Is it normal to feel bloated during my fertile period?

Feeling a bit bloated around the middle of your cycle or before your period can happen and is super common. The natural hormonal changes throughout the cycle affect the body, including slowing down the intestines a bit, which gives that bloated belly sensation.

But there's a very important detail: in the first year or two after your first period, in most cycles, the ovary doesn't release an egg yet, and your period comes anyway, which is why cycles vary so much at the beginning. So, at this stage, you can't be sure when your fertile period is or if you are actually ovulating.

What you can do

• Drink plenty of water and eat normal meals, because food is fuel for your growing body.
• Wear comfortable clothes that don't tighten your belly on those days.
• Move your body lightly, like going for a walk or stretching.

In the first year or two, it's normal for cycles to vary, roughly from 20 to 45 days from the start of one period to the start of the next, and a cycle that's shorter or longer than the previous one, on its own, is not a cause for concern. Stress can also delay your period. Tell an adult if, several times in a row, it takes more than 45 days from one period to the next, if you go 3 months without getting your period after it has started, or if, several times in a row, it comes with less than about 3 weeks in between.

If along with the bloating you feel pain in the middle of your cycle, it could be ovulation, a twinge or slight pain on one side of your lower abdomen that usually lasts a few hours, but in the first year or two, most cycles still don't release an egg, so you can't be sure. Tell an adult immediately if the pain is severe, gets progressively worse, lasts more than a day, doesn't improve with the medicine an adult gives you, keeps coming back, or is accompanied by fever or vomiting.