6: Why Bloating Isn’t Always Gut Problem: Pelvic Venous Congestion in Women

6: Why Bloating Isn’t Always Gut Problem: Pelvic Venous Congestion in Women

Team Gut Girls Hosts - Dr. Christina Carew, ND, Dr. Dominque Vanier, ND and Dr. Whitney Baxter, ND discuss how chronic bloating, heaviness, pressure, constipation, and pelvic pain may be caused by pelvic venous disorders (pelvic venous congestion/insufficiency) rather than the gut, and note it is under-diagnosed, often mislabeled as IBS, and is the second leading cause of pelvic pain lasting over six months after endometriosis, with frequent comorbidity. They explain how pelvic congestion creates blood pooling and pressure (“traffic jam”) that can worsen with standing/sitting, end of day, menstruation, ovulation, pregnancy, and sex, and may include urinary urgency without infection, painful bladder fullness, hemorrhoids, visible pelvic/leg veins, swelling (often left-sided), fatigue, and relief when lying down or with compression. Risk factors mentioned include pregnancy, ages 25–40, hypermobility, POTS/orthostatic intolerance, and possible increases post-COVID/vaccination. Diagnosis may involve ultrasound, pelvic MRI, venography, and referral to interventional radiology; treatment can include stenting or trial injections.

5: Why Your Gut Feels Off (Even When Tests Are “Normal”)

Team Gut Girls naturopathic doctors Dr. Dominique Vanier, ND Dr. Whitney Baxter, ND and Dr. Christina Carew, ND discuss chronic digestive symptoms that persist despite normal tests, focusing on disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs), which affect over 40% of adults and children and include IBS, functional dyspepsia, functional constipation/diarrhea, bloating, reflux hypersensitivity, and more under Rome V criteria. They explain a biopsychosocial model of causes and risk factors (trauma, infection, stress, genetics, early life events, anxiety/depression, sleep, smoking, obesity, surgeries) and myth-bust that bloating isn’t automatically IBS, symptoms aren’t “nothing,” you can have overlapping DGBIs, and the microbiome isn’t the whole answer. Key mechanisms include motility disturbance, visceral hypersensitivity, altered mucosal/immune function, dysbiosis, and altered CNS processing. Practical options discussed include CBT, gut-directed hypnotherapy, diaphragmatic breathing, consistent movement, personalized food strategies, supplements (nervines, demulcents, motility agents), and medications including neuromodulators, plus advocating for collaborative care and referrals.

4: Why Food Sensitivity Tests Confuse Everyone

In this Team Gut Girls episode, Drs. Whitney Baxter, ND, Dr. Christina Carew, ND and Dr. Dominique Vanier, ND discuss bloating and the popularity of IgG food sensitivity tests, contrasting them with IgE allergy testing and explaining that IgG reflects a delayed immune exposure signal rather than an immediate, potentially dangerous allergic reaction. They distinguish food intolerance as malabsorption/fermentation (e.g., lactose, fructose, fructans; low-FODMAP concepts) rather than an immune response. They review a 2026 IBS literature review (13 studies, ~900 patients) where IgG-based elimination diets often improved symptoms, but note major study limitations and risks of broad restriction, fear, and malnutrition. They highlight concerns about test accuracy/reproducibility and cite European, Canadian, and American guidelines recommending against IgG testing for diagnosing food allergy/intolerance, suggesting antibodies may reflect oral tolerance. They advocate systematic evaluation (rule out celiac and true allergies, time-limited, planned eliminations with reintroduction, and avoiding unreliable testing (including hair-based tests).

3: Why FODMAPS Matter (or Doesn't Matter)

On The Team Gut Girls Podcast, Dr. Whitney Baxter, ND, Dr. Christina Carew, ND, and Dr. Dominique Vanier, ND explain how fermentable carbohydrates called FODMAPs (oligosaccharides, disaccharides like lactose, monosaccharides like excess fructose, and polyols) can worsen bloating, pain, distension, diarrhea, and urgency by drawing water into the colon and fueling bacterial fermentation, especially in IBS and visceral hypersensitivity. They review evidence originating at Monash University showing symptom and quality-of-life improvements, note limited bloating-only trials, and compare low FODMAP to the stricter Specific Carbohydrate Diet. They debunk myths that low FODMAP must be permanent, that FODMAPs are bad for everyone, or that it “cures” bloating, emphasizing short-term, guided use with reintroduction and personalization to identify thresholds. They discuss risks (constipation, weight loss, nutrient gaps, disordered eating) and recommend practitioner/dietitian support, tracking, and using reliable resources like the Monash app.

2: Why SIBO Happens

In this episode, we’re diving belly-first into bloating — specifically the kind linked to SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), when bacteria (or even fungi) set up shop where they shouldn’t and start throwing a gas-producing party in your small intestine. Think: hydrogen, methane, hydrogen sulfide… and a whole lot of discomfort. We break down: - Why you might look 6 months pregnant by 6 p.m. -The sneaky triggers behind SIBO (PPIs, antibiotics, GLP-1s, stress, surgery, hormones, infections, pregnancy, endometriosis, gallbladder removal — the list goes on) - Why symptoms can look like constipation, diarrhea, reflux, early fullness, fatigue, brain fog, skin flare-ups, and even nutrient deficiencies - Common myths — including why gas doesn’t automatically mean SIBO, and why a negative breath test doesn’t always tell the whole story - Practical things you can start now: meal spacing, walking after meals, belly breathing, and avoiding food fear Most importantly, we zoom out and ask the bigger question: Why is your gut vulnerable in the first place? Because SIBO may be the smoke — but it’s not always the fire. Come curious, leave empowered — and maybe a little less bloated. Because better gut health changes everything.