Let’s Talk About Incontinence…

Let’s Talk About Incontinence…

We can see you cringing through the screen – and it’s okay!

Incontinence is something most of us don’t like to think about. It’s hardly a conversation topic that you want to bring up at brunch with the girls. Now is the time to put our big girl pants on and have a serious 1-to-1 about incontinence, why it’s okay to wet yourself sometimes (yes, really!), and why you want to get those pelvic floor exercises into your daily routine.

When Do Most Women Experience Incontinence?

Incontinence is when you leak a little urine, a bit like when you lift your wine glass too quickly, making a little bit fall over the rim. You’ll sometimes hear it being called urinary incontinence, and it most commonly occurs after you have a baby. Yep, the joys of pregnancy don’t end after you push out the baby.

40% of women experience postpartum incontinence after giving birth, referred to as stress urinary incontinence (SUI for short). You might find that after delivering your bundle of joy, running, jumping, sneezing or even laughing cause you to leak.

Incontinence in women is more common than you think. Even if you aren’t dealing with postpartum incontinence, you might experience the occasional leakage. We’ve all had that panic moment of thinking mother nature has decided to show up early, only to find it is definitely not her who has made an appearance. 

So, What Causes Postpartum Incontinence?

Your lovely little leakage issue comes from the wear and tear that your pelvic floor muscles, along with ligaments and other tissues, go through while you’re pregnant and giving birth. This muscle and tissue damage gives you less support for the urethral, meaning it involuntarily opens at super inconvenient times, causing a leakage.

Trust Us. Incontinence Is More Normal Than You Think

Those who have a vaginal delivery have a 34% likelihood of developing SUI, particularly those who suffer from obstetric anal sphincter injuries in childbirth. It’s not just women who have had babies that suffer from incontinence. It’s a gendered issue that we don’t talk about enough.

How Can I Avoid or Treat It?

The only way you can treat incontinence yourself is through exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. While there are other options like vaginally inserted devices and surgery, you want to try the natural route first. You can always speak to your GP, Gynaecologist or Women's Health Physio to get advice on how to treat your incontinence issues. You can also ask them to prescribe you some exercises to do during your pregnancy or if you’re trying to conceive.  The old saying rings true better is better than the cure!

Our Ola The Label High rise leakproof underwear means you don’t have to worry about incontinence issues. Our super discreate highly absorbent gusset means we have those little spills covered. We make our leakproof underwear using the same spandex material you know and love from our Ola Basics range just with an extra few layers of protection. Think of it like carrying an umbrella just in case a little rain decides to show.