4 ways to treat pregnancy incontinence and improve quality of life
If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or have recently had a baby, then this blog post is for you! Before, during and after childbirth, urinary and faecal incontinence can become an issue for many women.
If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or have recently had a baby, then this blog post is for you! Before, during and after childbirth, urinary and faecal incontinence can become an issue for many women. Of course, it’s often seen as a bit of a “taboo” topic, so you may find it hard to discuss it with your family or a healthcare professional.
We believe that the ability to talk openly about conditions such as incontinence marks an important first step in finding a solution, so we’re dedicated to making the conversation a common topic. Keep reading to find hints and tips of how you can treat pregnancy incontinence and improve your quality of life.
Tip 1: Strengthen your bladder and bowel health to prepare for pregnancy
We’re sure you’ve heard it before, but your diet and lifestyle are especially important at this time of your life. Most of the usual advice applies – drinking enough water, eating plenty of fibre and exercising regularly. In addition, you can start to “train” your bowel and bladder, and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. All of the detailed information you need on these first line treatments can be found here.
Tip 2: Understand your symptoms and speak to a healthcare professional
On our website, you can find great tools to help you assess your symptoms and get a better idea of whether you suffer from incontinence.You can also read advice on how to prepare for an appointment with a healthcare professional, and to help identify a treatment that can improve your quality of life. Whether you are suffering from early pregnancy incontinence or incontinence after pregnancy, it’s important to reach out for support. We know this can take courage at times, but we’re here to help you every step of the way.
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Pelvic Floor Exercises
These exercises are designed to strengthen certain muscles in your pelvic floor.
Tip 3: Get to know your pelvic floor muscles
No matter what stage of your pregnancy journey you are at, your pelvic floor muscles are your best friend! The stronger they are before childbirth, the more quickly they can recover afterwards. Pelvic floor (or “Kegel”) exercises, can help to strengthen the muscles responsible for bladder and bowel control.
Click here to watch a video on how to effectively train these muscles. Make sure you watch the correct video, as the exercises are different for females and males.
Tip 4: Be ready for incontinence after pregnancy
Giving birth is a time of great joy. However, there are some less talked about aspects of childbirth that can be less joyful, including incontinence. And of course – what about the possibility of sex, haemorrhoids or prolapse? These topics are not always comfortable ones, but they are a reality. Luckily, there are many treatments available that can help you improve your quality of life.
We hope you are now feeling confident that you have the resources you need to approach incontinence before, during and after pregnancy. If you want to know more, we recommend that you download this excellent guide.
Good luck with your pregnancy goals, and see you next time!
WFIPP
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World Continence Week webinars now available
A series of Webinars were held throughout WCW 2023. You can now rewatch recordings of the webinars by clicking on the button below.
Press Release: A commitment to collaboration in continence care between international scientific societies and patient organizations
Commitment to Collaboration in Continence Care was a day-long workshop held in Madrid on 25th November 2022. The meeting objective was to agree the structure and scope for collaborative working between international scientific societies (as represented by ICS, EAU and SINUG), and patient organizations (as represented by WFIPP).
The meeting’s participants determined three initial areas for collaboration: 1) Education of multiple stakeholders including patients and caregivers, doctors and allied health workers, policy makers and funding organizations; 2) Improved access to trusted information; and 3) Organizational commitment to patient-centered care.
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