Bladder Health
What’s Typical for Urination?
Urinating 6-8 times/24-hour period.
Urinating every 2-4 hours.
A steady stream without discomfort, pushing, or straining.
Being able to get to the toilet without leaking every time.
Sleeping through the night without getting up to urinate (unless you're over 65, pregnant, or have a medical condition that causes frequent urination).
Good Habits:
Do not rush and do not strain or push. Take your time to relax to allow your bladder to empty.
If you sit to urinate, don't hover or squat. SIT on the toilet so that your pelvic floor muscles can relax and allow you to completely empty your bladder.
While you should be able to control your urge, don't continually ignore it. That can stretch your bladder
and make it not respond as well. Try not to go past 4 hours.
Avoid “just in case” toileting.
Your first urge happens when the bladder is halfway full. That urge should subside and allow the bladder to keep filling. The urge that doesn't subside means that you need to empty. If you go each time you get that first urge, your bladder will make those urges earlier and earlier. Don't let your bladder be the boss
More toilet Tips:
Drink when you're thirsty and try to get in 6-8 cups/day with at least 75% of that as plain water.
If you occasionally have leaks, limit irritants (acid, spice, caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine).
Avoid constipation (which puts pressure on your bladder).
Identifying a safe and private bathroom for work/school can be helpful for access barriers. That might involve identifying a trusted individual to help.
At work it may be important to develop a plan for timing breaks and when you have coverage
SOURCES:
A healthy bladder: a consensus statement. Lukacz et al. 2011. International Journal of Clinical Practice
Evidence-based criteria for pain of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome in women. Warren et al. 2008.
Urology Pelvic Guru , LLC 2020. All rights reserved. This document is not reproducible without permission except as a patient handout.
