Wetting for Convenience, Safety or Health Reasons

We all know it's not good to withhold water or hold your bladder too long for health reasons, but why don't more people DO something about it?  Is it really okay to use an adult diaper when you don't have a medical need/incontinence, or is that just lazy?  And does it really matter? 

While the answer to that last one will vary, I would concede that it's nobody's business where you relieve yourself as long as you don't make a mess or involve them in it against their will.  Using diapers once in a while for convenience can actually improve bladder health & help delay or prevent incontinence caused by a stretched bladder (from holding it too often) with nerves that no longer send a 'full' signal to the brain in time.  This kind of incontinence is most common in people 65 & over and can definitely come from a lifetime of bad potty habits.

The right diaper can hold a LOT of wee!

Here are a few situations in which using a diaper or even some stealthy polyester tights could save you hassle while improving your health, safety & quality of life: 

Road Trips:  Relying on public bathrooms, especially in the U.S. where there's a massive shortage, can be a risky proposition.  If you're able to find one along your route in time, it's likely to be dirty and potentially of unknown safety (think: homeless vagrants & addicts using it to shoot up.  Worst case scenario = sexual predators planting cameras or other devices to spy).  This can be an especially big issue for women and kids.  When traveling across the U.S. by car, it's definitely easier and safer to just wet yourself wearing a diaper or sitting on some folded towels/incontinence mats through stealthy clothes (black polyester/Spandex, a loose skirt, etc).  Just remember to take periodic breaks to stand up and move around so you don't get a blood clot.

Nocturia:  Getting up to pee repeatedly in the night (nocturia) may seem like a mere inconvenience, but over time it can lead to severely impaired sleep quality, which in turn can affect everything from work performance to appetite/weight management, mental health & driver safety.  Getting up in the dark to pee also increases your risk of falls & other injuries.  Better to just do it where you lay.  I like to use an incontinence mat, which I just toss face-up on the floor & launder in the morning.  Easy pee-sy.

Work:  The thought of wetting at work might horrify some, but there are professions where bathroom access is limited.  Extremely limited.  Long-haul drivers, surgeons & nurses, construction workers, bus & delivery drivers... these are just SOME of the careers that may force workers to hold beyond what's healthy, which increases the risk of actual incontinence over time.  You also risk having an unintentional accident in your pants & getting caught.  Why not slap on a diaper & CHOOSE when or if you use it? 

Long flights:  Like long car rides, long flights can lead to overfull bladders, but the reasons for holding are often different.  Plane toilets tend to be safe... they're just in short supply.  Whether the "Stay Seated" light is on due to turbulence, your neighbors are fast asleep & you're in a window seat or the bathroom line is simply too long, it's not uncommon to end up in a bad way on flights longer than an hour or two.  Add the fact that many fliers consume alcohol or caffeine pre-flight and it's a recipe for disaster.  Simply wearing a diaper can mean the difference between a tense, anxiety-prone flight and a warm, relaxing one.  Just make sure you're wearing a fresh, clean one when going through the TSA checkpoints.

Sports/Exercise:  Some people leak when they run, jump, lift heavy weights or engage in tumbling/gymnastics.  This mostly happens to women, but even male athletes can find themselves desperate on long marathon runs or bike rides.  In most of these scenarios, simply wetting your pants is preferable to a diaper & may not be optional as it's unintentional.  If your urine leak will leave a mess indoors (i.e. while lifting weights in a public gym), try to wear protection to prevent that--otherwise you can often empty your entire bladder in your pants outdoors & just keep on moving without making a scene if you do it right.  

Clubbing/Drinking:  Alcohol is a diuretic and depressant that relaxes the brain and body, which can mean frequent urges to urinate.  Bar and club restrooms may be dirty, sparse or occupied with long lines, hence the preference of some serious drinkers to simply use a diaper.  Just make sure not to drink and drive.

Concerts, Festivals & Movies/Plays:  Port-A-Potties are downright nasty, and lines can be long.  Too long. That's if you can even squeeze your way out of the crowd to find the line.  At theaters, it's dark, cold and disorienting and patrons are often full of large cokes or other refreshments, plus getting up to pee means missing part of the flick or play.  The solution seems obvious--just use your diaper.

When Sick or Injured:  Anyone who's ever suffered through the flu, a kidney infection or a broken leg knows that bathroom trips can become a real hassle.  A short walk feels like a trek up Mt. Everest when dealing with fever, fatigue, pain or other nasty symptoms.  At the same time, your urge to urinate may increase due to increased fluid intake or other metabolic changes.  You'll never appreciate padding more than when you're sidelined with an illness or injury, and that's a promise.   

As a Menstrual Pad Substitute:  For women with heavy menstrual flows, Pull-Ups/diapers aren't all that different from the thickness of pads we wear normally, but they can prevent major damage to your panties, pants & furniture.  If you have severe cramps and find it hard to get up, using your diaper as a personal toilet (for pee) can also be a stress-saver.

New Parents/Moms:  Pregnancy & childbirth are a leading cause of urinary incontinence but aside from that, the demands of caring for a new baby can make finding time for bathroom breaks difficult.  New parents can make their duties a tad easier by putting on a diaper along with their new bundle.  (And also asking for help from loved ones like the baby's other parent or extended family).




Addressing Common Concerns

A diaper could've prevented this!

The myth that adults should be able to hold their urine indefinitely is just that--a myth.  It has nothing to do with age (adult vs. child) or mental strength & can lead to real health problems if done too often.  Those who are too "proud" to wear a diaper may end up in a worse conundrum if they're not careful.  Diapers are discreet; a giant piss spot on your light colored jeans or work uniform is NOT.   Using diapers occasionally as needed will not cause incontinence; on the contrary, they can improve urinary health by allowing you to stay hydrated & relieve yourself as often as needed instead of holding & stretching out your bladder.  And don't forget that pulling your pants down in public to urinate is illegal in all 50 states and can land you on the sex offender registry in 12.   😬

A healthy adult should go about 2-3 hours between pee breaks.  While we've all gone longer than that at times, it's the frequency that counts.  Holding too long too often is where things like UTI, kidney infections, kidney stones, enlarged prostate & incontinence start to become a real risk.  Staying in a wet diaper all day or night is not desirable either, but you can always remove it at your earliest convenience.  And nobody says you have to completely empty your bladder in it every time--you can also use it to spurt little by little until you can reach a bathroom if you're capable of just going a little at a time. 

As long as you change your diaper in a timely manner & don't use the same one over and over, it shouldn't produce a noticeable odor... especially if you stay well hydrated & don't let your pee get super yellow/concentrated.  Carry a pair of dry pants, wet wipes & a towel in your car to help clean up in case you overflow your diaper and you'll never have to worry.  If planning to wear diapers in public, practice wearing (and wetting) at home on weekends to get more comfy with the practice & determine exactly how much your chosen brand will hold & which clothes hide it best. 

Do a "dry run" at home to make sure THIS doesn't happen in public!

In addition to burdensome tasks like work, chores or travel, diapers can also give you immense freedom when engaged in fun things like video gaming, surfing the web, game night or watching your favorite series on Netflix.  And no more interrupting deep conversations with loved ones or colleagues to find a bathroom, just go WHILE you talk.  If you're an outdoorsy person who camps, hikes, fishes, hunts or farms, it's always handy to have a portable toilet between your legs rather than having to pause your life to pee.

What are some practical reasons YOU wear diapers?