This information is general advice only and does not replace professional medical advice for your unique needs and situation. Always consult your doctor or a medical professional for personal advice. Collaborative guest post.
Over 7 million women in the U.S. experience post-partum incontinence. This explains the need for management solutions such as women’s incontinence panties.
Research conducted by the University of Chicago NorthShore shows that even a normal pregnancy and delivery can alter your ability to control urine by up to 50%.
Unlike women who give birth through C-sections, another Obstetrics & Gynecology study found that you have a higher chance of developing post-partum incontinence about one year after natural or vaginal delivery.
Most cases of incontinence resolve within the first-year post childbirth. However, a half or a third of women (10% – 20%) with post-partum incontinence have reported spritzing or “socially bothersome” leakage almost 5 years after delivery.
Types of Post-Partum Incontinence
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) categorizes post-partum incontinence into four types. They include:
- Urgency urinary incontinence – this uncontrollable urge to pass urine occurs suddenly and may cause leakage on your way to the bathroom.
- Stress urinary incontinence – pressure from laughter, cough, sneezing, and physical activities such as jumping, running or exercising results in this type of incontinence. It’s also common in the third trimester due to uterine pressure on the bladder.
- Mixed incontinence – this is a mix of urgency and stress incontinence that occurs due to overactive bladder.
- Fecal incontinence – this leakage occurs as a result of a fissure that runs from the vagina to the anus or due to a 4th-degree tear. Only surgery can fix this kind of leakage and it’s less common post-partum.
Urgency incontinence is common in women as they age while stress incontinence commonly occurs in new moms post-delivery. However, the former isn’t necessarily associated with postpartum incontinence.
And, women who experience leakage during pregnancy are more likely to develop postpartum incontinence.
Causes of Postpartum Incontinence
The human bladder is likened to a balloon with urethra as a stubby knob at the edge. When empty, the bladder is relaxed to hold urine as it flows inside. The sphincter muscle that surrounds the urethra expands as your bladder gets fuller to enable it to hold urine.
Ligaments and muscles around the urethra and bladder stretch during delivery. The hormones and enzymes responsible for stretching ligaments also undergo change. They weaken, allowing urine to flow out of the bladder when pressure is exerted on it. This causes urine leakage.
When activities such as jogging and exercising exert pressure on the ladder, it experiences stress. This leads to stress incontinence.
Women aged at least 35 years and those with obesity have an increased risk for prenatal incontinence. However, vaginal delivery is a risk factor for stress incontinence. This is true for deliveries that use forceps because they can easily injure pelvic muscles and nerves.
Another study found that 20% of women who fail to leak during pregnancy do so 6 months post vaginal delivery. This is compared to only 8% who’ve undergone elective C-section.
And, half of prenatal leakers who had vaginal delivery also experience spritzing about half a year later. However, only 23% of prenatal leakers who undergo C-section develop postpartum incontinence.
Hormones for making joints and tissues elastic to support delivery and bladder also cause urine leakage.
How You Can Manage Postpartum Incontinence
C-section can reduce your risk for post-partum incontinence. However, other factors such as genetics can lead to urine leakage. What’s more, women who undergo C-section still leak anyway.
Studies also show that both women who deliver vaginally and through C-section have the same risk for incontinence up to 20 years after giving birth. Gravity and wear and tear tend to equalize things for the two types of women, several years down the line after delivery.
Furthermore, C-section has its own unique risks for pregnant women and their babies. Some options to help you manage postpartum incontinence include:
- Pelvic floor rehab
Pelvic floor muscles control the elasticity and strength of your cervix. Weakening of the muscles can cause incontinence.
Kegel exercises, according to research, can help you reduce urgency and stress incontinence, if done properly. You can do the exercises anywhere, whether you’re sitting or standing, or even lying on a hospital bed post-delivery.
Consult a specialist Physio if the rehab does not work to help you identify the underlying issue and understand your condition better. Apart from postpartum incontinence, other causes of urine leakage after giving birth include:
- Loss of muscular support
- Nerve damage
- Bladder injury
- Sphincter muscle problems
Perform kegel exercises thrice or 4 times daily to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
- Wear women’s incontinence panties
Incontinence underwear for women are designed to be smooth and sleek to fit seamlessly under your clothes. The undies are washable, lustrous, soft, and slinky.
Premium materials are used to make these panties for ease of wear. The underwear feel smooth under your clothes to ensure they’re not visible.
The panties are easier on landfills and free from harsh chemicals for eco-friendly use. Other benefits of incontinence underwear, apart from absorbing urinary leakage, include:
- Available in simple, chic, classic and elegant styles
- Fits just below the belly button
- Washable for reuse
- Discreet and comfortable
- Ideal for exercises and physical activities
- More cost-effective than disposable panties
If you are experiencing heavy incontinence, you may find disposable pads or diapers to be a better solution in the interim.
- Particular diet or drinks that may help (or make it worse)
Eat fresh fruits and vegetables rich in fibers to control your bladder. Make sure you clean up your diet to prevent excess intake of calories.
Drink about 8 glasses of water daily to stay hydrated and prevent infections of the urinary tract. Avoid caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee to prevent bladder irritation. Other foods to avoid and make your bladder easy to control include:
- Spicy foods
- Citrus fruits
- Alcohol
- Refined sugar
- Tomatoes
- Soft drinks
- Lifestyle changes
Whether you’re a new mom or not, various lifestyle changes can improve your bladder control ability.
- Limit intake of alcohol and caffeine, including carbonated drinks to prevent bladder contraction and irritation.
- Shed off excess weight to minimize pressure or strain exerted on your pelvic floor muscles. Exercise and keep active to reduce the stress on your bowels.
- Quit smoking and nicotine to prevent bladder spasms and chronic coughs, factors that aggravate incontinence.
- Collagen injections and abdominal suspension
Older women can opt for collagen injections to strengthen their urethra muscles. The injections aren’t ideal for younger, active women, but temporary because the collagen dissolves in the long run.
Abdominal suspension involves stitching both sides of your urethra via horizontal incisions made on your bikini line. A strong ligament on your pubic bone is also stitched to lift up your bladder back to its original position.
Conclusion
Women experience various issues after giving birth, including postpartum incontinence. But, you can adopt various techniques to help manage and control your bladder.
Ranging from kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles to women’s incontinence panties, you can easily manage postpartum incontinence.
Bio: Anna Williams is a former aged care support worker and health aid, and has spent many years advocating for better mental and physical health care within the aged care community. She now writes content for Zorbies, volunteers locally, and enjoys long bushwalks on her weekends and spending time with her two pups, Tommy and Zaddie.
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