Alright, of course I have to talk about a helpful product after my poo post.

 

 

One day I stumbled upon an ad on Youtube, and there was a creepy unicorn dropping rainbow poos into an ice cream cone on a conveyor belt. Bizarre right? But despite this weird ad (obviously to catch your attention), I learned a whole lot of healthy positioning for bowel movements.

 

So I showed my husband this ad to see what his input was, and low and behold he bought one for me for Christmas. At first I burst out laughing saying “you actually bought me a squatty potty?!?” but damn was it life changing.

 

Sometimes when you’re having a bowel movement you’re pushing really hard or (we’re adults, it’s normal) you just can’t get that last piece out. Straining to poo is a fact of life (and hopefully you don’t pass out while pushing, that would be embarrassing), but this can cause hemorrhoids.

 

Hemorrhoids is a word that no one ever dares utter, but it’s just a matter of fact that almost everyone in their life will experience at least one.

 

They can cause itching, discomfort, anal swelling and bleeding (more often with an external hemorrhoid), and they are more prone to constant irritation every time you have a bowel movement, and wipe afterwards.

 

Aside from hermies (my nickname for hemorrhoids, sounds cuter despite them being NOT cute), excessive pushing can lead to anal fissures (tears). Same as hemorrhoids with discomfort, bleeding and itching, but these usually resolve on their own. Definitely take a break with spicy food though.

 

These not so pretty issues should be enough to tell you that you need to add more fibre in your diet, and if there’s out of the ordinary rectal bleeding, always see your doctor.

 

 

Back to the squatty potty.

 

 

Anatomically, we were made to squat while we poo, and this is a very accurate position for most people in the world as toilets are considered a luxury. The squatty potty allows us to go from a seated position, to squatting, which allows a better flow of your fecal matter to have a smooth elimination process. Our sigmoid colon naturally has a 90 degree angle, so pooing while sitting, compresses that angle further, making it really difficult to push your waste through your rectum and then sphincter.

 

But sitting while using a squatty potty, this angle rounds out, and allows (almost effortless) movements (if not effortless, your poo is the issue, not the bowels – unless you have Crohn’s then that’s totally a different story).

 

 

In addition to the squatty potty, I would strongly suggest purchasing a bidet. Less toilet paper usage is better for the environment (and your butthole), and washing yourself clean is more sanitary than not taking enough toilet paper and punching a hole through with your finger when wiping.

 

 

It’s happened to you, admit it.

 

 

Give The Honesty Policy a follow on Facebook at @thehonestypolicyca and on Instagram at @thehonestypolicyca . Here you can watch my tutorials and read condensed versions of my blog posts!

 

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If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the nearest hospital emergency department, or call the emergency services immediately. If you choose to rely on any information provided by The Honesty Policy, you do so solely at your own risk.