The Bladder Is A Big Muscle, Let’s Put It To Good Use
The bladder is a pear-shaped muscular sac, which stores urine it receives from the kidneys. When it has reached capacity, the bladder contracts and the urine flows out of the body via the urethra. The ability of the bladder to store urine means we can hold it in our bodies until we are ready to release it.
Bladder Control Development
Bladder control development is a very important step in overcoming bedwetting. Bladder control is reached when your child can:
1. Recognize that they need to urinate
2. Hold their urine until they are seated on the toilet
3. Release urine
Nighttime bladder control is usually the last step in the development of both bladder and bowel control. This makes sense, as the child must learn to wake to the brain telling them that their bladder is full and requires a trip to the bathroom.
1. Recognize that they need to urinate
2. Hold their urine until they are seated on the toilet
3. Release urine
Nighttime bladder control is usually the last step in the development of both bladder and bowel control. This makes sense, as the child must learn to wake to the brain telling them that their bladder is full and requires a trip to the bathroom.
When Will My Child Gain Control Of Their Bladder?
Every child will have a different timeline for when the have start developing bladder control, but it usually occurs between the ages of 18 and 30 months. Daytime bladder control develops before nighttime bladder control, with many children not achieving nighttime control until 4 or 5 years of age. If your child is older than 5, don’t worry as it can still be quite common for kids to have difficulty with nighttime bladder control until the age of ten.
Exercises To Improve Bladder Control
Muscle strengthening exercises can help some children develop better bladder control. You can try the following if your child agrees and feels comfortable doing them.
- While your child is urinating, have them stop and start the flow up to five times. These exercises help your child recognize that they do have control over their bladders if they focus on it.
- Encourage your child to hold their urine for just an extra 10 to 15 minutes after the initial urge to urinate occurs. This will improve bladder control and increase bladder capacity.
