How you empty your bladder is one of the most overlooked yet important aspects of bladder health.  And the habit of hovering over the toilet when we pee is one habit I see more of in our Covid-aware world.  Why is this a problem?  Let me explain…

As a pelvic health physical therapist, I talk to my female clients regularly about bathroom habits and even get into the details about how we position ourselves on the toilet.  Many women proudly tell me that they are regular hoverers thinking that they are doing themselves a favor by not sitting to pee, especially when it’s a public toilet.  

Unfortunately, when you hover over the toilet, it often leads to bladder problems down the road.  This well-meaning behavior often leads to poor bladder emptying because it encourages a tendency to ‘push’ urine out and get our business done quickly.  

Hey, it’s not easy holding a squatting position, balancing over the toilet, and managing your clothing all the while trying not to wet yourself.  It’s no wonder moms are trying to get it done quickly!   

So, why is hovering rather than sitting bad for your bladder?

As a pelvic health specialist, I explain that the key to understanding why hovering is a problem starts with understanding how your pelvic floor muscles work. 

When we sit on the toilet, we are giving our pelvic floor muscles a chance to relax.  When your muscles relax, they send a signal to the bladder that it’s time to empty.  The bladder will contract and send a full stream of urine into the toilet.  

But, if you are hovering over the toilet, your pelvic floor muscles don’t have a chance to relax.  

The end result is a lower urine flow and only partial bladder emptying.  The left-over urine leads to a feeling of not being entirely empty and ultimately leads to repeated trips to the bathroom.  In some cases, repeated poor bladder emptying can lead to a bladder infection.  Yikes!

Won’t I catch something from the toilet seat?

Many of my moms have expressed concern regarding the cleanliness of the toilet seat.  While I empathize with this concern, there is simply no scientific data to support this worry.  It is exceedingly rare that you will catch anything from the toilet seat, even ones visibly soiled. 

In fact, research has found that the average cell phone is covered with ten times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.  Public toilet seats are cleaned regularly, unlike other items such as shoelaces, keys, and purses, which tend to be germ-ridden in comparison. 

The only way bacteria will make you sick is if it makes its way into your body.  Therefore the key to cleanliness is handwashing at the end of your bathroom break.  Make sure you use soap and spend plenty of time washing your hands; that means singing happy birthday to yourself twice before finishing.

Still can’t shake the feeling that you might catch something from the seat?

Take a handful of the paper covers from your favorite clean bathroom and put them in your purse or handbag for future use.  Sometimes having the right tools onhand can decrease the anxiety that often comes when confronted with the unknown condition of a public toilet.  

While there is no evidence that paper covers prevent the transmission of infectious disease, it does comfort us in the sense that there is a barrier between our skin and the toilet seat.  That in itself can help with calm our body so we can relax and empty well. 

Still, there may be those moments when you have to pee outside or find yourself with an exceptionally bad toilet.  In these rare occasions using the hovering method may be the only option.  

So what’s the answer for hovering?

As I tell my busy moms, if you make hovering a rare occurrence rather than a regular occurrence, your bladder will be much calmer, and your risk of developing bladder infections much less.

Still have questions about how to empty your bladder well?

For more tips on the specifics of how to optimize bladder emptying, check out my blog post 5 Tips to End the Bladder Wars.

Wishing you a Happy Bladder!

~ Tami

Tami Lines is a licensed Physical Therapist with certifications in Pelvic Rehabilitation and Women’s Health Coaching.  She is the founder of Pelvic-Health-Matters.  Tami has over 15 years of experience with expertise in bladder Health, and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction for adolescent and adult women.  She is also a mom of two wonderful young adults working their way through college. 

Willis-Gray MG, Wu J, Abhishek S, Newman D, (2017) Toileting Behaviors in Women Presenting to a Urogynecology Clinic. Urologic Nursing 35; 251-255