I want to help my daughter who has bladder control issues and difficulty emptying her bladder

Question

My daughter is only 15 but has always had trouble with controlling her bladder when laughing a lot with friends and cousins. She also has difficulty completely emptying her bladder when she urinates. She has overall low muscle tone, so it seems she suffers from weak bladder muscles also. I would like to help her in a non-embarrassing manner and this seems like a good thing to try. Is it safe for a 15 year old that has not been sexually active?

Pelvic Floor Answers

Bladder weakness can be an inherited issue, and is often a factor for young women with incontinence - though many women never know this as it is a topic not often talked about openly in families. While I believe we can help your daughter,it may also be beneficial for her to see a women's health physiotherapist, often connected to a hospital, although waiting lists are long, they are very experienced with bladder weakness and may be able to teach her some additional techniques, or recommend a referral to a specialist if there is a medical issue.

Toning and strengthening her pelvic floor muscles is very likely to resolve the bladder control and also help with emptying her bladder.

Firstly I strongly recommend that, if she is not already, she increase her daily water intake, drink plenty of water. Initially this will make her want to pee more frequently, but once her body is sufficiently hydrated this will balance out and prevents the urine from becoming too acidic. Cutting down on sugary drinks and food is also good.

If you think she would take an active role in resolving her bladder weakness issues, I would recommend that she use the Natratone. This device is small, easy to use and will very much help her to identify where her pelvic floor muscles are and how and when to activate them, key issues for most women and girls who have stress or urge incontinence - resulting in peeing when laughing or sneezing. She can start by using the Natratone for 3 days per week 5 minutes twice a day. She may want to increase this to daily use. The minimum recommended time is 6 weeks, however we do encourage women to do an initial work out for longer (12 weeks) if they have more significant problems. The Natratone teaches you how to do pelvic floor exercises without the device inserted as well and is very effective for long term bladder control. 

As it is a little unusual for a young woman to have bladder weakness, she may need to maintain good pelvic floor tone throughout her life and the Natratone is a good option. It is made from medical grade plastic and can be reused throughout her life.

I will do more research into the emptying of the bladder. I suggest showing your daughter the Pelvic Floor Health website and letting her have a browse and read through the FAQ's etc. She may think that the Smart Balls Uno are a better option for her. The more empowered she is to make her own decision, the more committed she may be to taking action.