Timed voiding is one of the conservative therapies that doctors often recommend for women suffering from urge and mixed urinary incontinence. Timed voiding is part of the therapy called bladder retraining. There are two ways to practice timed voiding, or peeing by the clock.
Timed Voiding Method #1 for Women’s Urinary Incontinence
The whole point of timed voiding is to retrain your bladder so that you urinate when you choose to, not when your bladder decides to “let go.” The first way to practice timed voiding is by delaying urination by 10 minutes when you feel the need to “go.”
Although this may be difficult at first, there are two ways to help you create this delay. One way is to focus your attention elsewhere for 10 minutes. Read a book, watch television, or otherwise distract yourself.
The other way is to do some Kegels, if possible, to buy yourself some time. This also strengthens your pelvic floor muscles.
Once you have been able to delay urination for 10 minutes, work on extending the delay to 20 minutes. This may take a while, but keep working at it. This “retrains” your bladder in a mind over matter kind of way.
Timed Voiding Method #2 for Women’s Urinary Incontinence
The second method to “pee by the clock” is to actually set a schedule for your urination. This usually means scheduling bathroom breaks every 2-3 hours. By setting and following this kind of schedule, you are retraining your bladder. Now you are in control of your bladder rather than the other way around.
As with the first method, this will take a little bit of practice. You may have to adjust your fluid intake as well to accommodate your schedule. However, this method does work for many women with urinary incontinence, especially if you are strict about following your set schedule. This method also means that your voiding more closely mimics that of a healthy bladder. Women with healthy bladders urinate six to eight times per day, rather than 10 or more times.
Timed Voiding Takes Practice
As with all conservative approaches to managing women’s urinary incontinence, consistency is the key. Practicing one or both timed voiding approaches above will, over time, change the way your bladder works. When added to other conservative therapies, including medications and pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation, timed voiding can be especially effective.
Give it a try. This method is discreet and can be practiced in the privacy of your home. What have you got to lose other than your wet panties?
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