About the Website

"Mind Over Matter: Healthy Bowels, Healthy Bladder" (MOM)

Can't watch the video?

Read the transcript document:

This website is based on an in-person program developed by researchers, medical professionals, and community organizations in Wisconsin.
The program helps women learn about: 

  • How the bladder, bowels, and pelvic floor muscles work together

  • How to do pelvic floor muscle exercises

  • How to adjust fiber and fluid intake to improve symptoms

  • How to have effective conversations with healthcare providers

Why was Mind Over Matter (MOM) developed?

While more than half of women over the age of 65 have bladder or bowel leakage, most do not get help for these symptoms.

There are solutions that can improve bladder and bowel leakage without medicine or surgery. These include doing low-impact exercises and making simple changes to what we eat and drink.

This website is based on an in-person workshop also called "Mind Over Matter: Healthy Bowels, Healthy Bladder" (MOM for short). The in-person MOM program is for a small group of 8-12 women, led by a trained facilitator (sort of like a teacher). The group meets for 2 hours every other week, for three sessions (a total of 6 hours).

How do we know this program works?

We know that the in-person version of Mind Over Matter: Healthy Bowels, Healthy Bladder (MOM) works because we conducted a study with 122 women from 6 communities in Wisconsin. We found that MOM improved bladder leakage in 71% of the women who attended the workshops and improved bowel leakage in 55% of the women who attended. Importantly, only 5% of women experienced worsening bladder or bowel symptoms during the study (versus 20% of women in the control group!). The techniques recommended in MOM have been proven to help women improve incontinence in scientific studies. We don't know if this website will be as effective as the in-person MOM program, which is why we would love your help with our research study! Please click here to learn more about our research study and how you can participate.



If an in-person workshop exists, why the website?

In one of our other research studies, we asked Wisconsin women how likely they would be to attend an in-person program like MOM. Less than 1 in 5 women with incontinence said they would be interested in attending an in-person workshop - but more than 3 in 5 women said they would complete the MOM program if it were offered online. Women noted that the online program would allow for more convenience and privacy, so we developed this electronic version of Mind Over Matter with your convenience and privacy in mind. ​ We hope having access to this website from the comfort and privacy of your own home allows you to take actions to improve your bladder and bowel health!



This website should not take the place of a medical provider.
If information here is different from what you are told by your provider, you should not make changes without talking to your doctor first.

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How to use this website:

  • Click here to watch the orientation video if you haven't already or read its transcript here

  • Create an account here to:​

    • Get access to the Exercises, Bladder, Bowels and Care Seeking sections

    • Connect with other women in the MOM Community 

  • If you encounter problems with the website or have suggestions, contact us

Before we begin, take this short quiz to find out how much you already know about bladder and bowel health.