If you suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) you know that stress can often trigger its worst symptoms—like diarrhea, constipation, and/or gas. Your wedding will most likely be one of the happiest and stressful days of your life, so while this topic may not be the most pleasant to talk about, it needs to be addressed before your big day.
First—for those who do not have IBS and are just reading this article out of curiosity—IBS is the most common digestive disorder. It is said to affect one in five adults (the majority of whom are women). If you have IBS the normal muscular contractions of your digestive tract are irregular—leading to constipation, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, gas, mucus in the stools, etc. There is no cure at this time for IBS, but it can be somewhat controlled through medicine and lifestyle. People who suffer from IBS deal with controlling the condition daily – but one day in particular when it needs to be controlled is your wedding day.
I — an IBS sufferer — have compiled some tips to help you have the best wedding day possible. Following these tips helped me have a wonderful day completely free from IBS symptoms (!) and hopefully will work for you too.
1.Try to keep your wedding day and the days before it as stress free as possible.
I know this is easier said then done, but it is the best thing you can do to ensure you do not have an IBS flare up on your wedding day. Stress can trigger IBS just as quickly as a greasy Big Mac – so you need to keep it under control. To do this, make sure you delegate as many responsibilities as you can to other people. Do not be afraid to relinquish control of such things as table assignments, errand running, etc. – I promise the more control you relinquish of tasks, the more control you will have of your bowels!!!! And isn’t that more important then freaking out over the color of the guest book pen!?
You can also decrease stress by getting a massage the day before your wedding and adhering as closely as possible to your “normal” routine. If you usually work out every day, make sure you take the time to work out on your wedding day. Yes, there will be 100 things going on and it will be easy to say “I don’t have time!” but your bowels will appreciate the consistency. Also, exercise has proven to help keep IBS under control.
2. Eat what you usually eat
Again, this is tricky. In the days before your wedding you will be so busy you can easily forget to eat or will be exposed to foods that are not a normal part of your diet. Try your best to stick to “safe” foods – foods you know do not usually spark an IBS attack. If you are having a long distance wedding (like I did) make sure you bring all your “normal” foods with you in case you cannot buy them where you are going. Also, talk to the caterer for your rehearsal dinner and reception to ensure there will be food you can eat. After all, you are the bride and they should certainly work with you to ensure you don’t get sick.
3. Stay hydrated
This is especially crucial for IBS sufferers like me whose main symptom is constipation. One sure way to become constipated is to be dehydrated. Make sure you drink lots of water on your wedding day and the days leading up to it! One thing I did that helped me a lot was to always have a can of lactose-free Ensure on hand to drink for vitamins and hydration. I even drank a can in the car on the way to the church (vanilla of course in case I spilled it on my dress!)
4. Stay away from pantyhose!
I know it sounds silly, but one sure fire way for my IBS to flare up is if I have a lot of pressure around my abdomen. Therefore, I NEVER wear pantyhose – even on my wedding day! I wore knee-highs from Victoria’s Secret that stayed up all day/night and left my tummy alone.
5. Have a designated bathroom person
If your dress is anything like mine (eleven layers of tulle) you will not be able to use the bathroom by yourself on your wedding day. This prospect may seem frightening to you, so to avoid stress close to your wedding, choose someone right now who you feel comfortable with helping you go to the bathroom. This needs to be someone who knows you have IBS and will not freak out should you have an attack. For me, these people were my mother and my matron of honor. Luckily, I did not have an IBS attack, but they knew that if I did they would have to drop everything and help me get into a bathroom quickly. Even without an IBS attack, they still had to help me use the bathroom. If this is just way too uncomfortable for you, choose a dress that you can manage alone in the bathroom.
6. Have your meds handy
Even if you follow all this advice, you still may have an IBS flare up on your wedding day—that is just the type of unpredictable beast IBS is! So whether you just use over the counter medicine like Imodium prescriptions like Dicetel, make sure you have them with you at all times. Also in the craziness of the day, don’t forget to take your regular medicines even if you feel ok. I took my Librax like I do every morning and I’m sure that helped me quite a bit.
Well, there you have it. I hope I haven’t grossed you out too much—but if you have IBS this was nothing! Good luck managing your IBS on your wedding day. Truly the best advice I have is to relax and try to make the day as normal as possible. And by the way, congratulations on finding a partner who accepts and loves you IBS and all—they are true gems.
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