What is a Bladder Diary?
A bladder diary is a tool used by you and your healthcare professional to better understand your bladder function and symptoms. It helps you track and know:
- how much and when you drink liquids
- how much and when you urinate
- when you have that “gotta go” feeling
- how much and when you leak urine.
When is a Bladder Diary completed?
You can complete a Bladder Diary before or after a consultation with your healthcare professional. You need to fill out the chart for two normal days (day and night) prior to your review appointment. You should try to make these days consecutive and you must make sure you record for the full 24 hours of each day. You will need to purchase a 500ml plastic jug with volume markings (available from any supermarket) for measuring your urine output.
How to complete the diary:
- Begin your diary when you wake up each day. Take notes throughout the day and continue until you complete 24 hours. For example, if you wake up at 7 a.m. on the first day of your diary, take notes until 7 a.m. the next day. You should drink and go to the toilet as you normally would.
- Write down how much liquid you drink. Each time you drink you need to record the time, as well as the amount and type of fluid you have drunk.
- Take note of how much urine you pass. Each time you pass urine you need to record the time and volume in the bladder diary.
- You will also need to record any leakage or pad use in the “comments” column. You can record your leakage with (L) large, (M) for moderate or (S) small leakage.
- Don’t forget to bring your completed diary with you to your consultation. Please click here to download and print out a copy of the bladder diary template for you to complete. If you run out of space, you can draw up or print more pages and continue the diary. If you have any questions or concerns with filling out the diary, please contact our Urology Nurse for assistance.