Post EMSELLA By Maud Retention Homework

Maintaining Healthy Bladder Habits:

• Avoid going to the washroom “just in case”

• Do not go more often than every ~2 hours (based on regular fluid intake). It is usually not necessary to go when you feel that first urge. Try to go only when your bladder is full.

• Urgency and frequency of urination can be improved by re-training the bladder, at first this may feel a bit uncomfortable since it’s not what you are used to. These are habits you build slowly over many years, it will take time and persistance, but I promise it’s worth it in the end!

• Try spacing your fluid intake throughout the day.

• Take your time when emptying your bladder.

• Don’t strain or push to empty your bladder.

• Make sure you empty your bladder completely each time you void urine. Do not rush the process, instead relax, take a deep breath and most importantly take your time!

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and artificially sweetened drinks, they are classified as ‘diuretics’ which promotes water loss through urine. (This could be contributing to nocturia).

Pelvic Floor Care

‘Supramaximal Kegel’ exercises are what the EMSELLA has been doing for you throughout treatment. Now it’s up to you to continue to engage and maintain your recently strengthened pelvic floor muscles.

To continue to engage your pelvic floor muscles, alternate between 'squeezing and relaxing' them. & 'lifting and expanding' them. Visualize the pelvic model and those 'baskets of muscles'. You can do these whenever, wherever!

Follow the below steps to help practice this technique:

1. Squeeze your muscles for one second and hold.

2. Relax your muscles for two seconds.

3. Each time you squeeze and relax, it counts as one set. Remember to breathe!

   With diaphragmatic breathing, the goal is to expand the diaphragm by breathing into the rib cage and belly. Try walking through these steps:

   1. Lay on your back with your knees bent so your low back can rest in a neutral position.

   2. Place your hands on your rib cage and try to expand the ribs into your hands as you breathe in through your nose.

   3. Breathe out through your nose slowly, making the exhale longer than in the inhale while letting the rib cage and belly softly fall. Repeat 10 times.