Pelvic anatomy
- The pelvic floor is made up of muscles and connective tissue that spans the area between the pubic bone and the tail bone. These muscles and tissues support the pelvic organs.
- These muscles need to be cared for by exercising them regularly.
- Childbirth, weight gain, heavy lifting, chronic coughing and constipation can all stretch the muscles and lead to leaking.
The bladder
- When the bladder is full, it can hold about 2 cups (400-500ml) of urine.
- Your brain will alert you when your bladder is full and needs to empty.
- You should try to void every 2-3 hours during the day.
- If you delay emptying your bladder it can stretch to hold more but doing this regularly can lead to your bladder not working well later in life.
- If you empty your bladder too often it will become used to only holding small amounts and may become oversensitive and irritable.
