bladder incontinence and swimwear

[pinkwednesday]

I have medium to heavy bladder incontinence and am going on holiday soon. My last holiday I spent round the pool but never getting in it, or the sea, as I can't go more than about 15 minutes without wearing inco products. Having to find toilets to remove inco pad before having a dip, and then having to immediately change to dry clothing to put an inco pad back on was just too much hassle.

I really want to find a solution for this year. I've found some bikini bottoms for those with incontinence, but I'm a size 24 would prefer short style ones and can't find those.

Would wearing a reusable pad be an option do you think? I know normal disposal isn't any good.. but I've not tried reusable options before.

I suspect a lot of people will just wee in the pool. I know people certainly do in the sea!

Oh, I'm not worried about weeing in the pool! It's more the time relaxing round the pool / on the beach in between swims, so I don't have to find a toilet before getting in the water every single time

Period pants under your swimming costume might be less visible.

I'm not sure I understand. If you are ok about weeing in the pool, you won't need a loo before you get in.

What treatment have you looked into to solve this issue? You really don't have to put up with it.

It sounds like over active bladder if you need to wee so often. Have you seen your GP? There are drugs to help, and also women's physios you can be referred to.

I need the loo to remove incontinence pad because pools and pads do not mix well!!! That's why I am wondering if reusable pads would work for those times as they don't have the gel in them

I'm under consultant care for it. Unfortunately, at this point, there isn't much can be done to improve it. I have stress incontinence, urge incontinence and latch key incontinence. It's such fun.

I'm so sorry! Must be awful.

So are you worried about leaking on dry land- not in the pool?

As someone else said, your best bet might be period knickers that come in all sorts of shapes like bikini and full briefs - modibodi do them, M&S, and other stores. If you wore them under shorts-style bottoms they would not show but you'd still need to change them I assume, before /after going in the pool.

I've seen that they now make period swimwear- I wonder if this might work for you rather than wearing pads perhaps? www.modibodi.co.uk/collections/swim

Modibodi and one of the other period pant companies now do wee and blood proof swimwear.

I’d make sure you got straight into the pool/sea; then there’s a perfectly good explanation why you’ve got a damp spot on your towel/sunbed. If I saw a damp sunbed on holiday, I’d 100% assume it was wet swimwear, not incontinence at all!

Going to order a pair of period pants and see how they work under a cossie. I hadn't thought of that idea!!

Reusable pads won't work they'll just fill with water and be incredibly heavy.

Girls at Dds swim club wore period pants under knee length swimming costumes, I have no idea how it is they work when wet though as once a material has absorbed peak water and is fully saturated it's not going to absorb anymore pee or blood.

Have you tried incywincy.net they have Shorts, they may not be for urine incontinence but might work for you

I do not have to go that often, but also basically do it all only in pad when out.

What I did during holiday is I just go into water often that I do not get dry. If swimwear is wet and having a pee it is not noticeable. Then if not swim anymore and have dried a bit I put a large, shaped pad in my swimwear in dressing cabin. The ones I use (Tena Comfort Super Original) have smooth plastic back sheet, so it won't go wet from other side even if swimwear is not totally dry. It is very comfortable also this way as it covers large area and is dry. Then I can sunbathe and relax without any worries. When have drinks have to go more often and these pads hold about 2 full bladders so after that can dispose it and swim again. I do prefer to go into pad not in the water so by going swim just after that I minimize the risk of this happening.