Search
[give_form id="19690"]

The Top 3 Reasons To Use A Bowel Diary When You Have Fecal Incontinence

It sounds weird, doesn’t it?  Keeping a journal for your bowel or bladder?  Maybe, but a Bowel Diary is actually a very useful tool to use if you suffer from Fecal Incontinence or Accidental Bowel Leakage.  

Here Are 3 Reasons To Use A Bowel Diary For Fecal Incontinence

  1. A Bowel Diary Gives You A Good Snapshot Of What’s Happening With Your Body. Knowing how often you leak, when, and how much can give help you create voiding habits that work with your body, and better assess the types of products that you need to address your leakage.  Always have a problem at 10 in the morning?  Perhaps you need to plan to always use the restroom at that time.  Only experience mild leakage? A light absorbent pad may work just fine for your needs.  Keeping a diary will help you make these decisions.

  2. It Helps You To Identify Triggers That May Be Causing You To Have Fecal Incontinence. By keeping a record of your ABL, you can start to uncover trends that may be contributing to the issue. For instance, that cup of coffee first thing in the morning may be irritating your bowels more than you thought before, hinting that it’s time to rethink your java habit.

  3. It Provides You With A Roadmap For A Discussion With Your Doctor. Recording your leaks and daily habits gives you a great reference for when you eventually have a discussion about ABL with your doctor. This can be an embarrassing conversation for many, so having a document that outlines everything you’ve been experiencing can really help the discussion along, and provide your doctor with information that can help him or her prepare a better treatment plan for you.

Download the NAFC Bowel Diary here!

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

A woman in a beige coat smiles and looks up while holding a blue umbrella on a city street, surrounded by modern glass buildings—a perfect scene to reflect on how to improve gut health and embrace the secrets of your gut for overall well-being.

Not All Leaks Are the Same: Understanding the Difference Between LBL (Light Bladder Leakage) and HBL (Heavy Bladder Leaks)

Most incontinence products on the market were made for Light Bladder Leakage (LBL), such as the occasional drip or the small dribble triggered by a sneeze or laugh. For millions of people, that’s not the full story. Heavy Bladder Leaks (HBL) involve larger volumes and/or multiple full releases throughout the day or night. Store-brand products, even those labeled “maximum” or “overnight”, aren’t designed to handle that level of need.
If products keep failing, it can start to feel personal. But when a product was never built for your reality in the first place, that’s not a personal failure. It’s a product gap.
Understanding the difference between LBL and HBL is the first step toward finding trusted protection that actually works.

An iPhone displays a restroom finder app showing photos, ratings, and locations, with text above saying Because not all bathrooms are equal—perfect for anyone focused on gut health.

Finding A Restroom Before It Becomes Urgent: A Free Tool That Can Help

For many people living with bladder or bowel symptoms, leaving home can involve more planning. than others may realize.A quick errand, a long commute, a road trip, a doctor’s appointment, a child’s school event, or
dinner with friends can all come with the same quiet question: Will I be able to find a restroom when I need one?

A doctor speaks to a patient in a clinic. Text discusses advocating for care, exploring Gut Health and how to improve gut health, and introduces a podcast episode featuring Dr. Jannah Thompson and Morgan, a U.S. Marine veteran and bladder patient. NAFC and podcast logos are visible.

“Am I going to be heard here?” How to Advocate for Yourself and Get the Care You Deserve

Embarrassment. Frustration. Unanswered questions. For many people living with bladder or bowel conditions, these feelings can become just as challenging as the symptoms themselves.

In this episode of Life Without Leaks, we’re joined by board-certified urogynecologist Dr. Jannah Thompson and patient advocate Morgon for an honest and inspiring conversation about navigating the healthcare journey. Morgon shares his deeply personal story, from developing debilitating bladder symptoms as a young U.S. Marine to years of searching for answers, learning to advocate for himself, and ultimately finding treatments that transformed his life.

A woman in a beige coat smiles and looks up while holding a blue umbrella on a city street, surrounded by modern glass buildings—a perfect scene to reflect on how to improve gut health and embrace the secrets of your gut for overall well-being.

Not All Leaks Are the Same: Understanding the Difference Between LBL (Light Bladder Leakage) and HBL (Heavy Bladder Leaks)

Most incontinence products on the market were made for Light Bladder Leakage (LBL), such as the occasional drip or the small dribble triggered by a sneeze or laugh. For millions of people, that’s not the full story. Heavy Bladder Leaks (HBL) involve larger volumes and/or multiple full releases throughout the day or night. Store-brand products, even those labeled “maximum” or “overnight”, aren’t designed to handle that level of need.
If products keep failing, it can start to feel personal. But when a product was never built for your reality in the first place, that’s not a personal failure. It’s a product gap.
Understanding the difference between LBL and HBL is the first step toward finding trusted protection that actually works.