Bladder and Bones: International Women’s Day event giving women tools to take charge of their own health and wellbeing

They say a little knowledge goes a long way, but how much do you really know about even the most basic functions of your own body?

Celebrating International Women’s Day, the Nashdale Country Women’s Association (CWA) are hosting a fun and informative event this Friday, March 8, to shine a spotlight on two critical health and wellbeing topics: Bladder and Bones.

As adults, we trust our bladders to just perform without much thought,  Nashdale CWA branch president and local urologist, Dr Clair Whelan said. 

But how exactly does that happen and how can it go wrong along the way?

“Education is everything when it comes to empowering women and knowledge of this fundamental part of our bodies can be pretty lacking,” Clair explained.

Claire said her presentation will explore everything from why babies are always wet, how toilet training happens and why some kids need longer to train at night, right through to the impacts of every stage of life on our continence and how to ensure "right place, right time" continues for years to come.

“When you think about something like toilet training, we’re all trained by someone who is only as good as the person who trained them. So, we end up inheriting great grandma’s habit of going “just in case” or hovering over the public toilet seat,” Clair said.

Incorrect bladder training and poor habits can lead to a loss of continence in adult life, which is the leading cause of nursing home placements. It also carries a significant societal cost such as limiting opportunities for full-time employment and participation in community activities.

“Bedwetting is another example. I’ve known of people going to chiropractors, naturopaths, trying various punishment techniques… none of which start with the fundamentals of what’s normal bladder function,” Claire said.

“When you consider how important it is to be a continent adult, and how frequently it can go wrong for a range of reasons at any age, you can see why starting with a baseline of what’s ‘normal’ will help.”

Our bones, too, play a key role in our overall health, from movement to protection of vital organs, Clair said.

But bone health is something else most women give little thought to — until something goes wrong.

“Osteoporosis and fractures carry a significant burden as women age but the time to intervene to prevent that is from our 40s.. actually earlier is even better!” she said.

In her presentation, Claire will cover how our bones develop, things that can go wrong and ways to improve your bone health at any age.

The event, she said, was inspired by an informal chat over wine when many of their members realised how limited their knowledge actually was.

While informative, Bladder and Bones will also be a lot of fun, Claire said, with plenty of good food, good company and drinks available at the bar for cash or card. There will also be raffle tickets available to purchase with prizes provided by Argyle Saffron, Diesel and Blue Doggy Daycare, Hillside Harvest and local wineries.

The night kicks off at Nashdale Hall from 6.30pm, Friday March 8, with Dr Clair Whelan's talk beginning at 7pm. Light refreshments will be provided, but bring cash or card for the bar.