But that’s not the only reason you should open up (so to speak) to your partner about your stinky loaves. Huffington Post reports that talking about pooping can actually make for a more relaxed, more intimate, more lasting union altogether.

Granted, every relationship has this mist of romance and mystery in the beginning that you almost feel comfortable hiding in. But after you feel a certain connection with your partner, it is only natural that you let this mist clear and reveal your true, very human self to them – all out there for them to love. After all, how else would you ever find out if they’re actually into the real you, and not just perfect-mysterious you?

Plus, feeling embarrassment about the most natural thing on Earth is just ridiculous.

I mean, do you know how bad it is to hold it in? That holding-it-in business needs to ends after a certain number of dates.

Ideally, you want to reach a stage of comfort with your partner where both parties feel free to dialogue about the schedule and expectations of each other’s bowel movements. Shit is out in the open, if I may.

Think of an honest and open situation where you know how each other’s bathroom routine works, what you should expect poop or stink-wise, and how to rid the relationship of any poop-related awkwardness.

Now, broaching the subject can be pretty awkward. But what relationship is free of awkward, huh?

It is important that you remain cool when breaking this barrier. Bring it up casually – as if it were something you do everyday, which it is. Talking for the first time about a poop you’re about to take or just took may feel strange to you both. But in all likelihood, you will be pleasantly surprised to find that your SO doesn’t really care about the atrocities you commit in the bathroom.

So go forth and poop freely, lovers of the world. It’ll only bring you closer together.