Potty Training & Pelvic Floor Therapy: How to Set Your Child Up for Success
Potty Training & Pelvic Floor Therapy: How to Set Your Child Up for Success
Potty training is a big milestone—but it doesn’t have to be a stressful one. As a pediatric pelvic health therapist, I work with families every week who are trying to navigate the potty training process. And while every child is different, there are clear signs of readiness and smart strategies to follow—especially if you want to protect your child’s pelvic floor health and avoid common pitfalls like constipation, chronic holding, and bedwetting.
Here’s how to know if your child is ready—and how pelvic floor therapy can help when things get tricky.
Is Your Child Ready to Potty Train?
Forget the social pressure, daycare deadlines, and grandma’s opinions. The most important factors in potty training success are readiness and body awareness. Here are some essential questions to ask:
✅ Are they over 2 years old?
Potty training too early (especially before age 2) can backfire. Younger toddlers often don’t recognize body signals yet, and early training is linked to a 3x higher risk of bedwetting later on.
✅ Do they poop easily and regularly?
If your child struggles with constipation, potty training may be frustrating—or even painful. Pelvic floor therapy can help improve bowel motility, teach healthy habits, and address withholding behaviors before you begin. Until your little one poops soft and squishy BMs daily and what goes in seems to be a similar volume to what comes out, work on managing the poop before skipping ahead to potty training.
✅ Are they peeing every 1–2 hours?
Regular daytime voiding shows your child’s bladder is functioning well and signals they’re developing awareness. Chronic holding, on the other hand, can damage the bladder and reinforce unhealthy patterns. Likewise, if they are just emptying all day without any awareness of the bladder filling, they may not be ready either.
✅ Are they interested and cooperative?
Do they want to wear “big kid” underwear? Are they curious about the toilet? If they’re showing interest and willing to try? If so, that’s a great sign! If they're not, its OK too, but they may need more motivation and positive reinforcement to have success.
✅ Are you both in a good place emotionally?
You’ll want to create a low-pressure environment for learning. If you're stressed or your child is going through major transitions (new sibling, move, etc.), it may be wise to wait. Potty training is easily one of the hardest periods of parenting - we are putting a ton of trust in a tiny human and that is stressful on both sides. Make sure you are the adult have the emotional bandwidth to be patient, understanding, and kind as your child moves through this difficulty (for many) milestone.
How to Start: Pelvic Floor–Friendly Potty Training Tips
Once your child is ready, here’s how to build a successful routine—while supporting pelvic health. This is Practically Perfect's favorite recommendation but its just a guideline. Each child is different and this routine works for most but may not work for all. It may need to be tweaked or customized to meet your child's specific needs.
🗓 Pick a "Pee-Day"
Choose a stretch of 3+ days where you can focus on potty training. Stock up on fun undies, a potty seat, a stool for proper foot support, and small rewards that you child has picked out personally (stickers, treats, etc.).
🪑 Use Proper Positioning
Your child should be seated in a supported squat (feet flat on a stool, knees above hips). This helps relax the pelvic floor and promotes easier pooping and peeing. This means invest in a little kid potty OR a kid sized potty seat with a step stool OR both to have options.
⏰ Try Hourly Potty Trials
Use a timer or app to remind your child to sit on the potty every hour. Don’t wait for accidents—this helps them recognize urges before it’s too late. Once trained, the bladder should hold pee during the day for about 2 hours, but when learning urge, its good to check in more often to start.
🚫 Avoid Screen Distractions on the Toilet
Use songs, books, or bubbles to pass the time. Screen time can disconnect your child from their body and delay awareness of voiding.
💧 Hydrate and Celebrate!
Offer drinks after each potty attempt to support bladder filling and cue the next trial. Praise every success—even just trying. Enthusiastic feedback builds confidence. If your child is prone to constipation, this is a great time to offer a stool softening juice throughout the introductory phase to keep the poop soft!
😌 Handle Accidents Calmly
Accidents are part of the process. Help your child change, clean up, and reset the routine. Be kind, calm, and consistent—shame has no place in potty training. Think of how you can minimize messes by spending time in easy to clean places or putting down easy to clean protectors.
When Potty Training Isn’t Going Smoothly…
Potty training challenges are common—and treatable. If you notice any of the following, a pediatric pelvic floor therapist can help:
Chronic constipation or encopresis (poop accidents)
Urinary leakage or urgency
Withholding pee or poop
Fear or anxiety around the toilet
Regression after early success
Therapy can include education, games, sensory strategies, posture adjustments, breathing techniques, abdominal massage, and coordination training. It’s gentle, personalized, and empowering for both you and your child. Think of it like a personalized coach to have success with a really hard training project.
Final Thoughts
Potty training is not a race. It’s a developmental skill that builds independence, body confidence, and healthy lifelong habits. When you honor your child’s readiness and support their body through the process, success follows.
If you ever feel stuck, you’re not alone—and help is available. Pediatric pelvic floor therapy can provide tools, reassurance, and practical support to make potty training smoother for your whole family.
Want more support?
Schedule a personalized potty consult with our therapists if you need help! We’re here to help your child feel proud, confident, and in control of their body and your insurance will cover the assistance!
📍 Practically Perfect Physical Therapy | 311 S. New York Road, Galloway, NJ, 08205
📞 Call us or visit www.practicallyperfectpt.com to learn more.
