Incontinence sports pants

[towriteyoumustlive]

Can anyone recommend a pair of "incontinence" sports pants?

I do a LOT of sports, and I need to be able to do star jumps, tuck jumps etc...

I can do some, but repeated jumping makes my bladder start to leak! (DS1 was 10lbs and a natural delivery...). I want to feel confident doing all the exercises without leaking as I'm stubborn and don't like asking for an alternative!

I need a pair that are higher waisted as I tried a pair of period style pants but they feel too low down. I also need some that aren't going to give me a wedgy or ride up when running about!

Any suggestions?

I have high waisted period pants from M&S they are epic. Come up past my belly button!

Could I ask how much these period pads hold ?

sorry to be gross but just a light leak or more - like the full Tena pants for example ?

OP - sorry to hijack your thread

https://www.wearejude.com/ecommerce/products/leak-proof-pants

I have a pair of these in my regular size. Not low cut - they come up just under my the top of leggings and stay put.

Puma do some that are more like cycle shorts. Google puma x modibodi.

Cheekypants

But see your GP for this, and a pelvic physio. Too many women put up with it

Why put up with this? Seek specialist advice from a gynae consultant and / or physio who specialises in the area.

I can never understand why anyone would choose incontinence wear over a solution (I don't mean this sarkily, just that it's so important to address this, rather than tolerating it).

@EarringsandLipstick Same thoughts!

You are making some big assumptions there…

How patronising @EarringsandLipstick we don’t know what OP has tried medically. And some women still suffer leakage even after all the appropriate interventions.

It had never been a "thing" or problem until I decided to take up kick boxing 5 years ago which involves lots of fitness (skipping ropes) and jumping, and only then did I discover my bladder wasn't what it was!

I assumed that all women in their mid-40s who have had kids would have similar issues. It's not something I've actually discussed with friends! DS1 was a 10lb baby with natural delivery.

There are other women in the class who don't even attempt the tuck jumps!

I can manage most things but I feel I need a back up plan just in case my bladder won't hold.

I'm assuming a bladder specialist or physio would ask me to do pelvic floor exercises, which admittedly I haven't done since the twins were born (another natural delivery) so I'm going to start doing those to see if it helps.

To give me some hope, is there anyone on here 40+ who has given birth whose bladder is completely "normal" and leak free????

Check out @GussieGrips on Twitter.

It's common but it's not normal and can be improved. I use the Squeezy app to remind me to do my exercises.

If exercises don't help then get thee to a physio.

Thank you! I've found her on twitter so will have a good read!

I also used to have an electronic pelvic floor thing that you insert and it delivered electric shocks to make the muscles tense. No idea where it is but I'd forgotten all about it so will go and see if I still have it!

@EarringsandLipstick its not that easy though.

I tried. But with prolapses, kegels are impossible. So instead it's easier to manage the incontinence and learn how to breathe properly and just carry on exercising.

I thought my bladder was pretty good until I took up trampolining classes. Small leaks, but I use tena pads for confidence... might look into pants as an alternative, it's not something i thought of.

I assumed that all women in their mid-40s who have had kids would have similar issues.

Absolutely not. What a crazy assumption!

I'm assuming a bladder specialist or physio would ask me to do pelvic floor exercises, which admittedly I haven't done since the twins were born (another natural delivery) so I'm going to start doing those to see if it helps.

You should be doing pelvic floor exercises. But at this point you need specialist advice and pelvic floor exercises alone won't help.

To give me some hope, is there anyone on here 40+ who has given birth whose bladder is completely "normal" and leak free????

Yes, I'm in that category. I exercise daily - HIIT, running, lots of high-impact. I probably have had some pelvic floor weakness post-partum but always self/resolved.

It's really sad that so many women do accept it as normal; it's not; there are solutions.

Start with your GP. In Ireland we'd go straight from there to a gynae consult but I think the pathway seems to be more focused on physio in the UK. Both worthwhile.

Have you had surgery? Prolapses can almost always be resolved via surgery, you need a gynae consultant to review you.

(Have supported a family member with the procedure; and have another family member who is a consultant).

You posted before OP's update. So hopefully now you realise my reply wasn't patronising in the least - OP hasn't tried to resolve it, seeing it as a 'normal' part of having DC. Which it isn't (normal to have the issues, not normal to have to put up with them & wear incontinence pads).

I have had episodes eg following being ill where I've noticed a small pressure, not really leaks.

Rather than carrying on, I focus on pelvic floor exercises, but if I didn't notice an improvement I would have gone to a physio with expertise in the area.

It's much better to address it early & effectively.

@EarringsandLipstick it is possible to have explored every avenue and to still experience some incontinence. I'm in that category: lots of physio (with different physios too), do all my exercises. No surgical options. It has improved hugely but that plateaued eventually and I still cannot do high impact exercise without leakage. It sounds like this op could do a lot to help but the tone of your post hit a nerve for me. It's not always a case of seeking help. Leak proof underwear is important for me.

Also don't underestimate how hard it is to get NHS support - I got 6 sessions then I had to pay privately. Not everyone can do that.

@ScarboroughHair

I'm sorry; that sounds tough.

I would still say that it's a very small number of cases where surgery will not improve the situation. However, there may be other factors impacting surgery choices of course eg general health, weight or the patient's willingness to have surgery.

I also am aware that it's more challenging to get treatment in the UK. That's not because it's free here (Ireland) - the opposite. You will have to pay for physio privately, in almost all cases, and unless you want to wait years & years, need to use private health insurance to see a consultant and have surgery. The difference is that most people (not all, by any means) have such insurance, and also would expect to pay to see a physio.

I didn't mean my tone to cause offence, and I take your point.

With regard to OP, she had made an assumption that this was normal and no treatment was available, that's my point.

But I wasn't referring to your situation or that underwear to offer protection wasn't important, so I'm sorry that wasn't clear.

Just for clarification - this was my post.

It's clear I said choose incontinence wear over a solution - not where it was needed alongside a solution or where one wasn't possible

And OP confirmed that she hadn't looked for any help as she thought it was normal. That's a great shame.

@EarringsandLipstick the thought scares me. I did see a urogyanae privately last year, though I started from the point of not wanting surgery so he recommended oestrogen, hrt, electric pulse toner and kegels.

I find the whole thing very upsetting. I'm 45 and think I've had the prolapses for years but until I saw my GP I thought everyone felt like this after having children! Also, I don't want to give up lifting weights or hiit etc and everything I've read suggests that the prolapses will need further surgery down the line.

I've got a support pessary that I pop in when I'm going to be sanding up or walking all day, but that doesn't stop the leaking!

I think your replies above are well considered BTW.

You can’t fix ALL incontinence.

I have a prolapse from a traumatic birth and injuries and some urgency and incontinence issues. They are mostly managed, but I can’t eliminate it - exercise is when it’s often unavoidable to leak. I have a pessary and have seen two women’s Physio’s and spoken to a consultant and gynaecologist, it’s a matter of managing it best I can. It’s improved no end but it’s still there.

I get really frustrated when people say it’s avoidable - some damage is permanent.

@EarringsandLipstick I’ve just seen your update so please don’t feel the need to
respond to my post.

it’s a sensitive topic for me who’s a keen runner and been pissing myself since I was 28!!

From my research I understand surgery is best avoided and in most cases isn’t successful long term, with repeat surgery being needed.

I am on my 3rd year of @GussieGrips Dry by Christmas.

I generally have urge incontinence, but have had some prolapse surgery and am pretty sure I have a small urethrocele and don't want to go down the surgery route for that as I expect it will cause more harm than good.

I have never really rated pelvic floor exercises, but I did it because I love Gussie, sad person that I am.

I am actually having results. It is very pleasing. I can drink coffee again (not all the time). I have found a few other things I have had to work with apart from the pelvic floor during that time, but it does seem to be coming together. Tis magic 😁