Health Tips for Girls

Pelvic Health is More Than Your Period!

When was the last time anyone talked to you about going to the bathroom? Probably not since you were potty trained! Did you know there are exercises that improve sports performance as they improve pelvic health? And, have you or your daughter every wanted to curl into a ball and stay home from school or work while you have your period? All of these questions address ever-increasing pelvic healthcare costs in the U.S., nearly $66 billion in incontinence products and treatment alone. For the past 10 years Women’s Health Foundation in Chicago, IL, has fearlessly gone where few have before them (pardon the pun), educating women about all aspects of the pelvic region, including bladder and bowel health, anatomy and function, reproductive health, hygiene, pelvic changes through life stages, and prevention. WHF’s most recent work brings pelvic health to life for tweens and teens, and to help inform their mothers, who may already experience symptoms themselves. The foundation’s groundbreaking book for tween and teens, Below Your Belt: How to be Queen of Your Pelvic Region, will be on sale this October. Sure to entertain, topics such as “Pee and Me,” “Constipation Consternation,” and an “Ovulation Fairy Tale” with none other than Ovum, Princess of Ovulation, turn taboo topics into valuable, actionable, education.

Bladder Health

Many easy behavioral changes can ensure better bladder health starting right away:

· Sit all the way down on the toilet – Hovering over it strains muscles and blocks the flow of urine, potentially fostering infection and pain

· Always wipe front to back so fecal matter doesn’t enter the urethra

· Limit caffeinated drinks and stay away from soda which irritates the bladder and urethra

· And a big one: Don’t go potty just in case. This means resist the urge to urinate “just because” you’re about to get in a car or sit in a meeting or get some exercise. Just as your bladder needs to be completely voided, it also needs to fill all the way. Training your bladder – and your brain - will help keep the bladder muscle in shape, and end the messages your brain tells your bladder – it needs to “go.”