Wedding Dress Shopping with IBS

Let’s face it, irritable bowel syndrome can be scarily unpredictable.  And when you are out in a public space and a sudden bought of urgency hits, you need to be ready to act accordingly.

Trying on a white dress when the urge hits

Currently, I am shopping for a wedding dress. I got engaged in January and wedding planning is in full swing. It has been such an exciting time but I have already run into slight inconveniences when it comes to IBS and wedding dress shopping.

Just recently, I was in a wedding dress boutique trying on gowns, when the worst happened. I was hit with immense urgency. And yes, it happened when I had a white dress on. Because I have dealt with IBS for so long, I handle situations of urgency with great focus and I’d like to share with you how I do so:

How I handled this IBS emergency

1. Do not panic

First, you simply cannot panic. When I was in the fitting room with the employee zipped up in the dress and the urgency hit, my first response was almost to ignore it. I did not freak out or panic or bolt to the bathroom with the dress on.  I acknowledged the symptom but remained mentally calm and began to breathe.

I calmly told the dresser that I needed to use the restroom all of a sudden and if she could unzip me. She did and because I said it calmly, she was not alarmed. She unzipped me and exited the dressing room. I quickly put on my casual dress and went straight to the restroom.

Pro Tip: When trying on dresses, come into the store with a flowy dress. In case urgency does hit, you can quickly slip into your dress rather can take time to put on pants and a top.

2. Breathe

Make sure you inhale and exhale calmly. Don’t let your breathe get out of control because the urgency will worsen.  Let’s be real, you have to clench but just try to do so without your breathe getting tense.

As I walked to the bathroom, I was breathing regularly and in a calm rhythm. This helped me get to the restroom without an accident happening.

3. Always have your emergency kit

Thankfully, I am always prepared and in my purse I had pads, wipes and a travel air freshener.  I was totally prepared and when I exited the washroom, we continued the appointment without a hitch and there was no devastating embarrassing moment to deal with what so ever. Actually, the employees were busy helping other customers and had no idea how long I was gone for.

4. Stay positive

Lastly, I remained in good spirits. Yes, it was inconvenient that I had urgency while trying on a pure white wedding dress. Yes, it could have been embarrassing if I had an actual accident in the dress. Yes, I would have been mortified. Yes, it is unfair that this has to happen in the middle of trying dresses on. But those thoughts never went in my head.

I was happy to be there. I am getting married! I made it into the restroom in time. Nothing embarrassing occurred. I kept on with the appointment and was thrilled to be there with my mom experiencing this special moment.

So stay positive. Don’t ruminate in the negative. Keep moving forward and find the good in all situations.

Ladies, what has been your experience with IBS and wedding dresses?  Any tips?  How did you manage during wedding dress shopping and on your wedding day?  We love to hear from you, share below.