We’ve all been there, haven’t we? You hear the baby crying upstairs and so you try to rush along your bathroom visit so you can go comfort her. You’re racing to your next meeting and you only have a minute to stop for the bathroom. You’re late for a doctor’s appointment but you just need that quick bathroom visit before you leave. Sometimes peeing is a necessary evil that gets in the way of our daily lives.
But if you’re someone who is moving so fast that you push when you pee, you could be setting yourself up for some problems down the road.
How the bladder works when we pee
The bladder works best by relaxing the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles when you need to pee, so that the bladder muscles naturally allow the flow of urine to occur. You should not be actively pushing the urine out by bearing down or by tensing your pelvic floor muscles.
Potential problems when you push
- You’ll start to create muscle confusion. Over time, if you’re constantly pushing out your pee when you should be just relaxing your muscles to allow urination to occur naturally, you’ll start to confuse your muscles. They’ll think that each time you pee, you should be activating the pelvic floor vs. relaxing it, creating more problems down the road.
- Hypertonic Pelvic Floor issues. If you already suffer from a hypertonic pelvic floor (a pelvic floor that is too tense), pushing out your pee could aggravate the muscles even more and lead to other conditions, like pain or overactive bladder.
- You may develop a prolapse. Over time, consistent pushing when you pee (or poop) may cause your pelvic floor muscles to weaken, leading to pelvic organ prolapse, a condition where one of your pelvic organs (the bladder, uterus, or rectum) collapses into the vaginal canal.
- You could develop, or worsen, hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins inside and outside the anus and rectum that can become very painful and cause bleeding. There are lots of causes for hemorrhoids, but straining while on the toilet can contribute to them.
Conditions that may be causing you to push when you pee
If you feel like you have to push when you pee, there could be something else going on that you need to have treated.
In men, BPH, or benign prostate hyperplasia, can sometimes cause swelling to occur in the prostate, leading to a weak flow, or even trouble getting urination started at all. This may lead to men naturally trying to “push” their urine out.
Women with pelvic organ prolapse, a condition that causes one of the pelvic organs to protrude into or even through the vaginal canal may find it difficult to start urination, causing them to “push” to get it going.
If you feel you absolutely must push when you urinate, you should see a doctor about the potential causes.
The Correct Way To Pee
The best way to empty your bladder is to:
- Take a deep belly breath, fully relax, and be present during the process.
- Make sure you’re in the right position. Sit up properly on the toilet (no hovering) with your knees above your hips and your palms on your knees. This helps to relax the pelvic floor making the process easier. A stool can help you obtain this position.
- Practice double-voiding. This process is really just taking the time to pee twice, to ensure that you’ve fully emptied your bladder. You can wait on the toilet an extra minute after you’ve already urinated then relax and try again. Or you can get up, walk around for a bit, then sit down and try again. The most important thing is to not strain during the process.
Do you have a urination problem you’d like more information on? Visit our conditions section to learn more about bladder health issues, or send us a message!
14 Responses
I have incontinence. Bedtime is 11pm and I usually stop drinking at 10pm. When I brush my teeth and then pee before bed, I’m left with the feeling that my bladder is retaining urine.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Fred
Can one reverse pushing to pee after taking anti spasm medicine?
Thanks! I have been pushing the urine out for 2-3 months. I now have level 8 pain most of the time. I do not have a bladder infection but it could be caused by my post laminectomy problems plus 3,4, 5 lumbar fusion – both in 06. Will have further tests to be sure.
Great article. Thank you.
I get the urge to pee but have to push hard to pee even if I’m bursting I am 68 and had a hysterectomy in my thirties I’m now getting pain lower abdominal .
Two years ago I had Branchyterpy High Dosage, plus 25 session of external beam radiation, PSA has kept dropping PSPA scan show the cancer has been treated; my problem that started in April of this year is pain and irritation when I pee, was scoped and the urethra in the prostate gland is blistered and eroded, Urologist said my options were to have a RP, install an port in my belly to let the urine out or catheter my self on an as need basis or he said some patients have going through 90 minute sessions of Hyperbaric oxygen treatment, I chose the Hyperbaric treatment and when starting could bearly pee as the session progressed I got better after 30 sessions I was pain free and could pee just like I used to. Though this problem was behind me, wishful thinking six week after my last treatment the condition came back fully force and I could not pee at all, start using intermittent catheters, some days had to use up to six, up three times at night, now my penis and ureatha up to the prostate and in the prostate is extremely painful, the only way to urinate is the catheter, was scoped last week, very painful, urologist says the ureath in the prostate is all blistered, and the tissue is damaged and my only hope is beginning hyperbaric treatment, the problem is I would have to have a cathereter and I cannot stand the pain of one being in me other then to get the urine out. Any adivice would be welcomed.
I am a 48 yr old woman who had a complete hysterectomy in my late 20s. I am now experiencing the inability to urinate unless I push as though I’m constipated. I cannot get the stream going not can I get it to continue in one sitting. This is really starting to concern me. Any advice or knowledge would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
It take meds forever to pee even when I have to go really bad. I’m seeing women that have no problem peeing and sometimes can’t make it to th bathroom in time and yes that’s not fun. Try having to pee but u can’t. Sometimes I sit for a good 5 minutes literally 5 mins before I pee sometimes longer. It’s scary, I feel like I have something blocking it. I also have a hard time trying to go number 2. I can push and push and nothing. To the point I have to put gloves on and push it out. I don’t know what to do it’s extremely frustrating. Advice please or someone who can relate?
i pee many times most nights and always have since in my 20s. I’m now 70. last night i was up 14 times. a really good night…rare….3 times. obviously i get very little sleep. other than that i function well and am on no medications, no health problems. back in the 70’s they tried treating me with the the popular at the time rods up the urethra to try to widen it. didn’t work. they did not find a medical reason so this has become my norm. i am hoping someone out there has had this and found a solution.
I had a prostatectomy Aug. 2008 and inherited Erectile Dysfunction and Urinary Incontinence (14 years ago). Pads are inadequate for the 6-8 glasses of daily water. SO…I use an external catheter with a drain tube and a 19oz leg bag. (I also daily use an Encore Penile pump and warm water- for the ED. ) I’m 88. I do Kegel exercises daily, throughout the day, careful not to exhaust the muscles. With no post-surgery instructions except Kegel exercises, it took me 2 years to find the external catheter and leg bag. I knew nothing about YouTube and the National Library of Medicine…apple cider vinegar for urinal bag odor….or things to do to keep the catheter from sliding off the penis. My nocturnal erections had quit and the penis was shrinking. Itching of the crotch area was a problem ’till I discovered Petroleum Jelly. But P.J. can’t be allowed inside the external catheter. Neither had I discovered SKIN PREP (an essential item). I just discovered your web site yesterday.
Wonderful information
‘Make sure you’re in the right position. Sit up properly on the toilet (no hovering) with your knees above your hips and your palms on your knees.’
I don’t understand your instructions. Without a diagram I don’t see how the knees can be above the hips. It’s certainly not my idea of ‘sitting up properly’.
Another site told me to lean forward with my elbows on my knees, which does seem to help me empty my bladder better – is this wrong?
Just hsd bladder sling surgery and im finding that i still have urgency and its hard to make it in time.
I’m finding I’m pooping when I pee now 🙁