How to Control Your Bladder on a Bus

Few experiences are more annoying than holding a full bladder on a bus that's not stopping anytime soon. If you still have time to prepare for your next bus trip, you can do a lot to minimize discomfort by drinking less water before boarding and teaching yourself how to control the muscles that hold in your pee. But if you're sitting on the bus right now and don't have time to learn new tricks, try uncrossing your legs, sitting as still as possible and reading something entertaining to distract yourself. As a very last resort, when you can't hold it for another minute, there are options you can try to relieve yourself discreetly.

Part 1

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Getting Ready for the Ride

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Don't drink too much before you board the bus. Staying hydrated is important for your health, but if you're about to board a bus for a long ride, it's wise not to chug water or any other liquid just before boarding. If you can't stand being thirsty, bring a water bottle and wet your mouth with tiny sips throughout your trip, rather than drinking it all at once.^{[1]XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source}
- Say no to that large latte or giant soda before you get on the bus! Caffeine is a diuretic, and will cause you to pee more often than usual. If you need your morning coffee, try to drink it well before it's time to get on the bus, so it has time to get through your system.
- Even worse than caffeine is alcohol, which prompts your body to produce more urine than the same amount of water would do.^{[2]XResearch source} Avoid drinking it in any form before or during your bus ride.
Most buses that will be traveling for more than a few hours have bathrooms these days. You can call ahead and ask the bus line you're traveling with just to make sure. The problem is that bus bathrooms are often less than clean, being very dirty at worst, as they aren't always cleaned for each new trip, and on a full bus there's frequently a line to use them. If the bus bathroom is very dirty, or if there is likely to be a line, then the best approach is to board armed with tips and tricks you can use to hold your bladder for as long as possible, and think of the bus bathroom as a backup you can use if you really have to go.
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On very long bus rides, there's usually a rest stop or two. Even if the bus doesn't have a usable bathroom, you'll eventually have somewhere to relieve yourself. Again, calling ahead to check on the situation will help you get mentally prepared. If you know when the next stop is going to be, it'll be easier to distract yourself for the allotted amount of time. If you have no idea when you'll get the opportunity to go, holding your pee will feel like endless torture.
Remember when your parents made you pee before road trips, even if you didn't have to go? This is especially important when you're about to go on a long bus trip with few or no stops before the destination, and especially if there's not a bathroom on the bus. Take advantage of your last chance to use the bathroom at home so your bus ride will be as trouble-free as possible.
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Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. For both men and women, the amount of urine that's released from your bladder is controlled by your pelvic floor muscles. The Knack maneuver is an exercise designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles so you'll have more control when it comes to urinating.^{[3]XExpert SourceAllison Romero, PT, DPT
Pelvic Health SpecialistExpert Interview. 2 December 2020.} If you're on a bus and you really need to go, doing the Knack maneuver can send a message to your brain telling it that now's not a good time to pee, and the urge will become less strong. Try this before your trip:^{[4]XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source}
- Find your pelvic floor muscles. They're the muscles that tense up when you're holding your pee, or when you stop peeing mid-stream.
- Tense the muscles, then cough at the same time. Keep the muscles tensed until you're done coughing, then release.
- Repeat 10 to 15 times every day leading up to your bus trip.
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Consider wearing pads or adult diapers, just in case. If you have a long trip coming up and you predict you're going to have trouble holding your bladder, there's no shame in protecting yourself in case of emergency! Head to the drugstore and pick out some protective supplies so you don't have an accident. Just make sure you put on the diaper before boarding the bus.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Adult diaper products were designed to help people deal with urinary incontinence, but they're commonly used by people with all sorts of needs, like brides with wedding dresses too puffy to remove for a bathroom break.
- You can buy small protective pads similar to sanitary napkins or larger, full-coverage diapers depending on what you think you'll need.
- If you don't want to wear protection, considering bringing an extra pair of clothes in case you'll have an accident. Also bring hand wipes and an antibacterial cleansing product for cleaning up yourself, and a bag for soiled clothes. ^{[6]XResearch source}

Part 2

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Dealing With the Urge While You're On the Bus

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Loosen tight clothing. If you're wearing pants or a skirt with a tight waistband, your clothes could be making matters worse by putting pressure on your bladder. Make yourself as comfortable as possible by loosening your tight clothing.^{[7]XResearch source}
- If you're wearing a belt, unbuckle it. Unbutton or unzip your pants or skirt.
- To hide the fact that you're unbuttoned, pull your shirt down or place a sweater or another item over your lap.
- For similar reasons, you may also find it helpful to uncross your legs, particularly when sitting.
Squirming around jostles your bladder and creates an urge that feels more extreme. You might want feel like tapping your feet or shifting from side to side, but that's just going to make matters worse. Try to get in a comfortable position and stay that way.
This is one of the best ways to deal with having to pee on a bus. If there's really nowhere to go to the bathroom for the next hour or two, make the best of the situation by trying to forget about your uncomfortable physical state. Pick up your reading material or turn on a video absorbing enough to keep your mind off of your urge to relieve your bladder.
Both of these actions can cause the pelvic floor muscles to give a little, making the urge to pee worse.^{[8]XExpert SourceAllison Romero, PT, DPT
Pelvic Health SpecialistExpert Interview. 2 December 2020.} You probably can't do much about it if you have a coughing fit, but you can make sure the book or video you choose isn't funny enough to make you laugh so hard you pee in your pants.^{[9]XResearch source}
Having an unbearable urge to pee is partly psychological, so thinking about whitewater rafting and spouting geysers really will make you feel worse! Let your mind dwell on deserts (without mirages) and other things that are dry. If you have a mean friend who thinks it's funny to sing "Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls" while you're trying to hold it in, tell him it won't be so funny if you pee in your seat right next to them.^{[10]XResearch source}
There's no chance that you're going to burst your bladder just by holding your pee for a long time, so let your mind be eased.^{[11]XTrustworthy SourceGo Ask AliceMedical advice site with content written by health promotion specialists affiliated with Columbia UniversityGo to source} If it gets to the point where your body can't hold it anymore, it will simply stop doing so. Hopefully by then you'll have gotten to a rest stop! If you fear the time has come and you're still sitting there wedged between a stranger and a window, read on.

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Knowing What to Do When You Can't Hold it Anymore

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Talk to the bus driver. See if there's a chance the driver can stop the bus at a nearby rest stop so you can use the bathroom (other passengers will probably take advantage, too). Be careful not to distract the bus driver, though. It's important not to raise your voice or do anything that could create a dangerous situation.
- It is possible that the bus driver will say no, and you'll just have to keep waiting. If it's a charter bus on a schedule the driver isn't going to be likely to want to pull over. Still, it's worth a try.
- If the driver says no, ask when you'll be stopping next, so you can resume your seat at least knowing when you'll get to relieve yourself.
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See if you can discreetly pee into a container. When it comes, it comes, so have somewhere to put it. Cover your lap with a jacket or something and pee into a container of some kind. Choose one with a lid so you can keep things as sanitary as possible and close it up when you're done.
- If your seatmate is a friend, have him or her stay positioned in front of you while you use the window seat to pee discreetly into the container.
- Wait for a time when the bus is running over smooth highway and not driving through city streets and running over potholes.
You wouldn't be reading this article if you saw peeing in your pants as a viable option, but it's worth pointing out that peeing on a bus seat is unsanitary and rude to your fellow passengers. If there's just no way you can avoid it, and you can't find a container fit to use, do your best to hold in as much as possible until the bus finally comes to a stop.
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Remain calm, if you do end up peeing in your pants. If you panic, you'll attract attention to your wet pants, adding to your embarrassment. Simply stay where you are until the bus stops and wait for others to leave, then inform the driver you've had an accident. If there are still others on board who notice you peed in your pants, don't sweat it! You may never have to see them again.
- Change into dry clothes as soon as possible and clean the parts of your body that were in contact with pee. Staying in peed clothing can cause skin problems or a yeast infection. ^{[12]XTrustworthy SourceMedlinePlusCollection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of MedicineGo to source} They will also start to smell after a bit. ^{[13]XResearch source}

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How can I stop frequent urination naturally?
Allison Romero, PT, DPT
Pelvic Health Specialist
Dr. Allison Romero is a Pelvic Health Specialist, Physical Therapist, and the Owner of Reclaim Pelvic Therapy in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over a decade of experience, Allison specializes in comprehensive pelvic physical therapy treatments for pelvic floor dysfunction. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Sonoma State University and a Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California. Allison is a board certified Physical Therapist in California and is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association-Section on Women’s Health and the International Pelvic Pain Society.
Allison Romero, PT, DPT
Pelvic Health Specialist
Expert Answer
Try taking a few deep breaths to help calm yourself down at the moment so you don't feel the urge to go as much.
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Plan ahead before any bus trip over three hours long.
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Urinating in a container or a diaper has downsides to it, including the fact that diapers might show through your clothes (so choose what you wear wisely), people might see you putting a bottle in your pants, it might smell, it might leak, and you might have more urine than a container can fit, so it is not recommended.
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You might consider a spare change of pants for the trip, especially if you know you'll be unable to make the return trip until the end of the day. Should you have an accident, you'd be walking around in those wet pants all day.
If you do pee your pants, try to cover it up with a jacket or pull your shirt down. You can also tie a sweater around your waist to hide it.
Carry some paper towels and Lysol wipes so if you do have an accident, you can clean up after yourself.

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