Bloating in menopause: changing digestion & hormones

Part 3 – Bloating in Menopause

If you’re in perimenopause or menopause and dealing with IBS, you may feel like your body is working against you. Your gut feels unpredictable, your energy is already low, and even eating a normal meal can leave you feeling uncomfortable and out of sorts.

Many women I work with describe feeling like their stomach has turned into a pressure cooker – swollen, sore, and heavy. Others say food sits inside them like it’s stuck, and everything feels sluggish. By the evening, clothes feel tight and uncomfortable, and the idea of eating dinner feels more risky than a pleasure.

It’s not just the physical discomfort that’s difficult. It’s the constant mental load. Wondering what’s safe to eat, worrying about symptoms at work. Maybe you feel guilty for cancelling plans because your gut has flared again.

When you’re already busy, stressed, and tired, gut symptoms can feel like the last straw.

Why menopause makes bloating worse

Hormone changes at this stage of life can stir up IBS symptoms and make bloating more frequent and intense.

Here’s how hormone changes affect your gut:

• Digestion slows down – with less progesterone, food can take longer to move through the intestines, leading to constipation and more gas.

• Reduced bile flow – bile helps digest fats, supports motility and it is also antimicrobial, helping to keep the small intestine clean. When bile is sludgy you might find more constipation, or trouble digesting fats.

• Your gut might become sensitive – lower oestrogen makes nerves in the digestive tract more sensitive, so a small amount of gas can feel like painful pressure.

• The balance of gut bacteria shifts – this can mean more fermentation (which means more gas), and less predictability in your bowel habits. Read more about hormones and gut bacteria.

• Fluid balance changes – hormone fluctuations can affect water retention which can leave you feeling puffy.

Add in disrupted sleep, stress, or coping with hot flushes and fatigue, and it can all feel too much to cope with.

How bloating shows up in peri-menopause

Bloating in menopause doesn’t always look the same for everyone, but it often feels like:

• Waking up with a normal stomach but by evening looking and feeling like you’ve got a balloon inside you

• Pressure and pain after meals that make it hard to focus on anything else

• Being scared to eat certain foods in case they trigger a flare

• Feeling full after just a few bites, like your stomach has no space left

• Straining on the toilet, only to feel like you haven’t finished

This daily discomfort can chip away at your confidence and your ability to show up in daily life.

What can help ease menopause bloating

While there’s no single solution for perimenopausal digestive issues, small changes can make a real difference.

1. Keep track, without obsessing
Noticing which foods or situations make symptoms worse can help you find patterns. Right now it might feel like every food is a danger. But the path to relief isn’t more restriction. When you understand what your gut actually needs you can feel more relaxed about mealtime.

2. Rethink fibre
If you’re constipated, gently increasing soft, soluble fibre like oats or psyllium husk can help. But for some women, too much rough fibre (like lots of raw salad or bran) makes bloating worse.

The balance is different for everyone. A good place to start is low FODMAP vegetables and fruits because these are less likely to cause bloating but keep the gut regular.

3. Use the low FODMAP framework wisely
Reducing certain fermentable foods can bring relief, but it’s not about restriction forever. Think of it as a short-term experiment to uncover your biggest triggers, so you can feel more confident about food again. If you want support with following the Low FODMAP Diet check out the Ultimate Guide to the Low FODMAP Diet.

4. Support your gut’s rhythm

• Drink water steadily through the day – aim for 2 litres.

• Move your body regularly – even a short walk helps keep things flowing and can release gas

• Eat meals at consistent times so your digestion has a routine – don’t be tempted to skip meals to avoid bloating.

5. Build balanced meals
Midlife is a time when protein, calcium, and healthy fats matter more than ever. But watch portion sizes of protein powders, bars, or diet foods, which can sometimes make IBS symptoms worse.

6. Care for your nervous system
Your gut feels your stress, worry, or lack of sleep. Create some self care practices that make you feel good. 

Creating moments of calm, even just five minutes of breathing before meals, can help your body shift from ‘fight or flight’ into ‘rest and digest’. 

When to see your GP

Bloating is common, but it’s worth checking if you notice:

• Symptoms that are new or suddenly worse

• Ongoing bloating that doesn’t improve

• Unexplained weight loss

• Blood in your stool

• Major changes in bowel habits

These can sometimes signal something more serious, so don’t ignore them.

Summary

If you’re feeling weighed down by bloating during menopause, you’re not being dramatic – it really is bloody exhausting. The combination of hormone shifts and IBS can leave you feeling like your body can’t be trusted anymore.

But things can change. With the right tweaks to your diet, daily habits, and stress management, it is possible to feel lighter, more comfortable, and less trapped by your symptoms.

You don’t have to do it all at once, and you don’t have to figure it out alone. Get in touch to ask about working with me over 3 months in the 3 Month Gut Reset.