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The purpose of retraining your bladder is to improve your bladder control and increase the amount of urine your bladder can hold without urgency or leakage of urine.

Bladder Training Program

After keeping your bladder diary for at least a week, your doctor or continence advisor will now have an insight into when your bladder weakness affects you and what the course of action is they recommend. Below is a typical kind of bladder program you may be asked to undertake:

Steps in your Bladder Training Program

  • Start by filling out a bladder diary for at least a week (including overnight).
  • Over the course of your bladder training, your health care professional will advise you to slowly increase the time between your toilet visits.
  • When you feel the urge to urinate, they will recommend for you to hold on a few minutes longer.
  • If you feel a strong urge to urinate overnight you should go to the toilet and empty your bladder right away (unless advised otherwise.
  • Please consult with your doctor or health care professional before commencing any bladder training program.

Bladder Training hints and tips

  • As your condition improves, you will begin to notice that holding on becomes much easier over time and you will gain the confidence to bladder train at night.
  • Walk to the toilet when you feel the urge. Do not run.
  • Try avoiding going to the toilet ‘just in case’.

See the Bladder Treatment page for other bladder control options.