Stress Incontinence: A Giggle, a Cough and a Trickle?
Have you ever been caught completely by surprise when you have laughed, coughed, or sneezed and suddenly lost control of your bladder?
If you are pregnant or have recently had a baby, you should be aware that 5 million women under the age of 40 suffer from incontinence. Pregnancy and childbirth are one of the primary causes due to the softening of the ligaments supporting the bladder, the added weight gain and the birth itself. All can lead to stretched and weakened pelvic floor muscles. The result can be bladder leakage during pregnancy and post birth when you cough, sneeze or laugh. For some this can be temporary, but studies report that 60% of women, who experience stress urinary incontinence (SUI) during pregnancy still report it 15 years later.
Being incontinent is not an easy subject to talk about. Ulrika Johansson, after four children, admitted that suffering from incontinence since her first child, caused her more embarrassment than being dumped by Sven Goran Eriksson!
A new research study for the Wellbeing of Women’s Health Charity (WoW) has found that most women wrongly suspect that it only affects the elderly - more than half the sufferers say that they would find it too embarrassing to discuss it with anyone whilst many lose their confidence because the condition can create stress and anxiety – even depression.
It is vital that pelvic floor muscle exercises are started in pregnancy and continued for life to support the continence mechanism. Trials have shown that pelvic floor muscle exercises during pregnancy reduce the likelihood of incontinence developing and postnatal exercises are effective in resolving or reducing urinary incontinence following childbirth. However, they are only effective when carried out correctly so the correct instruction is vital.
The FitBack & Bumps Classes will teach you about the changes your body goes through during and after pregnancy and how to maintain your pelvic floor strength to prevent common problems of incontinence. The added bonus is that strong pelvic floor muscles will significantly improve your sexual satisfaction!