Bladder Health
What You Can Do
Good Potty Habits for a Healthy Bladder
The bladder is controlled by nerve signals from the brain, but ones you can train and learn to control. Hence the mantra "brain over bladder".
You can start to do this by following an exercise regimen like Total Control® designed to strengthen your pelvic pyramid muscles and also by relearning good potty habits. The first thing to do is to retrain yourself, replacing bad potty habits with good ones.
Potty Tips
First things first: make sure you're wearing the right protection against life's unexpected leaks. Click here to read more about finding the right pad.
When you do get to the bathroom (on schedule and in your own time) observe the following rules.
Take two (minutes, that is).
- Sit all the way down. You are not a hovercraft.
- Sit with your legs open: Give the bladder and urethra the right alignment to expel with ease
- Relax. Give yourself a much needed potty break.
- Never, ever push. Pushing is punishing the muscles you want to pamper.
Rock and Roll. Use the "rock and roll" technique to get it all out. Rock back and forth on the seat side to side, and front to back. Any urine that is caught in the crevices of the bladder walls should roll right out.
Don't be a camel by trying to "hold it" for more than six hours. Some people think that the longer they can go without relieving themselves, the better. The problem with waiting too long is that it stretches your bladder muscles, making them weaker and less sensitive over time. Remember: What you do today will impact what you can or can’t do tomorrow.
Squeeze before you sneeze. Sneezing, coughing, and even laughing can be an issue for people with stress incontinence. Try squeezing (a big pelvic floor muscle squeeze), before you sneeze or while you’re coughing, and help to make it a drier experience.
"Just-in-case peeing" should be the exception not the rule. Some people go every chance they get, even when they don't need to. They pee as a precaution, thinking "You never know when you'll have another chance." What they are really doing is training their bladders to go often shrinking their bladder capacity over time. So instead of "brain over bladder," they create a bladder with its own mind.
Positively reinforce your behavior. Take deep breaths when you feel panicky about getting to the bathroom in time. Practice pelvic floor muscle squeezes. Distract your mind by thinking hard about something else (taxes, the shopping list, the rules of Texas Hold’Em poker, whatever works).
Try tickling your "pee button". There's a spot on your lower back, just above where your buttocks begin. Give it a tickle when you think your bladder is completely empty, and you might be surprised to find it is not. Or try gently pressing on your lower abdomen with a hand or fist. This application of pressure can get results, too.
Empty your bladder after intercourse. Most healthcare providers we know advise it. This helps to washout any bacteria that may have been massaged into the bladder during intercourse.
Good potty habits aren't the only helpful changes to make in your lifestyle. Eating and drinking bladder irritants can contribute to Overactive Bladder and Stress incontinence. Click here for some simple nutritional tips.
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This information is not intended to substitute the recommendations of your healthcare providers. Women's Health Foundation disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.
