This entry is a summary of the information in the video “Corsets and Toilet Issues”. If you would like more detail or demonstrations, please see my video on YouTube here:
Going to the bathroom. Visiting the loo. Going for a tinkle or a whiz. Dropping the kids off at the pool. Whatever you want to call it, and no matter how un-PC it is to talk about it, everybody needs to do it. Here’s a few tricks to make it easier when you’re wearing a corset:
WHAT TO WEAR TO MINIMIZE FRUSTRATION
1) Wear a skirt with a corset. Corset under your clothing with garters, then place your knickers over that, then your skirt over everything else. This way, when you need to go to the bathroom, you don’t have to unclip your garter straps to pull your underwear down.
2) Avoid wearing button/zip up pants with longline corsets. Wear high-waisted pants or yoga pants over your corset, and low-rise underwear will help if you’re wearing a longline.
3) You can usually wear a multitude of outfits with a short corset or waist cincher since it doesn’t cover the hips too much. Low-rise pants is a good choice if you don’t have tummy pooch hanging out underneath your corset. In this situation, a bit of “tucking” of your pants/underpants into the bottom of the corset is not too annoying. I wear cinchers most days.
HOW YOUR BODY’S FUNCTIONS MAY CHANGE WHILE WEARING A CORSET
You may notice that wearing a corset makes you defecate less often. This is because food is moved along by peristalsis, a pushing and squeezing action of the intestines, and that natural movement is slower when tightly cinched. This is another reason that it’s important to train your waist down slowly, so it gives you time for your intestines to get used to the change. If you find the corset causes constipation, loosen the corset, and try to cinch down more gradually over a longer amount of time.
Also adding fiber always helps. After I was corseting for awhile, I noticed that foods that stayed in my stomach for a long time didn’t make me feel good. I felt good whenever I ate fruit, soup and salad which all have a faster stomach-emptying rate (digests faster) and these foods also have higher fiber and water content. Everyone will find their own preferences in terms of how much soluble/ insoluble fiber and water they need to feel best. I personally find that foods with soluble fiber, like fruit, when taken with the proper amount of water, is more effective in making me regular compared to just insoluble fiber (bran, leafy greens etc).
You might also notice (especially if you have a longline corset that presses down on your pelvis) that you will have to pee more often. Don’t worry, your kidneys shouldn’t be affected by your corset, the main reason that you feel you have to pee is because the corset presses down on your bladder. But whatever you do, don’t decrease your water intake – you need water, it’s good for you and especially helps in bowel movements.
WHAT TO DO WHEN ACTUALLY DOING YOUR BUSINESS
Before you sit down, please make sure your laces are tucked safely away! Just stuff them under the X’s or underneath the bottom of the corset.
When sitting down on the toilet and doing your business, especially to poo, you might notice that you can’t push as hard. This is because your abdominal muscles and your diaphragm play a part in help pushing out the waste. If their movement is hindered then it can be a little more difficult to get your bowels feeling empty, especially if you didn’t have enough fiber! If this is a problem for you, just loosen up the corset when you go to the bathroom. You don’t have to take it off completely. If you’re the type who only has a bowel movement once a day, this won’t be too annoying. If you have 3-4 movements a day, the constant loosening and tightening of your corset may be a little laborious for you.
Other things you may notice: since a corset tends to flatten your intestines, you may notice that the circumference of your poop becomes a little skinnier. Maybe this is good news to those who find big poops painful. ;)
Wiping is a little different because you have perfect posture when sitting down. If you’ve got long arms, you will generally not have a problem with wiping. If you have a problem reaching, try a different position: squat down a little more, stand up a little more, or even approach it from a different angle. Just make sure, wherever you approach the mess from, to always wipe front to back. So if your hand’s in back, this is a pulling action, if your hand’s in front, it’s a pushing action. This is VERY important especially for the ladies, so you don’t get e.coli in your reproductive tract, because that can cause a very bad infection.
When worse comes to worst, you can feel free to loosen your corset prior to wiping.
Lucy’s Little Life Lesson: If a bully tries to intimidate you, imagine them pooping. Suddenly it puts you both on the same level.
*Please note that this article is strictly my opinion and provided for information purposes. It is not intended to replace the advice of a medical doctor. Please talk to your doctor if you’d like to start wearing a corset.*