Too few women and men discuss incontinence. It can have a marked effect on quality of life, social engagements, friendships. It is makes your world smaller. I used to ‘joke’ that I needed to know where all the public toilets were before we left the house. I would plan a route. I got really good at quick outdoor peeing. I wouldn’t spend the day on the beach or go out on the town with my friends (the taxi ride home was too painful)..

Incontinence effects more people than I once realised it needs to be spoken about, with the growing use of forceps, oxytocin and induced labour comes a rise in incontinence and a reliance on incontince pads. Women use Tena ladies to be able to exercise, live, laugh and go about their daily tasks. Kegels and Tena lady don’t appear to be solving this problem.

Let’s look at the reasons:

Hormonal and physical effects of pregnancy and childbirth are the main reasons why women are much more prone to incontinence than men.

Statistics show that women who have had a baby vaginally are 2.5 times more likely to suffer incontinence than those that haven’t.

During pregnancy there are changes in renal physiology resulting in changes to frequency of voiding and stress incontinence- other symptoms during pregnancy and post pregnancy are: urinary urgency, urge incontinence, incomplete emptying and slow stream.

The increase in stress incontinence during and after pregnancy is the result of damage to the fascias, ligaments, pelvic floor muscles and nerves supporting and controlling the bladder neck and uretha.

Post partum incontinence increases the likelihood of long term incontinence- women post partum who suffer from incontinence are more than 3 times likely to still suffer five years later.

I know all too well how invontinence can lead to depression. You want to be enjoying your baby, meeting friends etc. but every decision/event is ruled by your incontinence. I lost friends, I was too ashamed to explain. My intimacy with my husband changed. I felt dirty all the time. I needed the toilet all the time. Most women don’t want to talk about it. But talk we must!

I had no idea that oxytocin during labour increased my risk of incontinence in later life….did you?

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT

Hypopressives have helped to strengthen my pelvic muscles and the connective tissue supporting my bladder. I pee like I did before