Hey guys, Dr. Kelly here.  Were you Floored by learning from my last post that cutting back on your water intake can actually make your pee problems worse??  I know, no body talks about it!  We’ll get to how dehydration makes poop and seggsy-time problems worse in other posts, but for now we’re going to focus on how you know if you are drinking enough water.

Here’s 5 Ways to See if You Are Drinking Enough Water 

1. Actually record how much water you are drinking in a day.  Genius, right?  But for real, most of us vastly underestimate how much fluid we take in.  You know from this post how much you are ‘supposed’ to be drinking, so keep track for 2-3 days, and see how close you came to your target amount. Psst: A bladder diary is a daily record of how much fluids you drink (type and ounces), versus how often (and for how many seconds) you pee, for a few days. 
2. Accept the results.  It’s often a rude awakening…people think “Oh, but I normally drink more than this.”  Yeah…you probably don’t.  You just think you do. But awareness is the first step in making a change! 
3. Check Your Pee color!!  Is your urine a light yellow color (like slightly diluted lemonade) at your next pee? What about first thing in the morning? If so, great job. If not, your system might need more fluids. Caveat: certain foods and supplements will change the color of your pee. This is good to know.

Shameless plug: my newsletter subscribers get access to my Pelvic Floored Bladder Diary form and video, which guides you through this tracking process.  

4. Check Your Poop!  Is your poop like a soft formed sausage or soft log? See this blog post on what your poop should look like for more info on this. If it’s hard pellets, you likely need more fluid!

5. If you are breastfeeding, is your milk supply constant? A decreasing milk supply can be caused by dehydration, amongst other things. 

How to meaningfully increase your water intake

If you are WOEFULLY under-hydrating (like “my friend” whose target is 90 ounces a day, and I’m, I mean she, is only drinking 24 ounces of coffee each day), start by making small meaningful steps.  Drink 10 extra ounces of water each day for a few days.  Then once that’s your new normal, add another 10 ounces.  Make it meaningful and attainable.

Work on improving your hydration for the next week, and see how it affects your mood, energy, poop habits…and yes, it might even REDUCE some urinary urgency and frequency!!!  

I’m drinking more water, but still have pee, poop or seggsy time problems. What should I do? 

Great job on improving your hydration!

Also great job to you for being aware that your pee, poop and seggsy time problems are common, but NOT NORMAL.   Explore this blog, and sign up for my mailing list for lots of other great, free, educational materials.  

And if you feel that you need more personalized care, please be open to seeing a Pelvic Physio in-person or online. I have other blog posts that give you tips on how to find a Pelvic Physio near you, and you can always schedule an appointment to work with me one:one online on my main website or go directly to my scheduling site on the Jane App.  

What if I can’t find a pelvic PT in my area? Or what if I’m too embarrassed to go to pelvic PT? 

If seeing a pelvic physio in person or online is not an option for any reason, consider buying a streamable online course from a reputable, trusted source, like me! My online programs that are specifically designed to reach YOU, to get YOUR body function and confidence back.  From Leaks to Prolapse to Poops, Babies and More, I might just have an online course that will change your life. 

Thanks for Reading! Let’s go change the world, starting with your pelvis!

xoxo, Dr. Kelly