The bizarre reason women shouldn't pee in the shower

Going for a pee in the shower has often been a contentious subject that some people think is eco-friendly and efficient while others think it is a disgusting practice.

However, one doctor has spoken about why peeing in the shower may actually have a negative effect on your health and why it's particularly damaging for women more so than men and can damage your healthy normal vagina. 

Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, PT, DPT, PRPC a physical therapist who goes by @scrambledjam on TikTok, explained to her followers that there are two main reasons why peeing in the shower can have a negative effect on a woman's health and weaken the pelvic floor which leads to incontinence.

This is a particularly prevalent issue in older women as 70% of women over 40 have a weak bladder. Even celebrities have spoken about this issue as they have aged and recently Kate Winslet revealed her stress incontinence prevents her from engaging in various physical activities.

So how does peeing in the shower link to incontinence?

The doctor explained in the video that there are two primary issues when it comes to peeing in the shower.

"Okay team let's talk about why we shouldn't pee in the shower. There are two things I want to focus on here. There's the overall bladder fitness perspective, and there's the pelvic floor perspective," said the doctor in the video.

The doctor then made a comparison between the famous Pavlov's dog experiment and the bladder. 

"You guys know the whole Pavlov's dog experiment right? He rings the bell every time he puts food out for the dog so eventually, the dog begins to associate the bell [with food] and he starts to slobber even if there's no food there," she briefly explained.

"If you pee in the shower or turn on the faucet or turn on the shower and then sit on the toilet to pee while the water's running, you're creating an association in your brain between the sound of running water and having to pee."

This means that every time you hear running water, you will be reminded of going to the toilet and you will feel more inclined to go to the bathroom. 

The doctor then said, "We combo that with pelvic floor dysfunction either now or down the line and that's gonna potentially lead to some leak issues when you hear running water outside of the shower." Oh dear.

@scrambledjam

Reply to @gwas007 why you shouldn’t pee in the shower (probably part 1 of multiple?) ##learnontiktok ##tiktokpartner

♬ Similar Sensation (Instrumental) - BLVKSHP

But this isn't the only problem with peeing in the shower. The doctor then revealed that there is another issue with this practice that specifically targets those of us who were born with female genitalia.

"Unfortunately those of us that were assigned female at birth and have that anatomy were not designed to pee standing up," she said.

She then stood and placed her foot on a stool as she said, "even in this Captain Morgan pose your pelvic floor isn't going to relax appropriately which means we're not really gonna be emptying out bladder super well.

"So try to pee before you even ever turn on the shower and if you get the urge while you're in the shower, try to ignore it."

In other videos, Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas also explained to women how they can train their pelvic floor and bladder to ensure that they are going to the loo between normal intervals during the day.

@scrambledjam

How to Train Your Bladder - Part 1 ##LearnOnTikTok ##TikTokPartner ##bladdertraining ##bladderretraining

♬ TIDE TO YOUR SOUL - C. Paul Chantrill

The pelvic floor specialist has a whole host of videos that are targeted at women and their possible urination problems that may need addressing. The doctor has also explained why kegel exercises are so important—plus, the key movements you need to know about.

Fans love these videos and many have been shocked that they should stop peeing in the shower. "Damn and here I was thinking I was being useful and saving water," said one viewer. Another commented, "My brain just exploded and it makes total sense!"