Postpartum Urinary Incontinence: Why "Managing" Leaks Shouldn’t Be The Norm

You cough, and you leak. You sneeze, you run, you jump, and you leak. Maybe you notice it happening just at the end of a long day. Either way, you've been sold products to manage the problem, you may be wearing a pad or a panty liner, and you've stopped thinking of it as a problem.

I want to de-influence you from that!

Postpartum urinary incontinence isn't something you're meant to just put up with. It doesn't matter if you had your baby last month or twenty years ago, this isn't just "part of being a mum." It gets left unaddressed because nobody actually sits you down and explains what's going on in your body. You end up assuming this is just it now, this is what your body does. As I always say, you can only act on what you know.

What to do about postpartum leaking

The advice I'd give you? Go and see a pelvic floor physiotherapist, ask your GP for a referral if you can, the waiting list is long, I know. If you're able to go private, do it. It's worth every penny! A trained women's health specialist will give you a tailored programme for your pelvic floor, built around your body. Be sure to look for accredited pelvic health physios, ideally those listed on the POGP website (see link below).

Once they have seen you, come to Pilates. This is where the real work continues, strengthening, relaxing, or both, depending on what your body needs. Once again, look for a specialist trained postnatal Pilates teacher, like me 🙂

You don't have to suffer through this, you just have to know what you're working with.

Find an accredited pelvic health physiotherapist: https://thepogp.co.uk/patients/physiotherapists/

Ready to start rebuilding your pelvic floor? Join me for Pre- and Postnatal Pilates on Saturdays at Vulcan Works or Wednesdays at The Elgar Centre in Upton.