Have you suffered from postpartum incontinence or bladder weakness? Share your experiences with INNOVO - £200 voucher to be won

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Incontinence is a common problem for women after giving birth, but very few people talk about it and simply suffer in silence. Living with bladder weakness can feel overwhelming both physically and mentally, affecting everyday tasks. With this in mind, INNOVO would like you to share your own experiences of bladder weakness, to help destigmatise the issue and raise awareness of it, so that others know that they are not suffering alone.

Here’s what INNOVO has to say: “Often thought of as a temporary issue, activities once enjoyed are curtailed or abandoned, and leaks just managed with pads …daily…Forever. I’ve always viewed urinary leakage as an invisible ball and chain for a woman. I see women every single day in my practice and I would encourage you to seek help from your GP, a specialist physiotherapist, talk to the people in your inner circle - you’d be surprised how many people could be suffering too. Try pelvic floor exercises, aka Kegels, but if you struggle to get them right, or still experience leaks, INNOVO can help take the effort and complexity out and help you along the way” Dr Ruth Maher PT, PhD, DPT, MISCP & Co-Inventor of INNOVO.

Were you prepared for the possibility of postpartum incontinence or was it a total surprise? Did you speak to friends about it or seek professional help? Maybe you have tips for managing it, or you found a specific exercise really helped to speed up your recovery? If you’re suffering from bladder weakness currently, are you worried about adapting to normal life and managing leaks while you’re out and about now that lockdown restrictions are easing?

All who post on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Insight T&Cs apply

Cold and flu season is awful. Two children in and my bladder is terrible. I use daily pads and have tried so many exercises with no joy. My male GP wasn't at all interested after either PP check.

Ive suffered ever since i had my twins. Cant take them to the jump parks its sad and hard but worth it for my kids

mainly a problem when im running or deadlifting, thank goodness for tena pads. im in my 50s and i doubt that its fixable this far on but i dont let it stop me doing anything, i have just learned to live with it

@Sallyanne1970 I'm in my 70's now and mine was fixed when I was early 50s .

@karla10 please please go to your GP and ask to be referred for physio and assessment .In my case ,although I had to go through the stages of assessment ,physio ,assessment after physio, I was then told that the extent of laxness of tone was v unlikely to be sufficiently improved by pelvic floor exercises .The bladder needed support .

I cannot believe the number of posters going through their lives with pads ,wetness ,and the inevitable lowering of self esteem that accompanies coping with incontinence .

If you ignore the rather twee presentation these cloth pads look good

www.weenotions.co.uk/peapods.html

I had an emergency C-section 10 years ago. Over the past couple of years, I've noticed I've started leaking urine. I'm only in my early 40s and thought this only happened after vaginal births or with older women. It's getting increasingly embarrassing and I'm now having to wear pads. It's reassuring to know from this thread that I'm not alone.

I hate the sad fact that I leak a bit if cough or laugh! I wear pads as rather that than an accident. I just got told by dr to do peliv exercises, but although I have done them for 30 years I still leak.

9 years later and still suffering. trying kegals as much as I can!

@peridito

I think that’s the one that’s currently banned in the UK due to all the bad press / problems reported. At this point though, I think I would happily take the gamble!

Yes I know ,though I think the procedure was paused and can now be carried out under certain guidelines .

And use of mesh is not the only option

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng123/resources/surgery-for-stress-urinary-incontinence-patient-decision-aid-pdf-6725286110

@peridito

If my current luck is anything to go by, I’d be one of the people who it didn’t work for

Nobody said what might happen, nor seemed interested to do anything about it, so I manage as best I can.

I realised I had an issue after my second child and found some improvements with kegal balls which go up in weight. It's really tough!

I was also referred to gynae physiotherapist at my local hospital via my GP. That was 1 or 2 years after my youngest child was born - she's now 8. The exercises and monitoring helped a little at the time, but I rarely do the pelvic floor exercises now - have just forgotten. I know I should do the exercises, lose weight, exercise more to help myself etc...but it's hard, when you're a busy Mum and work full-time. When I wake up in the morning, I have a real sense of urgency to go for a wee and struggle to hold it in. This can also happen at work - not easy as a teacher, so I have to make sure I always go to the loo at break or lunch. Summer can be tricky with hayfever - sneezing and incontinence, as can Winter, with sneezing and coughing. I buy Tena pads for my mother-in-law when I do her shopping, and have now started to buy them for myself.

Are there any positive stories of people recovering? :(

Were you prepared for the possibility of postpartum incontinence or was it a total surprise? I knew it was a possibility.

Did you speak to friends about it? Yes it’s a running joke as most of us seem to suffer with urinary incontinence to some degree.

or seek professional help? No, I never have time to go to the GP. I’m not on hormonal contraception and the children rarely get ill so we’ve no need to go to the GP and I never seem to get around to making an appointment specifically for this

Maybe you have tips for managing it, or you found a specific exercise really helped to speed up your recovery? I find it is worse between ovulation and period, particularly near period. I used to do a lot of running and wore period pants when it was particularly bad. I don’t run anymore as I got fed up of getting wet. I’ve been doing the nhs Squeezy exercises for since January 1st and they’re really helping.

If you’re suffering from bladder weakness currently, are you worried about adapting to normal life and managing leaks while you’re out and about now that lockdown restrictions are easing? No more worried than before.

Thankfully my experience of postpartum bladder incontinence was only temporary and pelvic floor exercises really helped. It was something I wasn't prepared for at the time though.

Thanks everyone who has shared their experiences on this thread so far. We just wanted to remind you that if you would like to find out more about postpartum incontinence or bladder weakness, you can leave your question on the INNOVO Q&A by clicking here where two of their experts will be answering a selection of user questions on the 12th July.

Yes I have bladder incontinence. I've had the e clips fitted and take betmiga tablets.,and to be honest it's not really working for me.

Like most of you I had an unsympathetic doctor. I daren't drink too much or crouch down and as for going on a trampoline: forget it!

I find I'm desperate for a pee all if a sudden, i can't hold it in like i used to

I had my youngest son 28 years ago and following the menopause and a hip replacement my bladder has never recovered. After the hip operation it has been so much worse that I wear Tenalady everyday and if I don’t answer the call soon enough often don’t get to the loo on time. It makes travelling stressful and overnight stays at friends houses only if they have 2 toilets !

My days out to new locations are dependent on whether there is public loos there

I read yesterday that pelvic floor awareness and exercises is being raised much earlier - teenage girls - I am sure for most of us, if we had a stronger pelvic floor, with exercises which had been completed on a regular basis, bit just 3 months pre-delivery, our leakages would be much much less, if al all. I wear thin pads daily, and larger ones at night, but do feel my clenching exercises have helped with the leaking.

I was prepared for the possibility but thankfully have not suffered. I did antenatal yoga and the teacher focused a lot on pelvic floor work so I wonder if that helped. Talking to fellow mums makes me realise how common post-partum continence issues are and I'm not sure I'd know where to start with seeking support.

After 5 children I thought that it might be a problem and it is. I tried following the exercise leaflet each time but still I have the problem. I've found that swimming (breaststroke) makes the problem worse.