To think that an advert for Tena pads shouldn't be aimed at women in their 30s

[Simplysally]

Well the title says it all really.

What price pelvic floor exercises or surgery if you really do have 'bladder control' issues? Women in their 30s (without special needs) shouldn't have to wear nappies IMHO.

I feel quite annoyed now [rant].

Yes SGB we need to do our pelvic floors and/or have it sorted by surgery possibly, but in the short term, like now, many women need a solution!

after ds1 (he of the enormous head) i couldn't walk without leaking. A lot. Or pick him up, cough, sneeze, or in fact even hold his weight when sitting feeding. Running would mean I soaked a sanitary pad in 5-10 minutes.
Don't know to this day whether it led to PND or whether I was just extremely unhappy (suspect the later).
I owe a huge amount to my dh for making it clear he still loved and wanted me (needless to say sex was also a problem).

After some years of physio (including lots of unattractive intravaginal devices - such fun) I can walk and function.

Still can't run, though .

Surgery is only an option when you have completed your family, and carries a substantial risk of adverse SE (such as urge incontinence). It is also not 100% successful, although most see an improvement they may not be dry.

So yes, I think Tena lady should be able to advertise to whoever they wish.

YRbloodyU. You arse.

I'm amazed the MNers have been so restrained.

I'm raging at the OP's smug, complacent assessment of a real issue for women. One second's thought about the realities of childbirth, and the secrecy and shame surrounding incontinence should have alerted you to this. Do you know any women of your age with this problem? Of course you don't. But you do; they just don't talk about it.
(angry) (angry) (angry).

The red faces didn't come out, but the general intention should be clear (visualise Krakatoa).

I personally cant stand those Zovirax adverts... how dare they imply that only young women get coldsores...
(BTW Im 25 years of age and for about 6 months after giving birth couldnt sneeze without leaking slightly, maybe I should star in the next advert and get all the 20-somethings riled up!!)

Baisey - you made me larf. Sorry about your leak.

Special K adverts hack me off - how dare they suggest only young, beautiful brunettes who don't need to diet and only have red clothes in their wardrobes, eat it/need it?!

dh came home a few weeks ago bearing these for me (I had asked for panty liners). Arf.

He should read this thread.

Must remind DH (44) to be mightily offended by the erectile disfunction ads aimed at men over 40. It is quiet obvious to me now that they are implying that HE can't get it up!

Oh hang on no, that would be bloody silly wouldn't it?

Just like the OP.

echt, loving your post

why was my message deleted?

I spent 6 years incontinent

I didn't have a choice

Tena lady weren't as easily available as they are now, neither were they discreet

I had a card saying "I am incontinent please may I use your toilet"

How dare you say this is not an issue for 30 year olds

I wreaked my life for years & I am only now 5 years after my op coming to terms with it - I still have incontinence when I get a cough, do to much physically or get a UTI

It's nice to know how other people regard me

What a charming OP

Why on earth does it annoy you?

What a strange thread

I sot of agree with SGB - the smug insidious nudge-nudge-wink-wink 'we know you piss your pants, it's OK, we all do it, even those of us in Boden cardigans" style of advertising gets my back up a bit and I do think it's designed to normalise the problem - NOT with the aim of making women's lives easier, but to sidetrack women with a real fixable problem into dependence on a brand.

but I dribble when I get a chest infection with a barking cough, and it's bloody horrible, if I wasn't too mortified I would buy a cheaper version of tenalady to make life easier in the short-term...

What do you do between diagnosing the problem & getting surgery?

What a truly ignorant OP.
I wouldn't consider myself to be special needs, but I do need them.

And yes I do my pelvic floor exercises...

Thanks a bunch for making me feel even crappier about the fact I suffer from stress incontinence.

And on my birthday too

I am seriously offended at the ads for Imodium. I am of a similar age to the woman in the ad and now everyone who sees me thinks I shit my knickers all the time.

YABVVVU

Yok yok, Juxal.

Happy Birthday BT

I smugly went through my first pregnancy and birth with no pelvic floor issues. I am now 20 weeks pregnant and lets just say I don't ever need a reminder to do my pelvic floor exercises this time round
I do agree though that in general it's better to look at long term fixes but that shouldn't mean women can't use them in the meantime or if they choose to instead!

I agree with littlesilversnowbeetle. These ads are to advertise a product, and do nothing to encourage women to get help for what is mostly a very treatable problem.

Are children taught about pelvic floor exercises in their education?

I started a thread recently wondering if my waters were leaking or if I was pissing myself. I have a 3rd degree prolpase hardly any pelvic floor to speak of and I now find myself incontinent at the grand old age of 33.

I have had to resort to buying incontinence panty liners and it is quite embarrasing enough, without having smug people gloat about their immaculate fannies.

Its quite upsetting actually and re-inforces the myth that the ishoo shouldn't be discussed in real life.

Shall we start a support thread for those that piss themselves?

Have started a thread here

Well, its about time an ad like this was made. If only I had known that its ok for women in their 30s to use Tena pads, then I wouldn't have felt like such a freak when my pelvic muscles gave way after I gave birth. Because I didn't know it was common at all, I was paralysed by fear and it contributed to my post natal depression. So I'm glad these ads are out, informing the general public, and saving the younger generation from feeling stigmatised should they ever need to use it in their 30s.

Besides, even when I was ignorant about incontinence amongst the 30s, before giving birth, I would never have voiced such an ignorant rant like the OP did.

"do think it's designed to normalise the problem - NOT with the aim of making women's lives easier, but to sidetrack women with a real fixable problem into dependence on a brand."

This is my take on it too, really. I thought the OP was going to be a post complaining that incontinence pads were being sold as 'the solution' to bladder leakage, when for women in their 30's, there are lots of other solutions which might actually solve the problem altogether. One of the strange by-products of my job (editor) is that I read a lot of urological literature, and not being at all medically-minded myself it's really opened my eyes to how treatable embarassing conditions like incontinence, erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation really are.

I don't actually think there's anything wrong with using 30-somethings in the advert, but I do think it's irresponsable to suggest that incontinence is purely an embarassing inconvenience and not a treatable medical condition.

*irresponsible. I knew I'd regret disclosing my profession.