As Easter is approaching, for the first time in my life it isn’t chocolate I’m hanging out for. What I am absolutely dying for are some ‘downtime days’. It has been sooooo busy lately that now I feel like I need 2 or 3 days no one else knows about, not just one per week I used to pine for!
This is what a patient was also voicing today. She had returned for her first follow-up visit and her most poignant realization over that month had been that she was rushing to do everything. Rushing to wee, rushing to pass a bowel motion, and rushing to eat. And it had been having a terrible effect on her most basic bodily functions.
If you don’t take your time to urinate (wee) and sit properly by leaning forward from the hips, with your breasts out of the waistline, with your legs apart and then relaxing your tummy and pelvic floor muscles, then chances are you won’t be emptying your bladder completely and risk urinary tract infections or perhaps urinary frequency. The frequency occurs because if you are leaving 50-100 mls every time you void, then you don’t get to add too much more and you’ll get the urge to go again.
If you don’t take your time and sit properly and use the correct dynamics for bowel motions (see last blog for International Women’s Day) then you risk prolapse – rectal as well as vaginal – haemorrhoids, anal fissures, rectal pain, incomplete evacuation, difficulty getting clean and so on. The key message…don’t strain.
If you don’t take your time for meals and eat your meals slowly you risk bloating and increased gas production. This increased pressure from the bloated belly, puts more pressure on your bladder and makes your frequency worse, and increases the likelihood of urge leakage.
So my message to us all……..is to slow down, take your time, have a deep breath, smell the roses, and if we all follow this plan, we might find our bladder and bowel feel much more comfortable and behave as they should.
Now to plan for that secret day that no one knows about………….
