Why am I bloated before my period?

Premenstrual bloating is one of the most common and frustrating parts of the luteal phase, that puffy, heavy feeling in your belly in the days before your period. The main culprit is hormonal, specifically the rise in progesterone after ovulation, which causes your body to retain more water and salt.

That water retention accounts for a large share of premenstrual bloat. Shifting estrogen levels can add to it, and the luteal phase can also slow digestion slightly, which contributes to that sluggish, full feeling. It is uncomfortable, but it is temporary, and it typically eases once your period begins and hormone levels reset.

A few things genuinely help. Magnesium-rich foods support fluid balance and ease the tension that comes with bloating. Keeping dinners lower in sodium reduces water retention, and staying well hydrated, counterintuitively, helps your body hold onto less. Gentle movement and limiting very salty or processed foods in this window can make a real difference too.