bag on woman's head

Women’s Urinary Incontinence – Overcoming Embarrassment

by Find the Right DoctorGeneral Urinary IncontinenceResources and AppsUrinary Incontinence

bag on woman's headIf you are a woman suffering from urinary incontinence, here are three things you should know:

  1. Only about 50% of women with urinary incontinence ever seek help
  2. Embarrassment is one of the primary reasons preventing these women from asking for help
  3. According to the Agency of Healthcare Research and Policy, urinary incontinence can be improved in 8 out of 10 cases

Does this sound crazy to you?

Why Urinary Incontinence is Embarrassing
Despite the fact that urinary incontinence affects more people than conditions like diabetes or Alzheimer’s, half of all women with urinary incontinence won’t seek help. Those who do seek help wait, on average, almost seven years. Why?

In a recent seminar co-sponsored by the National Association for Continence, experts discussed how cultural taboos prevent people from talking about this topic. These experts explained how shame is associated with bathroom issues from an early age, during the potty-training stage. Young children are taught that they are either “good girls” or “bad girls,” depending on whether they “performed” well in potty training.

Years later, the same “good girl” and “bad girl” language subconsciously haunts women, and keeps them from discussing their problems of urinary incontinence with healthcare providers.

How to Overcome the Embarrassment
While discussing urinary incontinence is embarrassing for many women, there are ways to overcome that emotion. After all, most of us have learned to overcome embarrassment about other situations in our life, why not about urinary incontinence? If you are ready to get over your embarrassment and get help, here are two simple steps you can take:

Discuss Your Situation with the Right Person
Chat with a close woman friend who has had urinary incontinence and sought help. Not only will she understand and sympathize with your situation, but she will be able to offer you guidance and advice based on her own experiences. You need not feel embarrassed talking to someone who has had the same experiences as you.

Learn More About Your Condition
Knowledge is power. Learning more about urinary incontinence gives you the knowledge and power you need to ask for help from a healthcare provider. Learn more about the different kinds of urinary incontinence and the available treatment options. Knowledge about your condition helps you understand that there are solutions available, and gives you the words you need to comfortably discuss your condition with your doctor.

People say that it’s never too late to have a happy childhood. We say that it’s never too early to seek help for your urinary incontinence. The earlier you address your condition, the faster you will see positive results with the right treatment. Commit to taking a step toward drier panties today, whether it be talking to someone about your condition or learning more about urinary incontinence online.

 

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

doctor visit

Some Facts about Urinary Incontinence to Inspire You to Get Help

by General Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

doctor visitAre you a woman suffering from urinary incontinence (UI)? Are you afraid to ask your doctor for help? If so, here are some facts and statistics about UI that may shock you, and give you the courage to ask for help.

You Are Not Alone
Between 13 and 18 million women are regularly affected by UI, and one in four women over the age of 18 has experienced UI. According to the American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP), the number of women affected by UI will only increase as baby boomers age (and there are currently about 79 million baby boomers). At the same time, studies show that about 50% of the women suffering from UI never ask for help. Women who do ask for help wait, on average, almost seven years before doing so.

You are not alone in dealing with UI or in hesitating to ask for help.

Doctors Are More Aware of the UI Problem
According to AAFP, primary care physicians are now seeing many patients complaining of UI. In fact, UI has now become a more prevalent issue than even diabetes or Alzheimer’s for these doctors. Urologists and ob/gyns are seeing the same rise in patients complaining of UI. As a result, UI is starting to become one of the issues to which doctors pay close attention. What does this mean for you?

Don’t be surprised if your doctor asks you about UI, and don’t be afraid to raise the issue if your doctor doesn’t ask.

UI is Not Normal at Any Age
An amazing 35% of the women who have never reported their UI symptoms to a doctor have not raised the issue because they assumed that UI was a normal part of aging. We’ve got news for you: UI is not normal at any age. While many aging women do experience UI, not all aging women do. More importantly, there are many treatments available for women experiencing UI at any age.

No matter your age, if you experience symptoms of UI you should get help.

Don’t run around with wet panties when you don’t have to. Arm yourself with knowledge by learning more about UI on this site, or ask for help from your doctor.

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

trash by gender

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: Can You Reduce Your Carbon “Butt Print”?

by General Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

trash by genderThese days people and companies alike are starting to take action to erase their carbon “foot print,” whether that means driving a hybrid car or going vegetarian.

But if you have women’s urinary incontinence and you use adult diapers or pads, you have to worry about more than your carbon foot print. You have to consider your carbon “butt print.”

What is a Carbon Butt Print?
Your carbon butt print is the amount of waste that you create by using adult diapers. Like many other consumer products that include plastic, diapers take a long, long time to break down in land fills. Hence, every diaper you use and throw away contributes to your carbon butt print.

Consider this:

  • Adult diapers and briefs currently make up 7% of our nation’s landfill
  • Baby diapers currently contribute just 2-3% of landfill waste
  • Diapers are the third largest type of landfill waste
  • The average adult diaper or brief will take up to 200 years to decompose (the same amount of time as an aluminum can)

Yowza … that’s a lot of carbon. And the number of adult diapers being thrown into landfills will only increase as baby boomers age.

What You Can Do to Reduce Your Carbon Butt Print
Naturally, the best thing for both you and the environment is to get out of adult diapers if at all possible. If you haven’t actually sought help for your women’s urinary incontinence (and about half of all women who have this condition have not), now is the time to do it. Here are some resources to help you get started:

Inspiration to Get Help
Finding the Right Doctor
Preparing for Your Appointment

Aside from that, you can reduce your carbon butt print by following the guidelines here:

Startling Facts about Adult Diapers and Briefs

Good luck and thanks for considering “going green” when dealing with your urinary incontinence!

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image courtesy of Iamnee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

angry woman

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: Better Get Mad Not Sad

by GeneralGeneral Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

angry womanIf you suffer from women’s urinary incontinence, chances are that you will experience one of two emotions about your situation: you’ll be mad or you’ll be sad.

Well guess what? It’s better to be mad rather than sad.

Why Being Mad is Better than Being Sad
When it comes to women’s urinary incontinence, you are far better to get angry about your situation than to feel sad or depressed. Why? Because studies show that women who feel sad or depressed about their situation are less likely to seek help.

In addition, women who are sad or depressed are more likely to:

•Overeat, which only contributes to urine leakage
•Abuse alcohol or sedatives, both of which dull the senses and can interfere with the awareness of the need to urinate
•Lack the incentive to get up and go to the bathroom

While getting angry isn’t necessarily the healthiest emotional response, anger is a more active emotional response. The woman who is angry or frustrated enough about her urine leakage is more likely to pick up the phone and make an appointment with her doctor to get help.

The Bottom Line about Urinary Incontinence
The bottom line, literally, is that when it comes to urine leakage and wet panties, you are far better served if you get mad about your situation than if you just feel sad. Sadness and depression are stagnant emotions, and tend to keep you stuck in the status quo.

If you feel sad or depressed about your urinary incontinence, then stop it. Get mad instead! Think about all the parts of your life that you are missing out on because of your urine leakage problem. Think about all the social situations you no longer attend, all the friends you no longer see, and all the sex you might be missing out on.

Then get mad … and get help! Here are some tips to help you choose the right doctor, prepare for your visit, and use the right words at your appointment:

Find the Right Doctor
3 Steps to Prepare for Your Doctor’s Visit
Use the Right Words at Your Appointment

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image courtesy of stockimages / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

panties

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: 5 Requirements for Bladder Health

by General Urinary IncontinenceKegelsPelvic Floor MusclesUrinary Incontinence

pantiesIf you suffer from women’s urinary incontinence, you may be feeling quite frustrated about your wet panties, especially if you haven’t been able to solve your symptoms quickly.

But hold on … the human anatomy is a complicated system, and everything has to work just right for you to avoid urinary incontinence. Did you know that your urinary system has to meet 5 requirements for you to urinate properly?

Really.

The 5 Requirements for Bladder Health
Having a healthy bladder, and resolving your urinary incontinence, means you urinate every three to six hours, which is typical for a healthy person. Unfortunately, if you have women’s urinary incontinence, you probably run for the bathroom far more frequently.

Why is that? One or more of these five functions may not be working well in your body, preventing you from going when you want to … rather than when your body forces you to go.

Requirement #1 for Bladder Health: A Big Enough Bladder
A healthy bladder can hold up to 2 cups of urine before it needs to be emptied. If, for some reason, the walls of your bladder don’t stretch enough to accommodate this amount of urine, you’ll either have urine leakage or need to visit the bathroom often.

Requirement #2 for Bladder Health: Feel the Urge
When your bladder is full, it sends a signal through your nervous system to your brain, which gives you the urge to go. That means that your nervous system has to be functioning properly, and your brain has to interpret the signal correctly. Due to injury, illness, or neurological conditions, some women do not get the sensation of a full bladder and end up instead with wet panties.

Requirement #3 for Bladder Health: Get a Move On
Once your brain sends you the message that you need to urinate, the next impediment is finding a bathroom quickly enough. Hence the “bathroom radar” many women with urinary incontinence develop. For some seniors, speed of movement is a difficulty. For other women, getting their clothes off quickly enough can be a problem. For this reason, many women end up wearing pants with elastic waistbands or other “easy off” clothing. This can definitely ruin a gal’s fashion sense!

Requirement #4 for Bladder Health: Control Those Bladder Muscles
To control your urination and prevent urine leakage, you need strong pelvic floor muscles, especially the muscle called the bladder sphincter. To improve the tone of your pelvic floor muscles, consider doing Kegels and other toning exercises specifically for your muscles “down there.” Many women do Kegels, but incorrectly, so they see very few results. To discover how to do a correct pelvic floor contraction and more, download our free ebook, which gives you step-by-step instructions.

Requirement #5 for Bladder Health: Empty the Bladder Completely
If you are able to get to a bathroom in time to avoid a leakage accident, but then can’t empty your bladder completely, then you’ll feel the urge to urinate soon. The inability to empty your bladder completely not only increases the frequency of your urge to urinate, but can also increase your risk of urinary tract infections. If you feel that your bladder is not emptying completely each time you urinate, check with an urologist. A quick test will confirm whether this is one of the causes of your urinary incontinence.

Steps You Can Take for Bladder Health
Hopefully this snapshot of the different requirements necessary for bladder health gives you an idea of where your body’s urinary system may be breaking down. Armed with this knowledge, you can better communicate with your healthcare providers about your situation.

In addition, check out these resources for women’s urinary incontinence:

Free Ebook: What’s Up Down There?
Online Resources for Women’s Urinary Incontinence

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image courtesy of marin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

pregnant

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: Post-Partum Statistics

by Find the Right DoctorGeneral Urinary IncontinenceKegelsUrge IncontinenceUrge Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

pregnantDid you know that women who have given birth are 2.5 times more likely to have urinary incontinence than women who have not?

It’s sad, but true. During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes many physical and hormonal changes. These changes can result in urinary urgency, urge urinary incontinence, and incomplete emptying of the bladder during pregnancy.

While some women who experience urinary incontinence during pregnancy do not have urine leakage after delivery, many do. The opposite is also true: women who were continent during their pregnancy may discover that they leak urine post-partum.

Some Statistics about Women’s Urinary Incontinence Post-Partum
What’s a mom-to-be or a new mom to think? Well, here are some statistics which may offer you some guidance on what to expect (according to Carolyn Sampselle as reported in the American Journal of Nursing):

–    Vaginal delivery is linked to a high rate of urinary incontinence in the period directly after birth
–    21% of women experience urinary incontinence after their first vaginal delivery with spontaneous birth
–    36% of women experience urinary incontinence after their first vaginal delivery with forceps delivery

Now zoom into the future about five years and you get this statistic: women who experience urinary incontinence for a period of time post-partum are three times as likely to have urinary incontinence five years later.

In addition, in a study by Brown and Lumley (2000), urinary incontinence was one of the three major health factors associated with poor emotional well-being post-partum. The other two factors were tiredness and a higher than usual number of minor illnesses. Ultimately, if left untreated, these factors can lead to long-term depression.

So What is a Post-Partum Mom to Do?
If you suffered from urinary incontinence during your pregnancy, or post-partum, then you should take definite and immediate action. Make an appointment and speak honestly with your doctor about your condition. Find out what conservative measures you can take to improve your symptoms.

Then take charge and be your own best health advocate! Browse through the various posts on this blog to learn how to find the best doctor, talk to your doctor, prepare for your appointment, and more. Or, download our free ebook, “What’s Up Down There” and do a quick self-assessment of your situation “down there.” The ebook also gives you step-by-step instructions on how to do a correct pelvic floor contraction, or Kegel, which helps alleviate many symptoms of urinary incontinence.

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Frustrated Caucasian Woman

Is Your Chronic Uncertainty about Urinary Incontinence Causing You Stress?

by GeneralUrinary Incontinence

Frustrated Caucasian WomanAccording to a recent webinar co-sponsored by the American Urological Association, chronic uncertainty is one of the major forms of stress in today’s culture. More importantly, the chronic uncertainty associated with urinary incontinence can cause women to feel levels of stress similar to that felt by people suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS). That’s a lot of stress!

What Women with Urinary Incontinence Stress About
Women coping with symptoms of urinary incontinence tend to stress about numerous issues on a daily basis, most of them dealing with uncertainty. They wonder if they:

-smell like urine
-will have an embarrassing accident and leak urine while in public or during sex
-can make it to the bathroom before an accident
-can find enough bathrooms at work
-will be able to get up the courage to ask for help
-will be able to afford adult diapers and other medical aids
-will ever find a cure for their urine leakage symptoms

… and that’s just a short list of worries that can cause a woman to feel chronic uncertainty.

The Stress of Chronic Uncertainty in Urinary Incontinence
The first few times they experience urine leakage, most women feel worry and embarrassment. When the symptoms of urinary incontinence don’t go away, but linger or even get worse, many women begin experiencing chronic uncertainty.

The stress of this uncertainty becomes a factor of everyday life, not just an occasional worry that pops up from time to time. In fact, this kind of stress can have such a strong effect that many medical organizations have recently started recognizing this kind of chronic uncertainty as a “health-related quality of life factor,” and begun using it as a factor in making policy decisions.

Are You Stressing Unnecessarily?
The worst thing about the stress associated with urinary incontinence is that it is usually unnecessary. There are many new and innovative therapies available today for women suffering from urine leakage, and the success rates of these therapies are very high.

So ask yourself what is worse: the daily stress you suffer from dealing with the uncertainty of urinary incontinence, or the possible embarrassment of seeking help from a health practitioner?

Avoid Chronic Stress and Get Help for Urinary Incontinence
Life is stressful enough without having to deal with urinary incontinence on a daily basis. Learn how women are successfully alleviating and curing their symptoms of urinary incontinence by reading these short stories:

Is This You? http://www.awomansguidetopelvichealth.com/is-this-you/

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image courtesy of stockimages / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: How do You Feel about Bathrooms?

by Find the Right DoctorGeneral Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

When you think about bathrooms, how do you feel about them? Are they happy places or something less pleasant?

According to a study by the National Association for Continence (NAFC), the majority of respondents claimed that the bathroom was a happy place for them, a personal refuge. Aside from the obvious, what do these people do in bathrooms?

– 53% read
– 47% think about serious issues
– 33% talk on the telephone
– 27% make love

On the other hand, people with bladder issues had a very different take on bathrooms. Specifically:

People with bladder issues viewed the bathroom as a symbol of incarceration.

In other words, instead of being a happy place, for people with urinary incontinence the bathroom is more of a jailhouse. The fact that 61% of these people have to constantly look for bathrooms when they leave the house for around 3 hours would make it seem like they are perpetually “tethered” to some bathroom or other.

Get Help for Women’s Urinary Incontinence
So what should a gal with urinary incontinence do to “get out of jail”? Get help! Whether you read up about your condition to understand why you experience urine leakage, or simply pick up the phone and make an appointment with your doctor, do something. Here are some places you can start:

Read our in-depth book on women’s pelvic health
Read up on pelvic floor health with our free ebook “What’s Up Down There?”
Find the right doctor
Access discreet online resources about urinary incontinence
View the many faces of women’s urinary incontinence

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: What Questions Will Your Doctor Ask?

by Find the Right DoctorGeneral Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

Have you finally taken the big step of calling your doctor and setting an appointment to deal with your urinary incontinence symptoms? If so, good for you.

To prepare yourself for your appointment, you might like to know what kinds of questions your doctor will ask you. Well, we can give you the list of questions, straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

Most physicians in the U.S. will follow the guidelines issued by the Agency for Policy and Research, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

According to these guidelines, physicians are encouraged to ask the following questions:

•Can you tell me about the problems you are having with your bladder?
•Can you tell me about the trouble you are having holding your urine?
•How often do you lose urine when you don’t want to?
•When do you lose urine when you don’t want to?
•What activities or situations are linked with leakage?
•Is it associated with laughing, coughing or getting to the bathroom?
•How often do you wear a pad for protection?
•Do you use other protective devices to collect your urine?
•How long have you been having a problem with urine?

There you have it. Now that you know what questions your doctor is likely to ask, you can prepare your answers ahead of time, so you get the most from your appointment. In addition you may want to check out our three suggested steps for preparing for your appointment:

Three Steps to Prepare for Your Doctor’s Appointment

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

How to Find the Right Doctor to Treat Your Urinary Incontinence

by Find the Right DoctorGeneral Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

It can be hard to ask for help with your urinary incontinence (UI). In fact, the average affected woman waits seven years before getting help. What can make the situation even worse is finally asking for help, and then showing up at the doctor’s office and not getting the help you need.

Discussing UI is embarrassing enough, and dealing with a doctor who is insensitive or doesn’t offer the right solutions for you can make you regret asking for help. So how do you find the right doctor to treat your UI? Women who have experienced successful treatment for UI typically get recommendations from one of these sources:

  • Other women who have been treated for UI
  • Referrals from their family doctor
  • Advertisements or internet referral sites

Word-of-Mouth Still Works Best
No one understands the trials and tribulations of UI like another woman who has suffered the same symptoms. Ask women you trust if they have been treated for UI, and if they had a good experience from their care provider. According to the Women’s Sexual Health Foundation, asking women who have already been treated is an excellent way to find a care provider, since these women know “which doctors and other professionals have been helpful.” These same women “often know the inside scoop,” meaning they can provide a more personal view on whether the doctor showed caring, had the right knowledge, and offered useful treatments.

Your Family Doctor Knows You Well
If you don’t feel comfortable asking your women friends for referrals, check in with your family doctor. Chances are that he or she knows you pretty well. Many patients follow this route. A study by the Center for Studying Health System Change shows that seven out of ten people looking for a specialist relied on referrals from their primary care physician. One of the benefits of asking your family doctor for a referral is that he or she is likely to match you with a specialist who suits your personal treatment preferences and personality. They may also be able to refer you to a specialist who works within your health insurance plan.

Find a Specialist through Advertisements or the Internet
While it used to be taboo for doctors to advertise their services, these days it is a perfectly normal practice–and can help you find the UI specialist you need. A doctor who advertises a specialty in UI is likely to have a lot of experience treating this condition with a variety of methods.

Another option is to browse internet referral sites for doctors specializing in treating UI. If you do choose to use the internet as a referral resource, experts recommend that you look through multiple referral sites for greater accuracy. Also, place more importance on objective information (“Dr. X followed up within 24 hours to review my test results.”) than on subjective comments (“Dr. X was a jerk!”).

If you suffer from UI, there’s a world of help out there. All you have to do is ask. These three sources should give you some great places to start looking for the right doctor to help you with your UI.

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
RESOURCES

Online Referral Sites
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/04/17/ep.finding.docs.online/index.html

Word-of-Mouth Study
http://www.hschange.org/CONTENT/1028/

Women’s Sexual Health Foundation
http://twshf.blogspot.com/2009/02/finding-doctor-who-can-help.html

Urinary Incontinence – 3 Steps to Prepare for Your Doctor’s Appointment

by GeneralGeneral Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

The big day is just around the corner: your doctor’s appointment to evaluate and discuss treatment options for your urinary incontinence. Now that you have actually worked up the nerve to make the appointment, a little preparatory work will ensure that you walk away from your appointment with the solutions you seek.

Preparing for your appointment doesn’t have to be complicated, but you should take the time to do so. Good preparation leads to good communication during the appointment. Your doctor gets all the information he or she needs to accurately evaluate your condition. You get answers to your questions and can explore your treatment options. You can prepare for your appointment in three easy steps.

Step 1: Observe Your Symptoms
If you have been dealing with symptoms of urinary incontinence, this may seem odd, since no doubt you are quite familiar with your symptoms. However, your doctor will probably ask you some very specific questions, so you will need to observe your symptoms closely for a few days, and jot down some notes. In fact, some healthcare providers even ask their patients, when they schedule their appointment, to keep a voiding diary prior to the appointment.

Keeping a voiding diary is a good idea whether your doctor’s office requests it or not, and will help your doctor assess your situation more accurately. To keep a voiding diary, simply keep track of the following for a few days:

-when, how much, and what kinds of fluids you drink
-when and how many times you urinate during the day
-how many times a day you experience leakage, how much you leak, and under what conditions (such as coughing or sneezing, or during the night)

Also jot down any other health issues you experience, even if you think they are not related to your urinary incontinence.

Step 2: Make Your List
In addition to keeping a voiding diary, jot down a list of supplements and medications you are taking, and write a list of questions you have for your doctor. The list will come in handy during your appointment and remind you to ask all of your questions. For urinary incontinence, you may wish to ask your doctor the following:

-what kind of urinary incontinence you have (stress, urge, mixed, or pelvic organ prolapse)
-whether your urinary incontinence symptoms can be improved or cured
-what kinds of tests you might need to assess your situation
-whether lifestyle changes or diet modification might help
-what kinds of conservative therapies might improve your symptoms
-whether your medications could be aggravating your condition
-whether there are medications that would help your condition
-whether surgery is necessary

Step 3: Gather Your Stuff and Prepare Yourself
On the day of your appointment, gather up all of your “stuff.” You’ll want to take your voiding diary, your list of questions, as well as a notepad and pen so you can write down important information during your appointment. If you were not able to list all of the medications and supplements you are taking in the step above, simply gather all the bottles and pills into a bag and bring them with you to your appointment. If you have difficulty seeing or hearing, be sure to bring your glasses or hearing aids.

You may also want to ask a close friend or family member to come with you to your appointment. Your companion can help you remember to ask all of your questions, and remember important information. Finally, your doctor may want to do a pelvic exam, especially if you have scheduled an appointment with a urologist or urogynecologist, so you may want to take special care with your personal hygiene before your appointment.

Then, having thoroughly prepared yourself for your appointment, you are ready to fully explore the many available treatment options for solving your urinary incontinence issues.

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

What Will You Free Yourself From This Independence Day?

by General Urinary IncontinenceResources and AppsUrinary Incontinence

Happy Independence Day! What a wonderful day to consider a problem that bothers millions of ladies all over the world:

poor pelvic health

Whether you suffer from women’s urinary incontinence, decreased sexual sensation, or pelvic organ prolapse, today–Independence Day–is a great day to consider how you can gain independence from poor pelvic health.

Don’t Delay – Get Independence Now!
Whether you have urinary urgency and frequency, urinary leakage, pelvic organ prolapse symptoms, or decreased sensation “down there,” here’s what you need to know: you don’t need to deal with these symptoms anymore. You just need to declare your independence from these troublesome symptoms of poor women’s pelvic health.

Try these resources to find the motivation, education, and help to declare your independence!

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: What You Give Up When You Don’t Seek Help

Women’s Pelvic Health: Why You Should Talk to Your Doctor Now – Video

Got Women’s Urinary Incontinence? Tests You Can Expect

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: The Power of Knowing Yourself

Tired of Being Publicly Humiliated by Women’s Urinary Incontinence? Bladder Retraining Can Help

Women: Are Your Bedroom Encounters “Not” Instead of “Hot”?

Women’s Urinary Incontinence – Coping at Work – Video

Pelvic Floor Exercises: How a Physical Therapist Can Help Improve Your Results

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: Overcoming Your Fear of Surgery

How Do You Talk to Your Partner About Women’s Urinary Incontinence?

Actually Talking to Your Partner About Women’s Urinary Incontinence

Get it? Got it? Good! Now go forth, declare your independence from symptoms of poor pelvic health. Take whatever massive action you need to gain your independence. You can do it. We know you can!

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: Understanding Your Water Works

by General Urinary IncontinenceUrge IncontinenceUrge Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

As they say, “Knowledge is power.” If you have women’s urinary incontinence, power means having knowledge about how your urinary system works. After all, if you want to understand why and how you are leaking urine or experiencing urinary urgency or frequency, then you have to first understand how your urinary system works, right?

So… if you want the knowledge that will empower you about your urinary incontinence, prepare yourself for a VERY SIMPLE anatomy lesson on your urinary system. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it simple. We will only relay the facts you absolutely MUST know to understand how your water works, work!

The Parts of Your Urinary System
When your urinary system is healthy, it acts as a well-synchronized system of organs that remove waste from your body. Your urinary system includes:

  • kidneys
  • bladder
  • ureters
  • urinary sphincters
  • urethra
  • your brain

Yup, your brain is part of your urinary system! Your brain sends and receives signals from your organs, coordinating them all so that you arrive at the bathroom in time to urinate.

How Your Urinary System Works
Your urinary system is not complicated, especially when it is working! The whole process starts with your kidneys, which produce urine by filtering waste products and excess water out of your bloodstream. Your kidneys send this waste material to your bladder via tubes called ureters.

Your bladder then stores the urine until you are ready to urinate. Your bladder, a hollow muscular organ that sits in the bowl of your pelvis, should be able to hold one to two cups of urine for up to two to five hours. As your bladder fills, circular muscles (called sphincters) keep the urine in your bladder, preventing leakage.

When your bladder is full, nerves in your bladder send signals to your brain, which results in your feeling the urge to urinate. Hopefully, at that point, you seek out a bathroom in plenty of time, and spell R-E-L-I-E-F. Specifically, when you are ready to urinate, your brain tells those urinary sphincters to relax and your bladder to contract. As a result, urine leaves the bladder, travels through the urethra, and out of your body (and hopefully into the toilet and not onto your panties)!

Not Too Complicated, Right?
So there you have it… the anatomy and workings of your urinary system. When everything works in synchrony, you have no problems. However, when the signals get mixed up along the way, the result is women’s urinary incontinence. The resulting symptoms include urinary urgency, frequency, and leakage. If you have these symptoms, it’s time to schedule an appointment with your doctor or specialist!

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Got Women’s Urinary Incontinence? Tests You Can Expect

by General Urinary IncontinenceMixed Urinary IncontinenceOveractive BladderPelvic Organ ProlapseStress Urinary IncontinenceUrge Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

If you have women’s urinary incontinence and are finally ready to discuss your condition, we congratulate you! One of the best ways that you can prepare for your doctor’s appointment is to understand the tests your doctor will likely perform to assess your condition. These tests are designed to help your doctor discover which form of urinary incontinence you experience: stress, urge (or overactive bladder), or mixed urinary incontinence. Learn about the three different types of women’s urinary incontinence here. In addition, these tests will inform your doctor about your symptoms, whether you have urinary urgency, leakage, or frequency (or all three)!

Tests for Women’s Urinary Incontinence
Don’t worry, none of the tests your doctor will perform to assess your urinary incontinence is painful. At the most, these tests are slightly embarrassing, but then, most women already feel embarrassed discussing their urinary incontinence with their doctors. If you have overcome that embarrassment and actually have an appointment with your doctor, these tests will be a breeze.

Initial Tests
Your doctor or specialists (urologist or ob/gyn or gerontologist) will first discuss your symptoms and condition. In addition, your doctor will perform some initial tests, which usually include a physical examination, a urinalysis, and a post-void residual. Here’s what each of those tests involves:

– Physical Exam: The physical examination will include a pelvic evaluation, so you may wish to take extra care with your hygiene prior to your appointment. This physical exam helps your doctor determine the anatomy associated with your incontinence. During this evaluation, the specialist will determine whether any of your pelvic organs have prolapsed or fallen out of place, which may contribute to your urinary incontinence issues.

– Urinalysis: This initial test helps your doctor rule out infection or blood in the urine as the cause of your urinary incontinence. You will be asked to provide a urine sample for testing. If the specialist suspects that you have a urinary tract infection, he or she will recommend a specific treatment plan to resolve the infection and send the sample for further testing. If blood is found in your urine, further testing may be needed to determine the cause.

– Post-void residual: This test confirms whether you are fully emptying your bladder when you urinate. A catheter or ultrasound machine is used to measure the urine remaining in your bladder after urination. A normal post-void residual is less than 100 ml

Further Testing
If your doctor is unable to fully determine the cause of your urinary incontinence, he or she may perform further tests. These can include a cystoscopy, urodynamic testing, and asking you to keep a bladder diary. These tests will include the following:

– Cystoscopy: A cytoscope is a thin, lighted viewing instrument that is inserted into the urethra and bladder. Your doctor will use this instrument to examine the interior lining of the bladder and urethra for issues, other than weakened pelvic floor muscles, that may be affecting your continence.

– Urodynamic Testing: This minimally invasive test focuses on your bladder’s ability to fill and empty. It measures how much your bladder can hold, how much pressure builds inside your bladder as it stores urine, and how full it is when you feel the urge to urinate. Urodynamic testing helps your doctor determine how well you might respond to certain treatments.

– Voiding Diary: Your physician may ask you to keep a voiding diary as part of your evaluation. This diary will allow you to communicate clearly with him or her about the status of your bladder, including how frequently you urinate during the day and at night, how much fluid you drink daily, and the volume of urine leakage you experience. The voiding diary will most likely also educate you about your own condition, too. Many women who keep a voiding diary are surprised at how frequently they urinate or have leakage accidents.

So there you have it. Now you have a better understanding of the tests your doctor or specialist may run to fully understand the causes of your women’s urinary incontinence. Knowledge is power, and at this point you are armed with the knowledge to confidently go to your doctor’s appointment to get on the path the relief!

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Not Enough Beauty Sleep Can Lead to Women’s Urinary Incontinence

by General Urinary IncontinenceUrge IncontinenceUrge Urinary IncontinenceUrinary IncontinenceWomen's Healthcare

Many women are concerned about getting enough sleep so they can stay beautiful. Studies indeed show that getting enough sleep helps with healthy skin, hair, weight, and overall health.

But get this: getting enough beauty sleep (insomnia) can actually reduce your risk of having women’s urinary incontinence.

Now get this. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF):

  • at least 40 million Americans suffer from 70 different types of sleep disorders
  • at least 60 percent of those adults have sleep issues multiple nights of the week
  • 40% of adults have daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with daily activities a few days a month

That’s a lot of adults suffering from insomnia. For the many women affected by lack of sleep, this may lead to an increased risk for symptoms of urinary incontinence, such as urinary urgency, frequency, and leakage.

How Insomnia is Linked to Women’s Urinary Incontinence
If you already suffer from women’s urinary incontinence, then you already understand how symptoms like urinary urgency can interfere with your sleep, especially if you have to get up one or more times per night to urinate.

But did you know that the reverse is also true? Lack of sleep can also lead to women’s urinary incontinence. Here’s why.

1. Overall Physical Weakness
When you don’t get enough sleep, your body suffers as a whole, resulting in physical weakness. According to Frank Ervolino, N.D., L.Ac., “Staying up late at night is a big risk factor for urinary incontinence. Your body needs to rest and reset every night or it will get weaker over time, which can bring on urinary incontinence much quicker.”

2. Poor Food Choices
Certain foods and beverages can irritate the bladder. Specifically, these types of foods and drinks are likely to make your bladder unhappy:

  • acidic
  • contain caffeine
  • have alcohol
  • contain tyrosine, tyramine, tryptophan, aspirate, and phenylalanine
  • cause allergies in your body

When you are tired, you are less likely to make smart food choices. Instead of paying attention to what you eat and avoiding bladder irritants, you are more apt to reach for whatever food is handy. Or, you might reach for alcohol at night and coffee in the morning, both of which can irritate your bladder. Read more about bladder irritants HERE.

3. Emotional Distress
According to the American Psychological Association, getting less than eight hours of sleep per night, on average, can lead to emotional disorders and distress. Other studies indicate that emotional disturbances can cause or worsen certain symptoms of women’s urinary incontinence, such as urinary urgency and frequency, or even urinary leakage.

Sleeping Beauty is a Healthy Woman
Are you starting to get the picture that getting enough sleep is a very important factor in preventing or reducing your risk of women’s urinary incontinence? Plus, getting enough sleep is just plain healthy for you. Getting enough sleep also reduces your risk of stroke, obesity and diabetes, anxiety and depression, cancer, and heart disease (read more HERE). So go ahead… sleep away. Not only is sleep a luxury that is good for you, but you are actually taking charge of your health when you get enough sleep!

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: How to Be a Better Patient 5 Ways

by Find the Right DoctorOveractive BladderUrge IncontinenceUrge Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

If you’ve got women’s urinary incontinence, then you probably know that the process of actually becoming a patient–that is, seeing a medical professional–isn’t all that easy. It takes a lot of courage to overcome embarrassment and make an appointment, not to mention show up at the appointment.

If you have already overcome the first hurdle of making an appointment, then make the most of your courageous act by following these 5 tips on how to be a better patient. What do we mean by “a better patient”? We mean an empowered patient. When you are an empowered patient, you are a powerful advocate for your health. You become a powerful force in relieving and even curing your symptoms of women’s urinary incontinence, such as urinary urgency, frequency, and leakage. You become the key to a new sense of freedom for your life.

Sound good? Then read the following tips on how to become a better patient!

How to Be a Better Patient: 5 Tips You Can Use Today
Knowledge is power, and you will discover that a lot of our tips on how to be a better patient are related to increasing your level of knowledge… or translating your doctor’s knowledge into terms that make sense to you.

Tip #1: Know Your Terminology
While most doctors will try to translate their technical medical knowledge into layman’s terms, you can help yourself by learning the terms related to your condition–women’s urinary incontinence. For instance, did you know that there are three different types of urinary incontinence? You may have stress, urge (or overactive bladder, also called OAB) or mixed urinary incontinence. Learning at least a little about each type of urinary incontinence will give you a head start when you discuss your condition with your doctor. Get an overview HERE or dig deep and learn the full details about each type of urinary incontinence HERE.

Tip #2: Insist on Having Your Questions Answered
If you take the time to research your condition, and your most probable type of urinary incontinence, then you will probably have a list of questions by the time you see your doctor. If for any reason your doctor does not seem to want to answer your questions, be politely but quietly persistent. If your doctor continues to ignore your questions, consider finding a new doctor. Getting the answers to your questions is crucial to relieving your symptoms of urinary incontinence, so a doctor who dodges your questions or will not give you a straight answer may not be the doctor for you. One way to ensure your questions are answered is to bring a buddy with you to the appointment. Your buddy’s job is to ensure that your questions are answered, and that you do not get distracted by a ton of medical jargon. Having a good gal pal at your appointment can make all the difference!

Tip #3: Ask for Clarification as Often as Necessary
Many doctors are used to using medical terminology on a regular basis. While many healthcare providers are good at explaining those terms in a way non-medical people can understand, other doctors are less skilled at this. If your doctor uses a term you don’t understand, gently stop him or her and ask for clarification. If your doctor’s explanation still leaves you confused, ask for even more clarification. Don’t worry about whether you appear “stupid.” You are paying for your doctor’s time and attention, so make the most of it without worrying about “saving face.”

Tip #4: Fire Doctors Who Don’t Respect Your Time
Healthcare providers are feeling the “crunch” of needing to see more patients in less time. The result is often that you, the patient, wait for a long time to see the doctor only to feel rushed during the appointment. One way to be a better patient is not to tolerate a doctor who disrespects your time in this way. While a certain amount of waiting is to be expected, regularly waiting 30 minutes or more to see your doctor AND routinely feeling like you are being speed-walked through your appointment is not acceptable. Like all professionals, your doctor can and should be held to a certain level of efficiency and skilled time management. If your doctor routinely makes you feel like his or her time is more valuable than yours, it’s time to fire that doctor and find a new one.

Tip #5: Don’t Tolerate an Inefficient Office Staff
Many times the receptionists, nurses, and assistants that make up the office staff act as the conduit between you and your doctor after and between appointments. If you find your doctor’s office staff inefficient or unprofessional, you might be putting your health at risk. Suppose your doctor prescribes a new medication, and you begin having side effects, you will probably call your doctor’s office. In all likelihood, your doctor’s staff will take a message to pass on. If that message does not get passed on in a timely manner–or not at all–the side effects could really affect your health. Do not tolerate members of your doctor’s office staff that fail to pass on messages or minimize your situation. One way to be a better patient is to insist on speaking with the doctor or find a new doctor.

How to Be a Better Patient–Why It Is Important
As you can see, being a better patient is really about being persistent in seeking solutions to your women’s urinary incontinence. If you are unable to easily communicate with your doctor or the office staff, even after your best efforts to clarify communications–chances are that you will need to find a new doctor. You are more likely to find the solutions you seek with a doctor who “clicks” with you. So go forth and seek your perfect doctor!
If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: What if Your Diagnosis is Unclear?

by Find the Right DoctorUrge IncontinenceUrge Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

So you have finally worked up the courage to talk to your doctor about your women’s urinary incontinence symptoms. You have showed up at your appointment, discussed your symptoms (such as urinary urgency or leakage), and had some generalized tests. That’s all good.

But what do you do if your diagnosis is unclear? Yikes! You worked up all that courage to show up at the appointment, only to have an unclear diagnosis. What should you do?

Don’t panic. Check out the following tips, which may help you and your doctor find a clear diagnosis for your condition. After all, there are three types of urinary incontinence, not to mention multiple other possible causes for urinary issues. So you and your doctor may need to do a bit of sleuthing to come up with a final diagnosis.

What to Do if Your Diagnosis is Unclear
It is not uncommon for your doctor to be unable to pin down an exact diagnosis on your first visit. This is because the generalized tests he or she will probably perform are meant to exclude certain conditions while not necessarily generating specific diagnostic answers.

For instance, your discussion with your doctor may give him or her a general idea of your symptoms, such as urinary urgency, leakage, or frequency. However, these symptoms alone will not necessarily reveal what is causing your urinary issues. Your doctor may perform a urinalysis to rule out infection and discover whether you have blood or other substances in your urine. He or she may also run a blood test to find out whether medications or other chemicals and substances are present that could be causing your incontinence symptoms. These generalized tests help your doctor rule out temporary causes of urinary incontinence, including urinary tract infections or diuretic medications, which could cause urinary urgency and frequency.

If these generalized tests are inconclusive, then your doctor may not have a definitive diagnosis for you after your first visit. But don’t panic. Instead consider the following options:

1. More Tests
Ask your doctor whether more tests will help clarify your diagnosis. Chances are that your doctor will raise this issue anyway. Further tests can include postvoid residual measurements, stress tests, urodynamic testing, pelvic ultrasounds, pelvic exam, cystograms, and cystoscopies. All of these tests reveal more specific information about the health, position, and function of your urinary system. With these tests, your doctor will very likely be able to offer a specific diagnosis, as well as multiple therapies to address your condition.

2. Ask Questions
It is possible that your doctor may not have a specific diagnosis, but instead have several possible options. He or she may suggest that you try one or more therapies to address the most likely diagnosis. If the therapy is effective, then the diagnosis is confirmed. If the therapy does not alleviate your symptoms, then your doctor may suggest other therapies. The use of therapies to confirm a diagnosis is not uncommon. However, if you feel uncomfortable with the vagueness of this approach, do not hesitate to ask questions. You may wish to ask which diagnosis the suggested therapy is meant to confirm. Or ask which diagnosis is most likely and why.

No questions are ever “stupid,” and you are visiting your doctor because he or she has expertise and information relevant to your condition. So avail yourself of that expertise. Keep asking questions until you are satisfied. If you run out of time during the appointment, ask whether you can discuss your remaining questions with another member of the staff, or request a follow-up email or phone consultation. A question that is never asked might never be answered. Your doctor cannot read your mind, so it is up to you to raise any issues not covered in your discussion.

3. Get Another Opinion
If you are unable to get satisfactory answers and information from your doctor about your condition, there is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking the opinion of another doctor. You may even wish to ask for a referral to a new or different kind of specialist.

For instance, if your urinary incontinence symptoms did not start until menopause, you may want to ask your doctor for a referral to a healthcare provider who specializes in problems associated specifically with menopause. If your doctor is a man and you would feel more comfortable with a woman, ask for a referral for a female physician, either within the same practice or in a different practice. Other referral options include urologists, ob/gyns, and gerontologists. There is no point in continuing to see the same doctor if you are not getting the help you need. If you have asked your doctor for information and assistance more than once, and do not get the help you seek, look elsewhere.

Persistence Pays
When it comes to women’s urinary incontinence, persistence always pays. The women who are most successful at alleviating or even curing their symptoms are the ones who are most persistent. These women are not afraid to keep asking questions until they get the answers they seek. These women are willing to try multiple therapies, either singly or in combination, until they find a solution that works. These women will ask for referrals or will follow up via phone or email after appointments until their problems are solved. These women are, in short, persistent!

The question is, are you willing to be that persistent to gain relief from your urinary incontinence symptoms? We hope so! If you are not yet ready to visit your doctor but have questions, ask us on our Facebook page… you ask and we will answer!
If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

5 Simple Ways to Speed Weight Loss and Reduce Women’s Urinary Incontinence

by General Urinary IncontinenceUrge Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

In our past two articles on our blog we have discussed ways women can lose weight as a conservative therapy to alleviate symptoms of urinary incontinence, such as urinary urgency, frequency, and leakage. These weight loss tips are useful for any woman who is carrying even a few extra pounds and who has urinary incontinence symptoms. Being even 5% overweight can worsen these types of symptoms, so dropping just 5 or 10 pounds could equal a lot of relief!

Be sure to read our last few blog posts if you are unsure why extra weight contributes to and worsens symptoms of women’s urinary incontinence. The short version is that extra weight between your collarbone and your pelvis puts pressure on your bladder and urinary system, which equals urinary urgency and possible leakage. This is true whether you are a new mom or a menopausal woman!

How to Slim Down Fast – 5 Simple Ways
Assuming that you have already committed to losing weight as a way to reduce or even stop your urinary incontinence symptoms, we have 5 simple tips on how you can slim down even faster. These tips enhance what you are already doing by eating healthy, staying hydrated, and getting some moderate exercise. These tips are designed to maximize the effectiveness of your weight loss plan by making a few tweaks.

Tip #1: Intensify Workouts
Whether you walk or visit the gym or do yoga at home, you can always take steps to make each workout a little more intense. Studies in exercise science show that short intense workouts burn fat faster than longer workouts that are slower and less intense. While you still need to get enough cardiovascular workouts to ensure heart and circulatory health, aim to intensify at least one or two of your weekly workouts.

For instance, if walking is your workout of choice, you can intensify each session by climbing a hill or two as part of your route. You can also take longer strides, walk off-road, or carry light weights to burn fat faster. By the same token, yoga does not have to be all about serene music and slow movements. Moving through certain poses–such as some forms of the Sun Salutation–can be quite intense. Or hold the Down Dog position for three to five minutes to really work your arms, core, and legs. If you are not sure which poses will work best for you, join a yoga class for a few weeks or months until you find a workout plan that is effective for you.

Tip #2: Eat Breakfast
While this tip is a no-brainer, a surprising number of women skip breakfast anyway. Nutritional studies demonstrate that eating a healthy breakfast keeps you full throughout the morning, and helps you avoid food cravings and snacking before lunch. A healthy breakfast, eaten within one hour of getting out of bed, also stabilizes your blood sugar, which provides you with plenty of energy all morning.

Tip #3: Sneak In Workouts
Instead of spending your energy figuring out how to sneak snack foods into your diet plan, focus on sneaking quick workouts into your day. Intense workouts do not have to be long in order to be effective. Spending just 15 minutes on your spin bike at home or speed-walking around the block between coming home from work and spending time with your family is all you need for your daily workout. You know your workout is intense if you are able to build up a sweat during that 15-minute period.

Tip #4: Eat a Bite Before Your Workout
If you find yourself fading fast during workouts–especially during evening sessions after work–try eating a small snack before you workout. Try eating a heaping spoonful of peanut butter or a few healthy crackers. Your snack will give your body some extra calories to fuel your workout, not to mention stabilizing your blood sugar so you feel enthusiastic about your exercise session.

Tip #5: Setup Rewards for Yourself
Without rewards, exercising and dieting can feel like one long jog down a dark tunnel–with no visible light at the end! Choose a reward that will really motivate you to stick with your dietary and exercise goals. For instance, if you absolutely adore Rocky Road ice cream, promise yourself a bowl of it when you have stuck with your program for 30 days in a row. Or if massage is more your style, buy yourself some time on the table when you have lost 7 pounds. Studies show that reward is an extremely effective motivational tool, so use it to boost your commitment to your weight loss program!

Beat the Leak with Weight Loss
While weight loss continues to be the most popular New Year’s Resolution, this goal is especially important for women who experience urinary urgency, leakage, or frequency. If you are overweight, shedding a few pounds will go a long way toward helping you “beat the leak”! Plus, you will be contributing to your overall health–and you will LOVE the way you look. Hopefully the five tips in this article will enhance your weight loss plan and help you slim down faster while getting healthier.

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Is Your Pregnancy Weight Gain Contributing to Your Urinary Incontinence?

by General Urinary IncontinenceUrge IncontinenceUrge Urinary IncontinenceUrinary IncontinenceWomen's Healthcare

Almost every expectant mother has been warned to expect some symptoms of urinary incontinence during pregnancy–everything from urinary urgency and frequency to actual urinary leakage. As the baby grows and takes up more room in the abdomen, internal organs, such as the bladder, are pushed into an increasingly smaller space. The result? Urinary incontinence issues.

But new studies show that it’s not just baby who contributes to women’s urinary incontinence during pregnancy. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is another issue to consider. Whether a woman is pregnant or not, she is at risk for urinary incontinence if she carries too much extra weight. Every extra pound below the collarbone and above the pelvis puts downward pressure on the bladder and urinary system, causing symptoms of urinary incontinence.

Gain the Right Amount to Reduce Risk of Urinary Incontinence
During pregnancy many women fall prey to the idea that they are “eating for two,” mistakenly believing that this means they can eat twice as much as they normally do. Not so.

In fact, women who have a normal body mass index (BMI), or who started at a normal weight before pregnancy do not need to increase their caloric intake during the first trimester according to the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The same organization recommends that women at a healthy weight increase calories by 350 calories per day during the second trimester, and 450 calories per day during the last trimester. Women who start out under or overweight should work with their healthcare providers to adjust these calorie guidelines accordingly.

Eating the right number of calories during each trimester should result in healthy rather than excess weight gain, which decreases a woman’s chance of urinary incontinence symptoms both during pregnancy and after delivery. According to the Institute of Medicine, underweight women (with a BMI of 18.5 or less) should gain between 28 and 40 pounds. Normal weight women (BMI between 18.6 and 24.9) should strive for an overall weight gain of 25 to 35 pounds, while overweight women (BMI between 25 and 29.9) need to gain only 15-25 pounds. Obese women (BMI of 30 or higher) are encouraged to gain just 11 to 20 pounds.

Studies show that women who gain more than the weight recommended by the Institute of Medicine tend to have more trouble losing weight post-partum (http://bit.ly/15o3ait). Again, the excess weight is a definite contributing risk factor to women’s urinary incontinence.

The Importance of Shedding Baby Weight
If you don’t think that a few extra pounds of baby weight puts you at risk for urinary urgency, frequency, or leakage, consider these studies. In one study, overweight women with urinary incontinence who lost 8 percent of their body weight saw a 47 percent decrease in leakage accidents. Other studies demonstrate that losing 5 to 10 percent of excess weight is as effective for alleviating urinary incontinence symptoms as any other form of conservative treatment.

If you are unsure of how much weight you should gain during pregnancy, and how much weight you should lose after delivery, ask your healthcare provider. We stress that you may need to ask your healthcare provider because some may not volunteer that information.

In one recent study, only 42% of women received information on appropriate weight gain from their healthcare providers, while 22% of overweight women were advised to gain more than the recommended amount of weight (http://huff.to/13pfqxT). According to Glenn D. Braunstein, M.D., many healthcare professionals may be hesitant to broach the subject of weight gain because of the sensitivity of the topic. Others may simply feel ill-equipped to handle the conversation. That is why it is important for you to ask for the weight gain and post-partum weight loss information that is appropriate for your situation.

Dr. Braunstein points out that asking for this information before your baby is born is important because chances are that you will be too busy or tired to raise the subject after delivery. Yet, excess weight is a significant risk factor for women’s urinary incontinence. If you don’t want urinary urgency, frequency, and leakage to interfere with the joy of mothering your new baby, get your weight gain and weight loss facts straight before delivery. Then, have a plan that will help you achieve a healthy level of weight gain during pregnancy, and lose the excess baby weight at a healthy rate post-partum.

Stay tuned for upcoming articles on how to shed the “Mommy middle” after delivery to reduce your risk of post-partum urinary incontinence.

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Actually Talking to Your Partner About Women’s Urinary Incontinence

by General Urinary IncontinenceUrge IncontinenceUrge Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

In the previous two articles, we have discussed why you should talk to your partner about your women’s urinary incontinence, and how to prepare for “the talk.” This article is all about having “the talk.”

Gather Your Stuff for The Talk
If you have read our previous two articles on talking to your partner about your urinary incontinence, then by now you have probably armed yourself with some materials to help you with the conversation. To prepare for your conversation, you may wish to gather the following items (plus any others you feel will help your partner understand your condition):

  • outline of what you want to say
  • educational materials about urinary incontinence or women’s pelvic health in general
  • list of your symptoms
  • list of how you are coping with your condition, including any therapies

Once you have your stuff, you are ready for the talk. Assuming that you have already set a time to have the discussion with your partner, you just need to bring the relevant stuff and talk!

Starting the Discussion About Women’s Urinary Incontinence
Talking about women’s urinary incontinence and its symptoms is never easy. Whether you are talking to your doctor or to your loved ones, the issue is sensitive and potentially embarrassing. Just know that going into the conversation.

To start the discussion with your partner about urinary incontinence, first thank them for making the time to have the discussion with you. If you feel nervous, tell your partner that you want to discuss a sensitive issue, and that you do feel nervous. It is definitely a good idea to share how you feel.

Then start the conversation wherever you feel is most relevant. For instance, if your partner has recently looked quite baffled or been irritated by your sudden and frequent trips to the bathroom, start the discussion with those events. Talk about urinary urgency and frequency, and talk about how your behavior may have been bewildering to your partner.

Start the discussion slowly and allow your partner to fully digest each piece of information. Allow room in the conversation for your partner to ask questions. Don’t just run full tilt through your list. Explain your condition slowly and clearly, and cover the ways you are coping with urinary incontinence. Also explain how your condition may be affecting the relationship.

At an appropriate moment–perhaps at the close of the conversation–you may wish to hand your partner some educational materials so he or she can learn more about urinary incontinence (and how it affects so many women, not just older women). Our book is a good resource, as are printable downloads from organizations listed on our Resources page.

Allow the conversation to follow its own pace and direction. Remain calm at all times. In most cases, women are surprised at their partners’ responses. Most are very understanding, and many partners are quite relieved to finally understand the motivation behind some potentially odd behaviors.

Once you have the initial conversation, give yourself a pat on the back! This may not be the only conversation you have with your partner, but it is certainly a great beginning. Once your partner learns more about your condition, he or she may have more questions. No worries… knowledge is power. The important thing is that you have opened the door to greater understanding and a deeper relationship with your partner.

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.