I've always struggled with bloating and constipation, and had pretty much accepted my fate. I was so young when I started my birth control pills, I never would have linked the two things.
Pills that contain high doses of estrogen, like birth control, can actually irritate the stomach and even cause symptoms like nausea. The pill can also affect the hormone receptors in your digestive tract, which can cause other symptoms like bloating and constipation. Immediately after I stopped taking birth control pills and started on my IUD, my gut health improved.