Hey mama,
Did somebody tell you that peeing your pants while you exercise, sneeze, or run to the toilet is normal after you’ve had a baby?
Leaking is caused by conditions called urinary incontinence, and if you struggle with this, I’m here to tell you some good news:
Urinary incontinence is NOT normal!
It’s actually super common but NOT normal and there IS something you can do to treat urinary incontinence.
When I first met Melissa, she told me that she has two kids and wants to go back to her exercise class but is afraid….
“I pee when I work out and I can’t stomach the embarrassment, not to mention I have had allergies this spring and every time I cough or sneeze it is almost impossible to keep my pants dry.”
Melissa is a forty-three-year-old busy mom of two kids (5 and 7) who suffered with urinary incontinence. She didn’t remember leaking being as pronounced a problem when she first had her kids but when we first met she was leaking all the time and was constantly worried that people would notice the smell.
She wore pads and always always always carries extra clothes in case she leaked. The doctor told her after she had kids that the symptoms would go away but her youngest was five and it had only gotten worse.
She joked around with her friends, and a few shared that they had the same concerns too. Melissa was afraid that this may just be a normal part of pregnancy but then it started getting progressively worse and she began to think about what life might look like as she got older…
Could you be suffering with urinary incontinence like Melissa too?
What Is Urinary Incontinence?
Ordinary incontinence is a loss of urine when you are not intending to go.
There are three main types: urge incontinence, stress incontinence, or mixed urinary incontinence.
What Is Urge Incontinence?
Urge incontinence is increased frequency and often a sudden need to pee… meaning that you go to the bathroom more than 10 times in a 24 hr period. (A normal range of frequency is 6 to 8 times during a 24 hr period).
If you have urge incontinence, this also means you could be triggered and feel an urge to go when you hear running water… or even when you put the key in the door when you get home and automatically think you have to go so bad you’re afraid you might pee your pants.
Urge incontinence is caused by overactivity of that muscles that form the walls of your bladder.
These contract to release urine from your bladder, but with urge incontinence, the muscles are too active.
There are a number of things that can cause urge incontinence such as poor pelvic floor health, dehydration, constipation, too much caffeine or alcohol, along with certain medication and neurological conditions.
What Is Stress Incontinence?
Stress incontinence is a loss of urine when sneezing, coughing, jumping, running ,or any kind of increased pressure to the system.
This increased pressure becomes too much for your urethra to remain closed and means that you leak urine.
During pregnancy, stress incontinence can become a bigger problem due to the extra pressure on your stomach.
After pregnancy, stress incontinence may be more likely too as delivery, especially vaginal, rather than caesarean can result in weakened pelvic floor muscles.
What Is Mixed Incontinence?
Mixed urinary incontinence is a combination of both.
Where you have sudden urges to pee, need to go to the bathroom lots of time through the day, as well as losing bladder control when you sneeze, cough or laugh.
Another important measure of health – in general, when you pee the urine should flow easily without discomfort in a good, steady stream until the bladder is empty. No pushing or straining should be necessary to empty the bladder.
Common Treatments For Urinary Incontinence That Don’t Work
Unfortunately Melissa suffered with this for a long time. She resisted taking medication because she didn’t want to deal with the side effects.
She went to the chiropractor and her acupuncturist but didn’t see any improvement.
She did kegels – all the kegels. Her doctor told her she wasn’t a candidate for surgery until she was sure she was done having babies.
Deep down, even though she knew she was done, she didn’t want this one surgery to be the final ticket that secured her fertility future.
The Most Effective Treatment For Urinary Incontinence
After years of disappointment, shame, and constant embarrassment she finally got the help she needed by visiting us; our team of pelvic floor specialists in Arvada, CO.
After treatment for urinary incontinence and improving her pelvic floor, Melissa gained a new sense of confidence and even new energy – she was finally able to workout (she calls her barre class her therapy) and felt like a whole new person.
Here’s what helps Melissa, and how she manages her urinary incontinence:
- Melissa started a bladder diary and explored this with a pelvic expert physical therapist who guided her in ways to regain control of her bladder.
- Melissa actually didn’t need to be doing kegels. You see, Melissa’s pelvic floor was already contracted (tight) and kegels were only making the situation worse. Melissa learned the essential components of down training.
- Pelvic floor therapy for Melissa included manual therapy techniques to balance and restore her pelvic floor and entire body.
- Finally, she established daily habits that helped secure her confidence in her continence.
By taking a big picture, full body approach to rehabilitation Melissa was finally able to heal and enjoy her busy life of keeping up with the kids. Today she is so much healthier because she is no longer keeping herself out of exercise classes.
Sound like you?
If you have been struggling with incontinence for longer than a few weeks and you want to learn more about what the “root cause” could be…
Arrange a free pelvic floor assessment to speak with an expert pelvic floor therapist at Empower PT & Pilates by completing our simple form or call our friendly team on (720) 722-0685.
We’ll schedule you for a free pelvic floor assessment which is a one-on-one appointment with an expert pelvic physical therapist, where you’ll get a chance to:
- Share any concerns, problems, or frustrations you may be having
- Meet us in person to see if we’re a good fit before you ever decide to work with us
- Get a glimpse into what could be causing your incontinence, or the root cause of why you may be hurting
All you need to do is tell us a bit about what’s going on through this quick form and we will have a conversation about how we may be able to help.
See you soon,
Dr Casey
P.S. If you’d simply like more information, you can instantly download our free report Top 5 Secrets to End Embarrassing Leaking.
Other Free Resources To Treat Urinary Incontinence
Read our blog – How To Stop Peeing Every Time You Sneeze, Laugh, Or Jump!
Read our blog – What Causes Lower Back Pain In Females
Check us out on social media – Empower PT + Pilates Facebook / Empower PT + Pilates Instagram
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