Bladder and Bowel Health

The aim of these resources and information is to help you better understand your bladder and bowel – including what is "normal" or "healthy", how you can prevent issues from happening in the first place, and how to know when to seek help from a professional.

A Healthy Bladder
A Healthy Bowel
Bladder and Bowel Tips & FAQs
Language Translations

A Healthy Bladder

good bladder habits pamphlet

Good Bladder Habits for Everyone

A Continence NZ brochure available for download (PDF), including information about maintaining a healthy bladder and signs that something may be wrong. If you would like to order one or more physical copies of this brochure, please visit our Order Resources section to find out how.
bladder chart

How do I know what's normal? - Bladder

This bladder guide is available to download in six different languages - Te Reo Māori, Hindi, Samoan, Chinese, Tongan, and English! This guide helps you understand what is typically "normal" or "healthy" when it comes to your bladder. Download it in English here (PDF).
urine chart

Urine Chart

This Urine Chart helps you check if your bladder is healthy based on the colour of your urine. Download the Urine Chart here (PDF).
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A Healthy Bowel

Bowel Guide

Bowel Guide

Our Bowel Health Guide includes resources, videos, tips and activity sheets to help support you with your bowel health through all ages and stages, from babies and children to the golden years. Download our Bowel Guide here (PDF).
A healthy bowel pamphlet

A Healthy Bowel

A Continence NZ brochure available for download (PDF), including information about maintaining healthy bowels, what can go wrong with your bowels and why, and treatment options. If you would like to order one or more physical copies of this brochure, please visit our page to Order Resources.

How do I know what's normal? - Bowel

These bowel guides help you to understand what is typically "normal" or "healthy" when it comes to your bowel. Download our Healthy Bowel Chart here and the Bristol Stool Chart here.

Top 5 Tips for Healthy Bowels

From our World Continence Week 2023 campaign, our Top 5 Tips for Healthy Bowels outlines five basic tips to keep your bowel healthy and prevent future issues from arising! Download our Top 5 Tips for Healthy Bowels here (PDF - for printing), and click on the image above for more information about each tip.
The Sweetcorn Test pamphlet

Sweetcorn Test

The Sweetcorn Test is one way to assess Bowel Transit Time (BTT) at home. BTT is the amount of time it takes for food to come out in your stool (poo) after it's been eaten. If your BTT is healthy, all sweetcorn should be passed between 24-36 hours for children, or 12-48 hours for adults. Download the Sweetcorn Test instructions here (PDF).
good food guide cover

Good Food Guide

This simple guide outlines a number of foods that you can incorporate into your diet to help maintain a healthy bowel. Download the Good Food Guide here (PDF).
bowel reviver cover

Bowel Reviver

Use this apple-based recipe by Continence Nurse Janet Thackray to help keep your bowels moving. Download the Bowel Reviver recipe here (PDF).
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Bladder and Bowel Tips & FAQs

Top Tips for Bladder and Bowel Health

Top Tips for Bladder and Bowel Health

This Top Tips poster is available to download in six different languages - Te Reo Māori, Hindi, Samoan, Chinese, Tongan, and English! These are our top 10 tips for maintaining a healthy bladder and bowel. Download the poster here (PDF).
fibre and fluid guide

Fibre and Fluid for a Healthy Bowel and Bladder

This information sheet tells you a bit more about how fluid and fibre intake can help you maintain a healthy bowel and bladder. Download the information sheet here (PDF).
how to sit on the toilet pamphlet

How to Sit on the Toilet

This poster shows you how to sit on the toilet to help you empty your bladder and/or bowel. Download the poster here (PDF).
bladder and bowel health checklist

Bladder and Bowel Checklist

Our Bladder and Bowel Checklist is available to download in six different languages - Te Reo Māori, Hindi, Samoan, Chinese, Tongan, and English! This checklist helps you to know when you should seek further help. Download it in English here (PDF).
bowel and bladder diary

Bladder and Bowel Diary

The purpose of this Bowel and Bladder Diary is to keep track of your urine output (wees) and bowel habits (poos) over time to monitor and understand your individual bowel and bladder patterns. Download the Diary here (PDF), and use it alongside the Bristol Stool Chart for adults or children (PDF), and Urine Chart (PDF).
Janet Thackray photo

Video Series: Continence Tips

Continence Nurse Janet Thackray answers six helpful continence questions in our Continence Tips Video Series.
How often should someone go to the bathroom?
What are the best times to use the toilet?
How often should someone have a bowel motion?
What can you do if somebody is constipated?
What should you do if someone hasn't had a bowel motion in three or more days?
Can exercise help with the bowel?
Janet Thackray photo

Video Series: Continence FAQs

In our Continence FAQ Video Series, Continence Educator Janet Thackray answers some of your most commonly-asked questions.
Why do I leak when I cough, sneeze, or laugh?
How much urine leakage is normal?
What about bowel leakage?
How often should I be getting up to go to the toilet at night?
Is there a way that I can sit on the toilet to help get things going and ease my constipation?
I just had a baby, what do I need to be careful of when I get back into exercise?
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Disclaimer:
The information available on or through this website is intended to provide general information to the public and is not intended to address specific circumstances of any particular individual or entity. All reasonable measures have been taken to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information available on this website, however, we strongly advise seeking advice from your GP or medical practitioner before undertaking any dietary or exercise changes.