Say Goodbye to Bladder Leakage: Understanding Causes and Solutions Part 5… All About Poop

Many times during an initial evaluation, a patient has told me that they have been doing kegels every day but they are still having leakage. I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to feel that something so simple as contracting your pelvic floor like a bicep curl every day wouldn’t be able to ‘fix’ a very sensitive problem.

Sometimes it is just as simple as doing kegels, however, in my experience, there is much more going on than weakness in the pelvic floor that is causing leakage. Research even shows this as well, especially for my CrossFit ladies!

Today we are going to talk about one of my favorite topics (seriously ha)... poop. I struggled with constipation for years before knowing I even had constipation. I don't ever remember any physician, whether as a kid or adult, ask me how my poop was going.

Constipation is more complicated than just how often you poop. Constipation also entails:

• Poop being hard

• It’s hard to get poop out

• Not feeling empty after pooping or you still feel there is something there

• Having abdominal and/or pelvic pain

• Cycling between diarrhea and constipation

So how does constipation increase likelihood of urinary leakage? The main reason is due to the pressure that the rectum places on the bladder. If there is poop left in your rectum or large intestine, that's a lot of pressure!

Anyother reason why constipation can increase leakage risk is that when you have difficulties getting poop out, this can be a sign that your pelvic floor is hyper-active. If your pelvic floor is too tense, it may be difficult to fully pee as well.

Here are some ways to help improve your pooping habits:

• Deep breathing

  • When we breathe in, the pelvic floor lengthens and opens so more poop can come out.

• Abdominal massage

  • Something as simple as the "I LOVE U" massage works great to get the large intenstine stimulated to move poop around.

  • You could even use a TENS unit to help stimulate the gut as well.

• Internal pelvic floor relaxation

  • I know it can be super awkward, however, peforming internal pelvic floor relaxation techniques really do help. You can use a finger, pelvic tool, or vibrator to help.

• Hip opening stretches

  • Anything to get those hips and pelvis moving are great!

• Keeping a routine

  • Sometimes it can be as simple as going for a walk, drinking your coffee or warm water while eating breakfast, then sitting on the toilet 30 minutes after eating!

• Improving you gut biome

  • Whether that's eating a certain way, using meds, or taking probiotics, getting the gut bacteria balanced is super important not only for your pooping habits, but also your mental health!

• Sitting on the toilet "correctly"

  • The Squatty Potty is where it is at! And you don't need to get the actual Squatty Potty, any stool that can get your knees about your hips is perfect. You may even have to move your trunk around if you have a rectocele (prolapse of the rectum). I have this so I need to lean backwards to have a better pooping experience!

  • If you haven't seen the commercial from Squatty Potty here it is!