I will when I've plucked up the courage but I just wanted to know whether this had happened to anyone else and how likely it is to be connected to DD's birth? Also whether there is likely to be treatment and if so what? Feel so embarrassed and worried about what this means for the future but it isn't something I can talk to anyone in rl about. I have NC'd for obvious reasons

If your periods are a little more heavy, the diarrhoea might be the extra - I want to say? - prostaglandins. And also the same contractions that push out the blood, push out faeces. It's one of the reasons I'm on th pill to make my periods lighter - directly affects my bowel movements.

The inability to hold it could be symptomatic of a prolapse. But I would have thought that would have given you issues since the birth - unless you have gained significant weight, or your pelvic floor has otherwise weakened.

Probably best to see GP if you're concerned x

I get this too, although not to the extent of fecal incontinence. TMI here too but a few days before my period starts I have a couple of days of noisy, putrid flatulence, then diarrhoea during my period, then a few days of minor urinary incontinence, which I sort out with a pelvic floor TENS machine. This has only happened since my daughter was born ~6 years ago. Clearly my entire pelvic floor area gets completely thrown by periods. So glam.

It sounds like you have it much worse than me and need to go to the GP. They won’t be fazed at all so don’t feel embarrassed. I visited mine for the urinary incontinence and they were really good at referring me straight away to see a specialist.

I get it too. Its the hormones