Discover why a doctor advises against women peeing in the shower. Learn more about hygiene concerns and its pros and cons.

Peeing in the shower has sparked debates, with proponents highlighting water savings. Nonetheless, Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, a pelvic health specialist, offers medical caution, especially for those assigned females at birth.

In this comprehensive article, we delve into the matter extensively, discussing the advantages, disadvantages, health effects, and substantial water conservation. By the conclusion, you’ll possess a thorough grasp of the discourse to make an educated choice.

Peeing in the shower offers a compelling water conservation angle. Aligning daily showers with urination could save 2,190 liters (579 gallons) of toilet water per person yearly.

Imagine if the entire US population embraced this – a total annual water savings of 699 billion liters (185 billion gallons). These numbers highlight significant environmental gains from this unconventional habit.

Health consequences: Your pelvic floor
Despite the compelling water-saving rationale, it’s crucial to assess the potential health effects.

Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, a prominent pelvic health expert, delves into this matter in her TikTok video. She outlines the possible risks to pelvic floor and bladder health posed by habitual shower urination.

Drawing a captivating parallel, Dr. Jeffrey-Thomas likens this to Pavlov’s dog experiment, underscoring our brain’s ability to form associations.

In that classic study, dogs linked a ringing bell to feeding, causing them to salivate at the bell’s sound, independent of food.

Breaking it down to urinating in the shower, as described by Dr. Jeffrey-Thomas, “If you pee in the shower or turn on the faucet, or turn on the shower and then sit on the toilet while the water’s running, you are creating an association in your brain between the sound of running water and having to pee.”

The connection, particularly when combined with pelvic floor dysfunction, might result in unexpected urinary problems. If you habitually pee in the shower with pelvic floor dysfunction, you could experience involuntary urination triggered by running water sounds – whether it’s a stream, faucet, or toilet flush.

Failing to fully empty your bladder can lead to potential health issues, as highlighted by Dr. Jeffrey-Thomas: “Even in this Captain Morgan pose [one leg up high] your pelvic floor isn’t going to relax appropriately, which means that you aren’t going to be emptying your bladder super well.”

Squatting in the shower: Does it help?

Regarding the question of whether squatting in the shower to urinate is advisable, Dr. Jeffrey-Thomas elaborates in a subsequent video that it remains preferable to avoid urinating while showering. Nevertheless, if the need to urinate is urgent, he suggests a full squatting position to effectively relax the pelvic floor muscles.

Addressing the inquiry about why flushing the toilet doesn’t prompt the need to urinate, Dr. Jeffrey-Thomas provided clarification that “when the toilet is flushed, you have already peed, so it’s not creating that association.” She also pointed out that the strength of a bladder trigger differs from person to person.

Hence, if controlling the urge to urinate while in the shower seems extremely difficult, it might suggest an underlying problem.