Urinary Urgency & Frequency? You’ve Gotta Stop Making These 5 [Big] Bladder Mistakes

Makin’ this one a liiiiiiiittle shorter but keepin’ it oh-so sweet, because urinary urgency and frequency are THE WORST, and resolving these issues…*ahem*…yesterday would probably be nice. I know full well how stopping your day 73290167328 times to pee and those can’t-unbutton-your-jeans-fast-enough feels get old quick, but finding (and then fixing) the reasons behind these bladder issues in the first place is your ticket to seeing results faster than you can rush to the restroom.

First…what’s considered “normal” urinary urgency & frequency

I don’t care how old you are, how many babies you’ve had, or how long you’ve been experiencing these problems, urinary urgency and frequency are NOT normal (yep…I said what I said). There are, however, “norms” for how often we should pee and the intensity of that “gotta go” feeling, and knowing where you fall in that range can be helpful when determining where to put your bladder healin’ efforts.

NORMAL BLADDER FREQUENCY

Based on how much the average bladder holds and how quickly it fills, it’s normal to urinate every two to four waking hours, or six to eight times a day. And unless you’re over the age of sixty, it’s not (I repeat…NOT) natural to get up to pee through the night.

NORMAL BLADDER URGENCY

A healthy bladder signals the urge to urinate when it’s about two thirds of the way full. This means you should be able to comfortably and successfully wait to end your movie, complete your meeting, or finish your meal before getting up to go. We’re given the ability to hold our bladders for a reason, and this function can and should be used (but not abused) regularly. If you’re urinating once every two to four hours, there’s nothing wrong with “holding it” up to half an hour after that first urge. Anything more than this pushes bladder health limits; anything less is a sign your urinary urge may be a bit too strong.

WHERE DO YOU LAND?

If you don’t know where you fall on this scale, tracking your urinary urgency and frequency for a few days is the best way to find out. The Healthy Bladder Diary App is the easiest and most convenient place to record bladder habits and patterns, and see improvement over time as you practice these following tips.

PS- You proooobably don’t have a small bladder

Before we get to those [big] bladder mistakes, let me squash a common excuse/explanation right from the get-go. Many people complaining of urinary urgency and frequency follow it up with “I just have a small bladder”. If you’ve also been known to say this once or twice, allow me to look at your with the same loving and understanding eyes and give it to ya straight too – it’s very (very, very) rare for someone to have a “small bladder”. It’s more likely you’ve just learned some bad habits, and we’re gonna nip those in the butt here.

The mistakes that are making your urinary urgency & frequency worse

Bah-bah-da-bahhhhhh! Let’s do this thang! I’m over here trying to keep my cool because these little life tweaks (i.e. – minimal time and effort needed, friend!) can be LIFE-CHANGING when done with persistence, consistency, mindfulness, and intention. Per usual, I’m giving you ~multiple~ action items to choose from, because everyone’s body is different and I want your bladder to get the info it needs. Pick the point or two that resonates with you, then go all in…and watch the *magic* happen.

BLADDER MISTAKE #1: NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER

Mayyyyyyybe the biggest mistake I see women make is restricting their water intake in an attempt to decrease their urinary urgency and frequency. When you limit fluid intake, the urine that ~does~ enter the bladder is more concentrated (and therefore more acidic) and thus more likely to irritate the bladder and cause…you guessed it…bladder urgency and frequency

So what’s the sweet spot for water consumption? Here’s a few tips to get you started –

Drink half of your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water. For example, if someone weighs 150 pounds, they should be drinking about 75 ounces of water per day.
Consume more like two thirds of your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, living at higher altitudes or in warmer climates, or participate in regular vigorous exercise.
If you do the math and find you’re not drinking enough, don’t jump to your water goal tomorrow. Large and sudden increases in fluid consumption can actually “shock” the bladder, and I don’t want you swearing my name throughout the day. Instead, slowly increase how much you drink by about 10 ounces a week until your target amount is reached.

BLADDER MISTAKE #2: RUSHING IN THE RESTROOM

Many of us treat our time on the toilet like we’re goin’ for an Olympic gold medal – racing to see how fast we can get in and out and back to our busy lives. But I firmly believe it’s called a RESTroom for a reason, and rushing to pee can contribute to incomplete bladder emptying and kick start the vicious urinary urgency and frequency cycle.

Urinating relies on a series of subconscious reflexes between the bladder, brain, and pelvic floor, and rushing this process can cause a glitch in the system. Your bladder and pelvic health can and should be a priority, even over a busy work schedule, long to-do list, or snuggly babe who prefers not to be put down. Anyone or thing can wait a couple minutes for you to properly pee (trust me!), and that mindset shift starts with you.

BLADDER MISTAKE #3: GOING ASAP

Do me a solid and forget the rumor that it’s bad to hold your pee, m’kay!? As I’ve already shared but will say again for good measure – we’re given the ability to hold our bladders for a reason, and this function can and should be used regularly. Going at that very first urge (when FYI, the bladder isn’t all the way full) tells the brain that bladder filling is bad and can worsen urinary urgency and frequency over time. As long as you’re urinating once every two to four hours, there’s nothing wrong with “holding it” up to half an hour after that first urge, and it will safely and effectively “exercise” your bladder’s filling abilities.

BLADDER MISTAKE #4: THE “JUST IN CASE” PEE

Kinda like the point above but a liiiiiiiiittle bit different, going “just in case” (or “JIC-ing” as we call it in pelvic floor physical therapy world), empties the bladder before it gets a chance to fill, can decrease the bladder’s ability to stretch, and cause a stronger and more frequent urinary urge. So stop those before-you-leave-the-house pees or the might-as-well-go-because-the-bathroom’s-right-there restroom stops and only urinate when you ~actually~ have to. Giving the bladder opportunities to fully fill will increase its capacity to do so and significantly reduce urinary urgency and frequency.

BLADDER MISTAKE #5: THOSE DAMN BLADDER IRRITANTS

I hate to say it, but there are certain foods and beverages that can aggravate the bladder and cause urgency and frequency…wah wahhhhh. When common bladder irritants like coffee, tea, carbonated beverages, acidic fruits, fruit juices, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, spicy foods, vinegar, and chocolate enter the bladder, it may respond by signaling that “gotta go” feeling to get the irritant out.

If you notice increased urgency or frequency after consuming a specific food or drink, try decreasing or eliminating that item from your diet for a few days to see what happens. If urinary issues decrease, then horray!…you’ve found the culprit and are one step closer to the bladder of your dreams. This doesn’t mean you have to exclude that food forever (#praise), but it can be empowering to know what’s causing your bladder problems and alter or avoid as needed.

The bigger, badder bladder issues you don’t wanna miss

There are bigger, badder bladder problems (try saying that one five times fast) that can cause urinary urgency and frequency, and it’s important to keep an eye out for them…just in case. While the likelihood of these diagnoses being the cause of your issues compared to the mistakes listed above are slim, knowing the difference between pelvic floor dysfunction-related bladder issues and the following concerns is worthwhile.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) – The two most common UTI symptoms are urinary urgency and frequency. If these symptoms come on suddenly and are accompanied by pain, burning, or difficulty with urination, treating the issue as a UTI will likely be more effective. Regular UTIs, however, can lead to bad bladder habits, and in this instance, you’re gonna want to refer to the points above *wink wink*.

Interstitial Cystitis (IC) or Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS) – IC/PBS is chronic inflammation of the bladder lining with urinary urgency and frequency as the primary symptoms, and are often accompanied by pain with bladder filling as well as general pelvic pain or pain with intercourse. At this point there are no known, definitive treatments for IC/PBS, but having good bladder habits (like the ones above) and pelvic floor physical therapy can be helpful.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) – POP is when the bladder, uterus, or rectum are collapsing into the vaginal canal, often present after childbirth or in those who put regular stress on their pelvic floor (weight lifters, smokers, and those with chronic constipation). Symptoms of POP include pelvic heaviness, the feeling of tissue bulging or protruding into the vagina, and having to splint or hold the perineum to have a bowel movement. A POP, no matter what organ it is, can place pressure on the bladder and cause urinary urgency and frequency.

Overactive Bladder (OAB) – The OAB diagnosis is a tough one, because it describes the bladder symptoms (like urinary urgency and frequency) but not ~why~ you have them. It’s kinda like a low back pain diagnosis without anyone telling you why that low back pain is there. In my opinion, OAB is just a fancy name for urinary urgency and frequency, and good bladder habits are the number one way to manage and resolve it

Your next (& last & best) step to fixing urinary urgency & frequency

Nixing these bladder mistakes is a great place to start when addressing urinary urgency and frequency, and I L-O-V-E that you can begin today…like NOW today! But if there’s also underlying pelvic floor tightness, muscle weakness, or one of the bigger, badder bladder issues from above, more is usually necessary to make a lasting difference.

Enter…drumroll please…The Bladder Blueprint, my eight-week online program designed to make fixing bladder issues (like frequency, urgency, leakage, and nighttime bathroom trips) faster, easier, and ~actually~ successful. This course cuts through the fluff and overwhelm of the pelvic health world and helps you focus on the core, foundational pillars of bladder strength and control. It includes simple (and…*ahem*…REALISTIC) strategies and exercises to help you finally address your bladder issues for the happiest, healthiest version of yourself.

If you’re a down to business, no time to waste, do it once and do it right kinda gal, [this] is your next best step. Blog posts like ^^ this ^^ are great for quick wins, but it’s impossible to give you big picture success in this format. The Bladder Blueprint is a complete roadmap with EV-ERY-THING you need to see results, and if you like this post, you will LOVE the actionable, bladder healin’ info in TBB.

It’s my sincerest hope that you’re finishing up here with action items you can confidently start TODAY to see improvement in your urinary urgency and frequency. And when you’re ready to take the next step, I’m waiting for ya inside The Bladder Blueprint!

Remember…”common” and “normal” are two very different words, and just because one in three women deal with these same bladder issues, doesn’t mean you have to too. The action items to get you there are easier than you think, you just need to know what to do. And per usual, I’m here ready and excited to give you the “less is more” approach to that success story.

– Amanda

Disclaimer: The content provided here does not constitute medical advice, nor is it a substitute for personalized healthcare. I’m a doctor, but I’m not your doctor. If you have concerns about a medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment, you should consult with a licensed healthcare professional.