Incontinence in Pregnancy and as a New Mum
Incontinence or bladder weakness is something that many women suffer from, but few are comfortable talking about.
When it is as a result of pregnancy and childbirth, incontinence is usually in its mildest form – with a little leak of pee when you cough, sneeze, laugh or can't get to the toilet fast.
Women shouldn't feel embarrassed about these little accidents as bladder weakness is extremely common, affecting up to 50 percent of new mums.
What is incontinence?
There are two types of incontinence: urge and stress. If you leak a little wee when laughing, sneezing, coughing, running, jumping or even lifting weights, this is stress incontinence.
Around 60 to 70 percent of women with stress incontinence also experience urge incontinence. This is caused by an overactive bladder.
Sufferers feel a sudden urge to wee, even if the bladder is almost empty. They often leak while rushing to the toilet.
Women over the age of 35 and those classed as obese are at greater risk of pre and post natal leakage.
What are the causes?
While incontinence can be suffered by males or females at different times of life, incontinence in pregnancy is more common because the weight of pregnancy is an aggravating factor.
Incontinence in pregnancy is most common in the third trimester when the uterus rests on the bladder and supporting ligaments, which causes the ligaments and surrounding muscles to stretch.
This stretching causes them to be too relaxed to fully support the bladder, which can lead to incontinence in pregnancy.
Pregnancy hormones, that prepare a woman's tissues and joints by making them more stretchy for delivery, also weaken bladder support.
As this damage will have already been done by the time baby is delivered, having a caesarean section will not help you escape bladder weakness.
But it is true that the additional stretching that occurs during a vaginal delivery, plus the damage to the perineum's soft tissues, can make the problem worse.
In most cases, women find they have recovered from their bladder weakness within three to six months after giving birth.
Your doctor may prescribe a pessary, which is inserted like a diaphragm to help support the bladder. If the problem persists or worsens then surgery may be required so do not be embarrassed to discuss the issue with your GP.
What can you do about it?
Strong pelvic floor muscles can help during labour, and can lessen or even prevent bladder weakness symptoms later.
Pelvic floor exercises are easy and can be done anywhere at any time.
To find these key muscles stop peeing mid-flow. The muscles you are squeezing are the all-important pelvic floor muscles.
In fact stopping the flow of urine; holding for a few seconds, and doing this several times each time you pee, is a good pelvic floor exercise.
Once you can tell how they feel, you can tighten and relax these muscles when you are sitting at a desk, pushing a pram…. Anywhere!
When it is as a result of pregnancy and childbirth, incontinence is usually in its mildest form – with a little leak of pee when you cough, sneeze, laugh or can't get to the toilet fast.
Women shouldn't feel embarrassed about these little accidents as bladder weakness is extremely common, affecting up to 50 percent of new mums.
What is incontinence?
There are two types of incontinence: urge and stress. If you leak a little wee when laughing, sneezing, coughing, running, jumping or even lifting weights, this is stress incontinence.
Around 60 to 70 percent of women with stress incontinence also experience urge incontinence. This is caused by an overactive bladder.
Sufferers feel a sudden urge to wee, even if the bladder is almost empty. They often leak while rushing to the toilet.
Women over the age of 35 and those classed as obese are at greater risk of pre and post natal leakage.
What are the causes?
While incontinence can be suffered by males or females at different times of life, incontinence in pregnancy is more common because the weight of pregnancy is an aggravating factor.
Incontinence in pregnancy is most common in the third trimester when the uterus rests on the bladder and supporting ligaments, which causes the ligaments and surrounding muscles to stretch.
This stretching causes them to be too relaxed to fully support the bladder, which can lead to incontinence in pregnancy.
Pregnancy hormones, that prepare a woman's tissues and joints by making them more stretchy for delivery, also weaken bladder support.
As this damage will have already been done by the time baby is delivered, having a caesarean section will not help you escape bladder weakness.
But it is true that the additional stretching that occurs during a vaginal delivery, plus the damage to the perineum's soft tissues, can make the problem worse.
In most cases, women find they have recovered from their bladder weakness within three to six months after giving birth.
Your doctor may prescribe a pessary, which is inserted like a diaphragm to help support the bladder. If the problem persists or worsens then surgery may be required so do not be embarrassed to discuss the issue with your GP.
What can you do about it?
Strong pelvic floor muscles can help during labour, and can lessen or even prevent bladder weakness symptoms later.
Pelvic floor exercises are easy and can be done anywhere at any time.
To find these key muscles stop peeing mid-flow. The muscles you are squeezing are the all-important pelvic floor muscles.
In fact stopping the flow of urine; holding for a few seconds, and doing this several times each time you pee, is a good pelvic floor exercise.
Once you can tell how they feel, you can tighten and relax these muscles when you are sitting at a desk, pushing a pram…. Anywhere!
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