While every woman is affected differently by her menstrual cycle, many experience bloating during and after their period, and it's completely normal! Period bloat occurs due to hormonal changes, which can result in water retention, per the <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/periods/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NHS</a>. And now, influencers are beginning to draw attention to this issue. London-based fitness guru, Maeve Madden, recently took to Instagram to share two side-by-side images taken just a few days apart to show how much she bloats around her period. Speaking to <a href="https://www.insider.com/period-bloat-influencers-showing-reality-swollen-body-during-periods-2020-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Insider</a> about the attention the post garnered, she said that the lead-up to her period is "chaos, physically and mentally, for at least a week." Watch as this fitness influencer shows off her loose skin: [[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/dUZqii2Q-sKUnNGKf.mp4||dUZqii2Q]] "I often talk about my period and the effects, especially not to feel guilty when taking time off to rest the body," she continued. "But this month was different, with the stress of COVID-19 there has been a huge effect on the body hormone balance, resulting in delayed, irregular, and heavy periods. This month for me I was way more anxious, swollen, and emotional than before, and I knew other women could relate to this." [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B9r70bUA6I8/]] Hi Hormones [...] Thanks for being LATE!! (5days between images) im so swollen even today during my workout my hands looked like sausages. Ive been so focused on our workouts then BOOM [sic]," Madden captioned the post. "Since moving into Quarantino, our lives have changed, and my body has recognised this. Worries about COVID-19 and its impact can be overwhelming, & subconsciously effect us. stress can fundamentally alter the body's hormone balance, creating delayed, irregular, and heavy periods  Coping with social distancing, is freaking BIZZARE, we are social beings, and despite our best efforts, I know I am experiencing a whirl wind of emotions [sic]." [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B--K72vglq2/?utm_source=ig_embed]] "If your crushing my Morning 10:30 live workouts, and suddenly feel like ur swelling, yes your sweatpants really do get tighter during your Period, even my bra doesn’t fit and they are so sore ATM, thanks to progesterone which causes the body to pull fluid. JOYful, but don’t worry its only temporary and will be back to normal after. There is only a few days between these images. . "Sticking to the morning workouts is a bonus, you may feel lazy, swollen and not in the mood to jump on the Venga bus but sweating will help rid that water weight and the endorphin boost will brighten ur day and ease cramps [sic]," she concluded.

Influencer posts before-and-after photos to show how bloated women's bodies can get during their periods

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