Do you experience a light amount of urine leakage? Want to try lights by TENA? Chance to win £150 for feedback NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We have been asked by the team at lights by TENA to find 250 MNers to try lights by TENA and to add feedback on a thread on MN, as well as complete a very short survey.

These liners are specifically designed for women who currently experience light bladder weakness, such as when coughing, laughing, sneezing or due to pregnancy or child birth. Also women who are in their third trimester or have had a baby in the last three months may benefit.

lights by TENA say "there are four products in the lights by TENA range. They’re all specially designed for Oooops moments. They all absorb faster than ordinary liners, to keep you feeling drier and fresher. They all have specially designed odour-control. But they do differ in size and profile."

If selected you will be sent a pack of 28 - worth £1.99 and asked to try them at home. We will then email you a link to the feedback thread and a short survey.

All testers who take part and add feedback as requested will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will get a £150 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list)

If you'd like to take part please add your details here and we will be in touch with selected testers asap. Please note, your anon comments from the feedback may be used by lights by TENA on their website, social media and possibly elsewhere. Please only apply if you're happy for it to be used.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

lol

Or you could suggest getting proper treatment seeing as doing pelvic floor exercises regularly and properly for three months has something like an 85% success rate for being a total cure?

I'm going to keep on with the pelvic floor exercises. I've downloaded an app on my phone now. That's interesting and motivating about the 3 months timescale, Moving. I also think that while it's good that incontinence products are easier to buy and seem to have less stigma attached nowadays, it can seem that incontinence is becoming normalised and it would be better to encourage women to do pelvic floor exercises regularly to solve the problem?

I do my pelvic floors as soon as I've given birth, and (touch wood) never had any probs with Incontinence or Urine Leakage. I'm now 27+3 with baby no.5 and do my exercises as much as I can, I never want that problem, it's one of my fears!

Do you mind me asking how many and how often you do them, Jodie?

Hear hear Moving.

I wrote a post saying similar but couldn't remember the name of the pelvic floor guru, so deleted it.

I realise this is a problem for many, but more needs to be done to address it, rather than enforcing the idea it's just something we live with as women.

Gosh I hope that's her name. Otherwise I've just pm'd some poor woman about pelvic floors!

Unfortunately for some of us despite doing pelvic floors regularly with the help of a specialist physio doesn't solve the problem caused by a quick birth with oddly presented baby. I am, apparently, too young for a repair as they will need to redo it in 10 years as my body changes or if I decide to have another DC I will undo any work the surgery will do. It is not a choice or because can't be bothered to do pelvic floor exercises. I'd much rather not piss myself but until it is fixed it is some form of protection or wet pissy trousers!

Nobody is getting at people who have to use pads. We're getting at the cynical marketing here that is not coming with the basic facts and is perpetuating the idea that a bit of leakage is normal. It isn't and there are women who should be seen by a women's health physio who are buying pads instead of getting treated. That's wrong and acknowledging that fact is not to disregard women who cannot be cured by just doing pelvic floors at all.

Most people can be totally cured through basic exercises. That's a pretty important fact to omit from a site that is otherwise all about empowering women.

TheCowThatLaughs, I just keep going till I feel it's enough, several times a day, everyday, and in bed if I'm reading. I make sure its all Vaginal muscle and not the bum muscles I'm pulling up, it can feel quite achy if I do it too much though.

Right ho, firstly, it's really important to avoid demonising the women who do need to use incontinence products. And, to be grateful that such items are freely available both in supermarkets and on the NHS.

So, I take your point, Pikke. And, if you want to chat about things then feel free to PM me.

The thing that makes me stamp my feet is that the facts surrounding incontinence are clear in the literature, but, not commonly known amongst women.

Here you go:
1:3 women wet themselves.
80% of them can be cured within 4 months of pelvic floor exercises and avoiding bladder irritants.
No leaking, of pee, poo or farts, at any time, is normal. None.

It's worth noting that "LBL" or "Light Bladder Leakage" is not a term recognised by the professionals. It's a marketing construct, and, an effective one, but, I'm not comfortable with the consequent normalising of leaking.

Leaking is not normal. And, most of it can be cured. Even people who have had a stroke or who live with MS can be helped so that the impact of poor bladder or bowel control can be minimised.

Unfortunately, most people just put up with it, we know that about 70% of people don't mention their incontinence to anyone.

I'd like to change that.

I did a guest blog about all this for MN, I'll find the link and post it on here.

For what it's worth, I don't have a problem with companies manufacturing pads which help people. But, I DO think that seeing Companies House tells me that Tena's profits in the UK are twice what the NHS spends on treating incontinence that they have a moral duty to put health promotion advice on their packaging.

That's something I'd be very happy to help with (hint, hint)

Regardless, hold for a count of 10, 10 quick squeezes in a row x3/day for 3-4 months. Don't hold your breath, don't give up.

Follow me on twitter @gussiegrips, I'll nag you into remembering to do your exercises.

And, have a look at pelvicfloorfirst - great website funded by the Australian Government, got a free app. And, squeezy, another app, designed by a physio. Bladder and Bowel Foundation here are great, got some good advice about bladder diaries. And, continence foundation, Australia - another very informative site.

See your GP, or just give your local physio department a call. Many of them run self-referral systems. You'll be seen in privacy, no curtains to peek through. ANd, remember, most people can be improved or cured.

But, in essence - do your pelvic floor exercises every day, stops you pishing yourself, stops prolapses, manages prolapses if you've got one and gives you smashing orgasms.

Save the best for last, right?

[waves]

Gussie's so right.
I was pretty much cured by the NHS (thanks NHS!). It takes courage (which I found by reading MN and realising just how incredibly common this is) to mention it to the GP in the first place, and it takes persistence in following the treatment they recommend. Exercises aren't always enough, but there are options. And although it sounds obvious how to do the exercises, a physio can help you to do them effectively.
Not that these products don't have a role to play -- they really do. But seeing as most people keep it quiet and don't seek help, we should be promoting getting it sorted.
It also impacts the exercise people do, which has onward consequences. (Come to think of it, supporting exercise is one role for this kind of product, I think; these pads might be an option for those who risk leakage when they run or walk briskly. Tena folks, you should market sports ones .. or maybe you already do.)

I have been using these in pregnancy! Never had a problem with it before but at 37 week my god!! I only have to sneeze . I have to pee 50 times a day too Yeah there a saviour at the moment! Don't notice I have one on to be honest

Hi Gussie

Well ahem I think that this one could be just for me, it does happen to me and each time I tell myself that it's just a one off. However I think that I have to come to terms with the fact that it is becoming a semi regular occurrence ........especially when I sneeze( I do have extravagant over the top sneezes like my Grandad used to have!)

I must remember to do my pelvic floor exercises...
I must remember to do my pelvic floor exercises...
I must remember to do my pelvic floor exercises...
I must remember to do my pelvic floor exercises...
I must remember to do my pelvic floor exercises...

I think I might be a candidate I went to see my female GP about leakage and she told me there's nothing that can be done other than do pelvic floor exercises, but she didn't give me any instruction or advice on exactly what to do or how often . I have to admit that I keep forgetting

Wombat - go back and ask for a referral to a specialist physio, they can show you how to do exercises properly and how to tell if you are doing them right.

I had a urogynae consultant tell me that women were not designed to be leak free. In your 60's getting up once a night for a wee is normal, and in your 70's twice. Studies done on female fighter pilots showed that at higher G forces they all leaked, and had to wear pads. These are super fit women.

Having said that, he felt that the vast majority of women could fix stress incontinence with pelvic floor exercises and maintenance of an optimal weight. Urge incontinence is something completely different, and pads are a godsend for women who suffer from it.

Wombat, do anywhere between 50-100 squeezes a day. any time of day or night. To work out which muscles to use, try stopping peeing whilst midstream; whatever you use for that, they are the right muscles to use. But this will only help if you have stress incontinence, that is the oops one. If you have urge incontinence, then medication might be needed.

Stitch, I'm sorry, but the urogynae is quite wrong, and that message makes me cross.

Of course women can expect to be clean and dignified. There's clear and consistent evidence that most cases can be improved or cured.

I've not seen research on fighter pilots - but, I don't suppose that the G forces they experience are normal functional forces for most of us. Doesn't mean the rest of us should be sitting at home for fear of going out incase we can't get to the toilet in time!

Urge incontinence responds very well to both treatment and medication. Again, there's lots of clear evidence.

REally, don't put up with it. See a GP, get a referral.

thanks Gussie and all for the comments above. Very inspiring.

I've noticed some minor leakage lately and did think it might be time for the Tena, but now I will give 4 months of pelvic floors a go - I've always been very sporadic about them before.

Great public service and information - so glad I caught this thread - thank you again.