Bloating 101 & Why Digestive Issues Hit Women Harder

You wake up fine, eat breakfast, and by 3 p.m., your jeans feel like a corset. Bloating can be uncomfortable, distracting, and honestly — annoying. You’re not making it up, and you’re definitely not alone. Women report more digestive symptoms than men across the lifespan, especially around hormonal shifts (menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause). Research suggests conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are more common in women and often include bloating as a top complaint.¹

This guide breaks down why bloating hits women harder and what you can do (today) to feel better. 

Your gut has estrogen and progesterone receptors. When these hormones rise and fall, the muscles of the GI tract can speed up or slow down. Classic studies show GI transit time is slower in the luteal phase (when progesterone levels are higher), which can mean more constipation and, yep, bloating.² More recent reviews also link times of declining or low ovarian hormones (like the days around your period) with increased GI symptoms.³ During pregnancy, high progesterone and mechanical pressure can further slow motility.⁴

What this feels like: you may notice more gas, distension, or constipation the week before your period, during early pregnancy, or postpartum as hormones reset.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects 10–15% of adults, and multiple analyses report it’s about twice as common in women as in men.⁵ ^,⁶ Bloating and abdominal pain are core symptoms. While IBS is a functional GI disorder (no visible inflammation like in Irritable Bowel Disorder (IBD)), it’s very real and very treatable.

The pelvic floor is the “trampoline” of muscles that support your bladder, uterus, and bowel. Pregnancy and birth can stretch or weaken these muscles, sometimes leading to constipation, incomplete emptying, or difficulty passing gas—all of which can amplify bloating. New research highlights a high rate of pelvic floor dysfunction in the early postpartum period, underscoring the value of assessment and rehab.⁷ ^,⁸

Stress ramps up the nervous system and can change how your gut moves and how strongly you perceive sensations (aka visceral hypersensitivity). Many women notice flares during high-stress weeks. Gentle movement, breathwork, and adequate sleep genuinely help (more on that below).

Common and usually manageable:

• Feeling gassy or distended after larger meals or carbonated drinks

• Cycle-related bloating that tracks with your period and eases within a few days

• Occasional bloating with known triggers (e.g., garlic, beans, onions)
  
  

Get checked sooner rather than later if you have:

• Unintentional weight loss, blood in stool, persistent vomiting

• Nighttime symptoms that wake you up regularly

• New severe symptoms after age 40

• Family history of celiac disease, IBD, or colon cancer

• Persistent change in bowel habits (more than a few weeks)

FODMAPs are types of fermentable carbohydrates (like those in garlic, onions, apples, wheat, and some dairy) that can pull water into the gut and feed gas-producing bacteria, leading to more bloating for some people. The low-FODMAP diet isn’t forever; it’s a 3-step protocol (short elimination → structured reintroduction → personalizing long-term).

• In randomized trials, a low-FODMAP diet reduced IBS symptoms, especially pain and bloating, more than standard dietary advice.⁹ ^,¹⁰
  
  

• Follow this with a registered dietitian to keep nutrition balanced and avoid being overly restrictive long-term. Some evidence suggests prolonged, strict FODMAP restriction can reduce beneficial gut microbes—so the reintroduction phase matters.¹¹

Try this: For 2–4 weeks, dial down common FODMAP triggers (e.g., swap onion/garlic for infused oils, choose lactose-free dairy, limit apples/stone fruit/cauliflower/beans). Then reintroduce one category at a time to identify your personal limits.

Fiber is not one-size-fits-all. The wrong type (or too much too fast) can worsen bloating. Evidence consistently favors soluble fiber, especially psyllium, for IBS and constipation.¹² ^,¹⁴ Insoluble wheat bran, on the other hand, may worsen gas/bloating in some people.¹⁵

Try this:

• Aim for ~ 10–20 g/day of added soluble fiber (total dietary fiber ~25–30 g/day from food + supplements). Start low (e.g., ½ tsp psyllium in water once daily) and increase every 3–4 days as tolerated. Hydration is non-negotiable.

• Food-first wins: oats, chia, ground flax, kiwi, canned lentils (rinsed), citrus, carrots, zucchini, potatoes (cooled for resistant starch).

Sometimes your gut just needs a little backup. Three evidence-backed options that can help:

• Digestive enzymes support the breakdown of protein, carbs, and fat, so food doesn’t sit heavy.
  
  
• Probiotics can help balance gut flora and support smoother digestion.
  
  
• Herbs like ginger and fennel have a long history of easing gas and abdominal discomfort.

Try this: If you’d rather not juggle three different products, Bloat Baddie combines all of the above—enzymes, probiotics, and soothing herbs—into one formula designed to help ease post-meal bloat and gas.*

Gentle, regular activity (walks, yoga, cycling) can stimulate gut motility and ease stress. Even 10–20 minutes after meals can help gas move along. Prioritize 7–9 hours of sleep and consider a few minutes of diaphragmatic breathing before bed.

• Carbonation → still (or let your seltzer go flat)

• Gum/sugar alcohols → mint tea or regular sugar in small amounts
  

• Onion/garlic → infused oils and the green tops of scallions
  

• Huge meals → smaller, more frequent meals
  

• High-sodium takeout → home-cooked with herbs, citrus, and umami
  

If you’re straining, feel incomplete emptying, or routinely “can’t pass gas” (hello pressure-cooker belly), consider an evaluation with a pelvic floor physical therapist. Strengthening and coordination work can make a surprisingly big difference.⁷ ^,⁹

Breakfast: Overnight oats with chia, lactose-free milk, blueberries; coffee if you tolerate it
Lunch: Quinoa bowl with roasted zucchini, carrots, chicken or tofu; lemon/olive oil; handful of arugula
Snack: Kiwi + handful of walnuts
Dinner: Baked potato (cooled then reheated), salmon, sautéed spinach (garlic‑infused oil), side salad with cucumber and herbs
Evening: Herbal tea; short walk

Postpartum comes with big hormonal shifts, less sleep, and a recovering pelvic floor— all can magnify bloating. Keep meals simple and frequent, sip water all day, and give yourself time. If you’re breastfeeding and considering diet changes or supplements, run it by your provider. A pelvic floor PT can be a game-changer.

Bloating is common, valid, and fixable. For many women, dialing in hormone-aware habits, gentle nutrition tweaks (hello, soluble fiber, short low-FODMAP trial, and a supplement like  Bloat Baddie), stress care, and pelvic floor support can dramatically improve comfort. If red-flag symptoms show up, or if you’ve been toughing it out for months, loop in a doctor. You deserve to feel good in your body.

1. Chang L. Gender differences in irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology. 2002;123(5):1686-1701. doi:10.1053/gast.2002.36603.
   
   

2. Wald A, Van Thiel DH, Hoechstetter L, et al. Gastrointestinal transit: the effect of the menstrual cycle. Gastroenterology. 1981;80(6):1497-1500. PMID:7227774.
   
   

3. Heitkemper MM, Jarrett M, Cain KC, et al. Do fluctuations in ovarian hormones affect gastrointestinal symptoms? Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2009;21(2):141-149. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2982.2008.01247.x.
   
   

4. Alqudah M, Alzoubi KH, Alfaqih MA. Progesterone’s inhibitory role on gastrointestinal motility. J Endocr Soc. 2022;6(6):bvac072. doi:10.1210/jendso/bvac072.
   
   

5. JohnBritto JS, et al. Gender-specific insights into irritable bowel syndrome. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2024; (ahead of print).
   
   

6. Lacy BE, et al. ACG Clinical Guideline: Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116(1):17–44.
   
   

7. Wu JC, Zhang J, Cao M, et al. Pelvic floor dysfunction and electrophysiology in postpartum women. Front Physiol. 2023;14:1165583.
   
   

8. Gao Q, Chen Y, Lin H, et al. Pelvic floor dysfunction in postpartum women. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024;24: (Article 7071).
   
   

9. Eswaran SL, Chey WD, Han-Markey T, et al. A randomized controlled trial comparing the low-FODMAP diet vs. modified NICE diet in IBS. Gastroenterology. 2016;150(4):S563–S564. PMID:27725652.
   
   

10. Nanayakkara WS, Skidmore PM, O’Brien L, et al. Efficacy of the low FODMAP diet for treating IBS. Nutrients. 2016;8(9):E571.
    
    

11. Tunali V, et al. A multicenter randomized controlled trial of microbiome-targeted therapy and considerations about long-term FODMAP restriction. Am J Gastroenterol. 2024;119(9):—.
    
    

12. Bijkerk CJ, de Wit NJ, Muris JW, et al. Soluble or insoluble fibre in IBS? A randomized controlled trial. BMJ. 2009;339:b3154.
    
    

13. McRorie JW Jr. Evidence-based approach to fiber supplements and clinically meaningful health benefits. Nutrition Today. 2015;50(2):82–89.
    
    

14. Erdogan A, Rao SS, Thiruvaiyaru D, et al. Mixed soluble/insoluble fiber vs. psyllium for chronic constipation: RCT. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2016;28(5):832–840.
    
    
    

This content is educational and not medical advice. Always talk with your own healthcare provider about your specific symptoms and treatment options.