Urgency isn't a 'small bladder' problem...

Amy Jaramillo
Oct 1
2 min read

Let’s talk about bladder urgency + frequency.

You’ve probably heard it’s “normal” to pee all the time, or to run to the bathroom “just in case.” But the truth is it’s common—not normal. This message gets tossed around especially to women who are postpartum or aging, but even in those seasons of life, leaking, urgency, and constant trips to the bathroom are not an inevitable “new normal.”

When you go too often, you’re actually training your bladder and brain to overreact. That strong urge you feel isn’t always about how full your bladder really is—it’s often about mixed signals between your brain (the micturition center) and your bladder’s ability to stretch and hold.

Here’s what I mean:

We can think about urge on a scale from 1 to 4.
- 1 = low urge (you could wait if needed)
- 4 = very strong urge (feels like you have to run to the bathroom now)
The average female bladder can hold around 400–500 mL of urine — about the size of a standard soda can (355 mL) plus a little extra.

So, a level 3 or 4 urge should usually mean your bladder is pretty full.

But since we can’t measure in mL every time, there’s a simple way to check if your bladder and brain are actually in sync: stream length.

When you urinate (without straining or stop/go), your stream should last at least 8 seconds if you’re truly at a level 3–4 urge.
If you feel a strong urge but only get a few seconds of urine, that’s a mismatch — meaning your brain is overreacting to how full your bladder actually is.

The good news? You can retrain this connection.

One simple tip to start today: Next time you feel an urge come on, pause for 2–5 minutes before going. Use deep, calm breathing, or distract yourself with a quick task. This helps your bladder stretch a little more and starts retraining that connection with your brain.

And if you want the full roadmap to get free from urgency + frequency for good…

Join me for my Bladder Reset Workshop on November 1st.

This live 90-minute masterclass will teach you: