Re-establishing Good Bowel and Bladder Habits

Often while we are pregnant, our bladder and bowel habits change – increased frequency, going to the bathroom several times per night – all perfectly normal responses to the demands of pregnancy. However, now that baby is here, we need to get back into some good habits! Pelvic muscle strength is important but there are some other strategies you can adapt too:

• Ideally you should be able to sleep through the night without needing to go to the bathroom – however if baby wakes up and needs attention, don’t go to the bathroom just because you are up. This can establish bad habits for your bladder! Listen to your body – do you really need to go or are you going just because you are up?

• Watch your intake of water, fruits, vegetables and fiber – while constipation in pregnancy may be common, now we want to get regular! Try to avoid excessive straining to have a bowel movement – don’t hold your breath and push! This can be quite stressful for your pelvic floor. Your pelvic PT can be a great resource for education about abdominal massage, toileting positions and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles as well as splinting the perineum while you heal.

• Don’t JIC! This means forcing yourself to urinate ‘just in case’ – usually before we leave the house. Get into the habit of listening to your body and when you actually need to go to the bathroom. Remember you’re in charge of your bladder, not the other way around!

• For Bowels, try to make your way to the toilet within 10 minutes of your feeling of urge to have a BM. If you push off this urge, especially when trying to improve your regularity, you might miss the window of time that your body is ready to move the bowels.