Stop Pushing to Pee!

Do you find yourself pushing and straining to pee?  

Did you know that this struggle is often a signal of pelvic floor muscle issues?

Let's talk about why this happens and, more importantly, what we can do about it.

First things first, let's understand the normal functioning of our bladder. Our kidneys work around the clock, filtering blood to produce urine. This liquid journey moves from the kidneys to the bladder through little tubes called ureters

Now, picture our bladders as a muscle-wrapped hollow ball. The muscle is called the detrusor. As urine fills it up, the stretch activates receptors in the bladder wall, sending a signal to our brain that it's time to fill up. 

Here's where it gets interesting. Once the brain gets the memo, it starts a decision-making dance. Is now a good time to pee? Am I close to a bathroom? Is it socially acceptable right now? If the brain says "hold it," it suppresses the urge, keeping the bladder closed. But when it's 'go' time (and we're at the bathroom), the brain signals the bladder's detrusor muscle to contract, smoothly letting the urine out. No need for straining – the detrusor's got this!

Now, for those with overactive bladder (OAB) and urge urinary incontinence, the bladder struggles to halt the "gotta go" signal, leading to leaks with sudden, intense urges to pee.

Now, you might wonder, what's the pelvic floor got to do with all this? Well, while the detrusor muscle squeezes to release urine, the pelvic floor muscles play the crucial role of relaxing to allow the exit/ If these pelvic muscles can't chill out, the urethra stays shut, demanding more effort to empty the bladder – hence the pushing and straining dilemma.

The pelvic floor muscles are smooth muscles that should be able to contract or chill out consciously. This is unlike the detrusor muscle of the bladder, which operates on autopilot without our conscious say-so.

So, instead of going through the ordeal of pushing and straining to pee, let's take a different route. Relax those pelvic floor muscles, allowing them to gracefully lengthen. By doing this, you're opening the urethra, giving the detrusor muscle the green light without needing extra pressure assistance.

And here's a golden nugget of wisdom: if the coordination of relaxing your pelvic floor muscles feels like a puzzle you can't solve, don't fret. Seek out a pelvic floor therapist. We are specially trained to guide you, enhancing your awareness, control, and strength of those pelvic floor muscles. The goal? No more unnecessary straining, plus a bonus of preventing urinary leaks, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain, and other symptoms.

Here are a few tips to help make peeing easier: 

• Don’t hover over the toilet, sit on it 
• Don’t kegel while you pee, instead relax the pelvic floor muscles and “let go” 
• Don’t stop and start you stream of urine, let it flow it one steady stream 
• Don’t get dehydrated (this causes concentrated urine), instead drink water throughout the day 
• Get a squatty potty to make peeing more smooth! Squattypotty.com code Millie10 for 10% off your order