Intermittent Self-Catheterization for Women

How often should the bladder empty?

The normal bladder works best if it’s emptied every 3 to 4 hours.
Most people pee (void) 6 to 8 times every 24 hours.
Each time you void, you should get 250 to 500 ml (1 to 2 cups) of urine. This is about 2 litres each day.
If you wait too long to empty your bladder (pee), your bladder muscle may become overstretched. You may be able to hold your urine longer than 4 hours now, but later in life your bladder may not work as it should. Signals may not be strong enough to tell you when your bladder is full and when to empty it.
If you pee small amounts of urine often (frequency), your bladder becomes trained to hold only small amounts. It becomes oversensitive, irritable, and the urge to pee becomes hard to ignore (urgency).
You do not usually need to empty your bladder at night. Some people get up at night because they drink fluids late in the day.
You should not leak during the day.

Current as of: July 31, 2020

Author: Women’s Health, Alberta Health Services

This material is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. This material is intended for general information only and is provided on an "as is", "where is" basis. Although reasonable efforts were made to confirm the accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, applicability or fitness for a particular purpose of such information. Alberta Health Services expressly disclaims all liability for the use of these materials, and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use.

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