I belong to way too many of those online mommy groups, and share way too much personal information with them.  Recently the topic of hemorrhoids came up in a discussion.  I may or may not have suffered from this condition since the birth of my daughter almost three years ago.  My husband may or may not have also complained of this condition from time-to-time.  Besides the usual witch hazel pads, one crunchy mom friend said she’d had great luck with something called a “Squatty Potty.”  She explained that sitting on a seat is not what evolution and our anatomy planned. Sitting on a toilet doesn’t allow our colons to fully relax.   Like a kink in a garden hose, the flow is reduced or even stopped.  Our ancestors squatted to doo-doo, and we should, too.   This little stool was helping her family with issues like constipation and even pelvic floor weakness.

This sounded promising, but I like real evidence.  I found that there was a clinical study done on the Squatty Potty!  Ninety-five percent of participants of an average age of 39.6 (men and women) experienced relief.

A few months later, there was this great deal on one of those “great deal” sites that is like kryptonite to us crunchy mamas.  The original “Squatty Potty” was half-off and it was going to be mine!  I just had to choose which size and wood or plastic.

I chose the taller one (hoping my daughter could eventually reach it, too), and opted for plastic vs. wood because it was cheaper and white blended with the toilet and floor.  (I didn’t really want to make a spectacle of my pooping-stool).

It’s a good thing this stool came with directions, ‘cause my hubby and I were a bit confused about how to use it.  It felt really strange the first few times.

Here are the directions that came with the stool:

“Poop Like A Pro: Tips and Tricks to Get Your Game On”

Tip 1: Sit on your toilet.  Sit comfortably…with the Squatty Potty stored below.

Tip 2: Elevate your feet.  Get your knees above your hips to properly align the colon.  This mimics a natural squat position.

Tip 3: Assume the position. Spread your feet wide, softly press your abdomen to your thighs. This is the natural squat stance and position.

Tip 4: Gravity is your friend.  Stay tall & lean slightly forward, paying attention not to hunch over.  Let gravity do the work.

However, after getting the hang of the thing, I’ll admit that the issues I may or may not have been having are not issues anymore.

The potty is shaped nicely, in a way that it can hug the base of the toilet and be out of the way, but is easily pulled out when needed.

Would I recommend the Squatty Potty?  Yes, for you. But I may not have those problems.  Nothing to see here.