You're curled up on the couch with a hot pack on your lower belly, rocking back and forth in the fetal position as your husband gently pats your head because he has no clue what else to do for you. You're popping painkillers like candy, and you know the maximum amount of pills you're allowed to take in a day. The period cramps are back again! FML, you think, "I can't go in to work like this, I think I need to call in awkwardly to my male boss again...this sucks." Let me tell
Yup...it's a thing! Let me explain. As your period approaches, both your estrogen and progesterone levels start to drop. This drop signals the release of prostaglandins which help to contract the smooth muscles of the myometrium to shed the endometrium. Essentially, your uterus muscle is contracting to shed its lining and voilà. Your period! At the same time that the prostaglandins are having their effect on your uterine lining, some might also wander next door to your bowels
