We need to talk about peeing. Specifically, we need to talk about how to pee.
I know, you probably wouldn't think we'd need to talk about how to pee, given that we're all grown adults and have hopefully been potty-trained for quite a while. But apparently there is a 'correct' way to pee – and we've all been doing it wrong.
It all started with a recent episode of Love Island: Unseen Bits (bear with me). In it, islander Sharon said: "Apparently, when you lean forward when you pee, it gets rid of an extra half a litre".
A baffled Faye replied: "How did you work that out?", to which Chloe, an unrivalled beacon of urinary wisdom, replied: "I got told by my a doctor. I drink loads of water so I wee loads".
I too, like Chloe, drink loads of water so wee loads. So when I heard this tantalising tidbit of advice, I knew I had to investigate. Yes, this is very serious reporting from the frontline of journalism.
Turns out, it's a thing, and it even has a posh medical name – 'double voiding'. Or as 'vaginacologist' Dr. Teresa Irwin from Texas calls it, 'the cowboy'...
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"Double voiding is a practice of attempting to completely empty your bladder by relaxing the perineum, improving the posture of the pelvis and taking the time necessary for complete urination," explains leading urologist Dr Peraza Godoy, co-founder and head of sexual medicine at the Healthy Pleasure Group.
"For women who pee more often – either because they have adopted bad urinary habits or because of a high intake of water and/or irritants such as coffee and tea – then double voiding can be a potential solution, only once the common causes associated with urinary issues have been studied and excluded," says Dr Godoy.
She explains that a frequent need to wee is more common in younger women – given that no other symptoms are present – and is often a result of learned habits or an increased intake of fluids. Irritants such as tea, coffee or fizzy drinks should be cut down.
But Dr Godoy says double voiding isn't necessary for everyone. "It's important to emphasise that if you already have good voiding habits and there are no low urinary symptoms – known as LUTS, such as hesitancy or urgency – you do not have to adopt any modifications when urinating," she says.
Here's how to practice double voiding should you need to:Start by sitting on the toilet and leaning forward slightly, with your hands on your thighs.
Take your time, there is no need to rush or create any abdominal pressure.
After urinating, wait about 30 seconds while still seated before bending over a little again to completely finish urinating.
It’s important not to interrupt the stream of urine throughout.
According to Dr Godoy, urinating every three or four hours is fine, but you should talk to your doctor or a specialist if you experience any of these issues:
There is any change in your usual voiding pattern
If you need to exert pressure in order to start or finish urinating
If it is necessary to go to the bathroom more than three times during the night
If your urinary flow is weak and prolonged
If there is urgency or a burning sensation when urinating or any blood in the urine
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