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Understanding urinary leakage after childbirth
Is there anything more physically and emotionally overwhelming than welcoming a new addition to the family? For many mothers, urinary leaking after childbirth can be an unexpected and stressful part of the post-partum experience. For a long time, understanding and managing urinary leakage was pushed to the side.
It was one of those topics that was swept under the rug; nobody wanted to talk about it, nobody wanted to address it. Well, it’s 2023 and we talk about things now. Let’s take a look at a few of the types and causes of bladder weakness and how you can help manage them.
So, what's going on down there?
Giving birth can cause incontinence due to the strain and pressure that’s put on the pelvic floor muscles and surrounding structures. The process of giving birth, especially vaginal delivery, can significantly stretch and weaken the muscles that support the bladder, urethra, and bum. Here are some of the key things that contribute to postpartum incontinence:
Stretching of pelvic floor muscles: The weight of the baby and the force of contractions during labour put immense strain on the pelvic floor muscles. This can result in stretching or even tearing of the muscles and connective tissues that support the pelvic organs, leading to decreased muscle strength and control.
Damage to nerves: The nerves responsible for controlling bladder function can be impacted during childbirth. This can disrupt the coordination between the bladder muscles and the brain, leading to difficulties in bladder control.
Hormonal changes: Pregnancy and childbirth cause significant hormonal fluctuations in a woman's body. These hormonal changes can affect the integrity and elasticity of the pelvic floor muscles, making them more susceptible to weakness and reduced control over bladder function.
Episiotomy or tear: In some cases, an episiotomy (a surgical cut made to widen the vaginal opening) or a tear during childbirth may occur. This can damage muscles and nerves, contributing to incontinence.
Types of urinary leaking
- Stress incontinence: Occurs when pressure is put on the bladder when you do things like cough, sneeze, or exercise.
- Urge incontinence: Involves a sudden and intense urge to pee, followed by an involuntary loss of bladder control.
- Mixed incontinence: A combination of both stress and urge incontinence.
Effective incontinence management techniques
Managing leaks after childbirth isn’t a one size fits all approach and unfortunately there’s no magic pill to take. However, with some lifestyle changes and a lot of kegel’ing, you can begin to manage the situation a little better and get back on the road to comfort and confidence.
Pelvic floor exercises:
- Kegel exercises: Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles through regular Kegel exercises can improve bladder control and reduce leakage.
- Consult with a pelvic floor physiotherapist: Yep, they exist. Seeking guidance from a specialised therapist can provide personalised exercises and techniques for the very best results.
Strong fluid intake and diet:
Maintaining a balanced diet and keeping hydrated helps regulate your trips to the toilet. Avoiding bladder irritants, such as caffeine and acidic foods will also help reduce leaking episodes.
Maintain a healthy weight:
Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can alleviate pressure on the bladder and pelvic floor muscles, reducing leakages. What constitutes a ‘healthy’ weight is of course different for everyone, but if you’re unsure, give the doctor a visit.
Use incontinence products:
There’s a whole world of incontinence items out there and choosing the right ones for you isn’t always simple. The first place you’ll probably go is the supermarket, but you’ll quickly find that the solutions there are often vastly overpriced. Before chucking your money away on ‘big brand names’ - consider Vivactive. Vivactive offer incontinence pads, pants and everything in between, with the same (sometimes superior quality) that you might expect from the big brands, but the lower price means you won’t feel ripped off.
