Puberty can be a rollercoaster of emotions and physical changes. While you might know about things like pimples and mood swings, puberty can also affect a teen’s bladder.

This can lead to peeing more often, bedwetting, or other bladder issues. Let's dive into exactly how puberty can affect your bladder health.

What is puberty?

Puberty is a time of big changes. Your body starts to grow and change, and you might start to feel different emotions. For girls, one of the biggest changes is the start of their period.

Hormones, like testosterone and estrogen, are the main drivers of these changes. Puberty usually starts between the ages of 8-13 for girls and 9-14 for boys, and it takes about 5 years to finish [1].

Some symptoms of puberty include:

• Growth of breasts in girls and testicles/penis in boys
• Growth of pubic and other body hair
• Acne
• Growth spurts

As you probably know, this is a time in a teen’s life that brings a lot of different changes to different parts of the body, and the bladder is no exception.

The hormonal fluctuations during puberty can impact the function and development of the urinary system, and the growth and development of a teen’s body may bring along changes to bladder size and how much pee it can hold.

Can puberty cause frequent urination?

If your teen is peeing more often, it might be because of puberty. Here are a few reasons why:

• Their bladder is getting bigger
• They're drinking more fluids or eating different foods
• Their hormones are changing

Usually, peeing more often isn't a big deal and will get better on its own. But sometimes, it could be a sign of a UTI or diabetes.

If you're worried about your teen peeing more often, or if they have other symptoms like pain when peeing, pain in their lower belly, or blood in their pee, it's important to see a doctor.

What else should I know about puberty and bladder health?

As your teen's body grows and changes, their bladder will too. Some teens might pee more often or have bedwetting, but this usually gets better over time.

If your teen already has bladder problems before puberty, they might not grow out of them [2].

There's also some evidence that starting your period later might be linked to more urgent bladder problems. A study from 2018 found that an older age at first period was associated with urinary urgency and urinary incontinence [3].

Puberty can be awkward, but it's a normal part of growing up. While most bladder issues will get better over time, our Nundies youth pants can help your teen feel more confident.

Designed for kids aged 4 to 15, Nundies are super comfortable and absorbent. They're gentle on the skin and dry quickly to keep your teen feeling fresh and dry all day long.