PCOS Bloating During Ovulation: What You Need to Know

I can safely say that almost every woman experiences bloating at some point during her menstrual cycle, especially during ovulation. It can be super uncomfortable, but it’s usually nothing to worry about. However, for some women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) deal with intense bloating and sometimes without relief throughout the cycle due to the hormonal imbalance in their bodies. 

(Not so) Fun Fact: Bloating is one of the most common symptoms of PCOS, with 75% of women reporting feelings of bloating in a 2021 study. That’s a lot!  

While bloating is extremely common in women with and without PCOS, there are proven ways to get relief. To help ease your gas and bloat, I’m diving into exactly how PCOS affects bloating during ovulation and some ways to help reduce the discomfort. 

PCOS Bloating During Ovulation: What You Need to Know

While most women will experience bloating during ovulation, Cysters with PCOS may experience chronic bloating throughout the entire menstrual cycle. The hormonal imbalance caused by PCOS can cause irregular periods that can prolong the bloating beyond ovulation, since your body isn’t going through all the stages of the menstrual cycle properly. Beyond that, hormonal imbalances, inflammation, and insulin resistance caused by PCOS can worsen your gut health, which can lead to symptoms like food sensitivities, constipation, gas, bloating, and more!

To help you learn to manage PCOS symptoms, like bloating, I’m going to explain exactly what bloating is, why we experience it, and how you can overcome it with simple changes!

What is Bloating?

Have you ever woken up one day and struggled to get your favorite jeans buttoned, even though they fit the day before? It’s probably due to bloating! Bloating is when your belly feels full, tight, uncomfortable, and sometimes even painful due to excess gas. 

During the ovulation phase, estrogen levels and LH (luteinizing hormone) increase, which causes water retention. Our metabolism also slows down during ovulation, which means our food digests slower, making us feel gassy and bloated. This often results in women gaining 1 to 5 pounds during this time! 

It can be easy to tell when you are bloated. Common symptoms of bloating include:

• Abdominal pain or cramps
• Gas or burping
• Full or swollen stomach
• General physical discomfort

Can PCOS Cause Bloating During Ovulation?

Is PCOS the culprit of bloating during ovulation? PCOS can definitely make your bloating feel much worse during ovulation. This is mostly because women with PCOS also have to manage insulin resistance, hormonal imbalances, and inflammation that can lead to water retention and digestion issues. 

With bloating being a main symptom of PCOS, there is a direct correlation between PCOS and bloating during ovulation. 

How Does PCOS Cause Bloating?

Our hormones are responsible for regulating key functions in our body. For women with PCOS and hormonal imbalances, our bodies may feel a bit off. High androgen and low progesterone levels can cause the body to retain more water, leading to that uncomfortable, chronic, bloated feeling. 

However, during ovulation, your estrogen levels and LH increase to help release an egg down the fallopian tube, fulfilling the duty of this cycle phase. The catch is that the increase of these hormones also contributes to water retention. 

How to Reduce Bloating During Ovulation with PCOS

Be mindful of your diet.

When you’re feeling chronic bloating due to PCOS or just during ovulation, being mindful of your diet can help reduce it. Following an anti-inflammatory gluten and dairy-free diet, could ease the bloating. Try to eat plenty of protein and increase your fiber intake to help your digestion during this phase. 

It’s best to reduce your sodium (yes, try to find alternatives for those salty chips!) and avoid triggering foods like broccoli, beans, artificial sweeteners, and carbonated drinks. Your body will thank you! For the best PCOS-fighting meal plans, download The Cysterhood app. 

Stay hydrated.

It sounds counterproductive, but drinking more water and staying hydrated can actually reduce the water retention that leads to bloating during ovulation. A general rule of thumb is to drink two to three liters of water every day to stay hydrated. And you’ll experience more benefits than just reduced bloating your skin will thank you as well! 

Other than water, herbal teas such as ginger, spearmint, and peppermint can help reduce bloating as well. These herbs and ingredients can actually help the muscles in your digestive tract relax and stop contracting, which causes discomfort, cramps, gas, and bloating. Plus, our Testosterone Relief Tea can help balance the hormones that are causing the bloating in the first place. 

Exercise regularly.

When you retain water during ovulation, one of the best way to get rid of it is by sweating! Now, that doesn’t mean you have to run a marathon or go to a kickboxing class during the most sluggish feeling phase of your menstrual cycle. Instead, try low-impact, slow-weighted exercises like yoga, walking, stretching, pilates, and core strengthening activities. These are actually better for PCOS overall, since they don’t contribute to high cortisol or other hormonal imbalances. Here’s more on the dos and don’ts of PCOS exercise, but you can find specialized workout plans on The Cysterhood app. 

Manage stress. 

Women with PCOS also experience high cortisol levels, also known as the stress hormone. When this hormone is elevated, your body holds on to more water than it needs (water retention), leading to feelings of bloating. Use stress management techniques like yoga, meditation, self-care, and a wind-down routine before going to sleep!

Consider taking supplements. 

Even with a balanced diet, getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to thrive can be really difficult, especially with PCOS. However, when you have the right nutrient support, your body can carry out processes much easier. That means vitamins and supplements can help balance hormones, reduce inflammation, and improve insulin sensitivity, which are the three main culprits of most of your PCOS symptoms, including irregular periods and bloating. 

But . . . let’s be real. Walking down the supplement aisle is super overwhelming. You just don’t know what you need or how much you should spend! That’s why we created Ovafit. It’s a supplement line dedicated to people with PCOS and made super simple to fit into our busy lives. Our Metabolism Plus Bundle combined with Ovasitol Powder has pretty much everything your PCOS body needs to thrive nutritionally! If you’re asking what specifically is included to help with bloating, here’s what you’ve got:

• Ovasitol: Can help improve insulin levels, period regularity, and androgen hormone balance
• CoQ10: Can reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and balance sex hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone
• Omega-3: Can reduce inflammation, support gut health, regulate digestion, and reduce gas production 
• Curcumin: Can support overall digestion and reduce inflammation
• MetaMulti: Can help with bloating with vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin E, thiamin, magnesium, zinc, and more!

Take control of your PCOS bloating during ovulation! 

Don’t let your PCOS control how you feel. You have the power (and resources) to take back your body and reverse your symptoms. The next time you’re feeling bloating during ovulation or experience chronic bloating from PCOS, try to be mindful of your diet, do slow-weighted exercises, stay hydrated, reduce stress levels, and take supplements like my Metabolism Plus bundle and Ovasitol Powder. 

Take control of your bloating and start finding comfort in even the most difficult stages of your PCOS menstrual cycle!