Changing These 3 Mardi Gras Bathroom Habits Can Protect Your Pelvic Floor

You know the feeling. You’re at a Mardi Gras parade and you've been putting it off, hoping that it would go away or that you could just make it another hour. But now, it's undeniable: You’ve got to pee.

It may not be the most glamorous part of Mardi Gras, but the business of where to do your business while you're out on the parade route is something most everyone who has attended Carnival in New Orleans can relate to. There's even a song about it: "Ain't No Place to Pee on Mardi Gras Day." Unless you're blessed with friends who live along the route, you're probably going to be using a public toilet. If the thought of using a port-a-potty sends shivers up your spine, you may be tempted to rely on techniques like hovering over the toilet seat or quickly “power peeing” to make the ordeal feel more bearable. While these tricks feel helpful in the moment, they can stress your pelvic floor. 

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that form a supportive sling at the bottom of your pelvis, traveling down and under and ending at the tailbone. These muscles support your bladder, bowels and (in women) the uterus. They also help control when you pee, poop or pass gas. 

Think of the pelvic floor as a gatekeeper.
• It squeezes to hold things in (like when you cough, sneeze or lift something heavy).
• It relaxes to let things out (like when you pee or have a bowel movement).

For urination to work well, your pelvic floor has to fully relax. If you hover or strain, those muscles stay tight. That makes it harder for your body to empty your bladder the way it’s meant to. That can cause some issues.

Why does pelvic health matter?

When the pelvic floor doesn’t work properly, it can lead to problems like:

• Leaking urine or stool
• Trouble starting or stopping the urine stream
• Feeling like you can’t fully empty your bladder
• Pelvic pain or pressure
• Frequent UTIs
• Constipation
• Pain with sex

These issues can affect people of all genders and all ages. Pregnancy, surgery, chronic coughing, heavy lifting, stress and bathroom habits can change how your pelvic floor works.

Hovering over the toilet

We know it’s tempting: Squatting over the toilet seat to urinate (rather than allowing your bare bottom to graze a surface upon which so many other parade-goers have sat) seems safer. But when you squat, your body is working to hold you up. Your belly, hips and pelvic floor muscles stay engaged instead of relaxing. Keeping you in balance makes peeing a lesser biologic priority. It also makes it harder to pee because the "gate" in your pelvic floor never fully opens. This blocks the urine's path out of your body.

Why is hovering to pee bad?

Over time, hovering while urinating can lead to:

• Not emptying your bladder completely. This means you may be back in the public toilet sooner than expected. Not completely emptying your bladder can also increase your risk for urinary tract infections.
• Excess pressure on your pelvic floor. Added pressure can weaken the pelvic floor, causing incontinence over time. Pressure can also cause tension and pelvic pain.
• Trouble switching your pelvic floor “on” and “off” when you need to. This can mean your pelvic floor remains partially squeezed at all times, which can impact bladder and bowel function and contribute to pelvic pain.

Better options than hovering

If you're faced with using a public toilet and are feeling antsy about that seat, try these instead:

• Lay down a toilet seat cover or some toilet paper to create a barrier. Pack an extra roll of your favorite toilet paper in your parade bag.
• Wipe down the seat with a sanitizing wipe or spray with an alcohol-based cleansing spray (not scented, please. Think of your fellow revelers!).
• Sit right down on that seat and let go. Ultimately, there are probably more germs on your cell phone.

It's important to mention that not all squatting is bad for urination. Squatting all the way down the ground to urinate is an effective way to relax the pelvic floor. But this is more acceptable while camping in the woods, not so much on St. Charles Avenue.

Power Peeing

Another temptation in a public restroom is to strain to push urine out faster. Pelvic health physical therapists call this "power peeing." And while this may help you make it back in time for your favorite marching band, it disrupts the natural teamwork between your brain, bladder and pelvic floor.

The process normally works like this:

1. Your bladder fills and tells the brain it’s ready.
2. Your brain says "go."
3. Your pelvic floor relaxes to allow urine to pass through.
4. Your bladder squeezes and empties.
5. Your pelvic floor closes again to make sure nothing else comes out.

This process is automatic - we don't even have to think about it. 

Why is power peeing bad?

When the signaling between the bladder and pelvic floor is altered, when we force the pee out, our body stops trusting that natural process. it can create some difficulties in the long-run. This could result in:

• Trouble initiating urine stream
• Getting an urgent “gotta go” feeling more frequently and when your bladder is only partially full
• Weakening of the pelvic floor and subsequent incontinence

What to do instead of power peeing

Getting the urge to power-pee? Try instead to focus on relaxing the pelvic floor to allow urine to come through naturally. Take a few deep breaths and allow yourself the extra time for things to flow. Your pelvic floor will thank you later. 
 

Skipping water to avoid the bathroom

You might think drinking less means fewer bathroom trips. But your kidneys still make urine. When you’re dehydrated, that urine gets very concentrated and can irritate your bladder. This can cause:

• Burning
• Pressure
• Frequent urges to "go," even if your bladder isn't full
• Discomfort

Plus, alcohol, coffee and bubbly drinks (the Holy Trinity of Mardi Gras beverages) can make this worse. So even if you're tired of the port-a-potties, water is still your friend.

This Carnival season, fight the urge to hover, power pee or withhold water. Your pelvic floor will thank you long after your throws are put away. 
 

Know when to get help