Struggling With Postpartum Bladder Issues?
Is it normal for new mothers to feel completely drained out post-delivery? Yes, it is. Between all the stress and overwhelming emotions, feeling exhausted is nothing out of ordinary. A majority of women experience postpartum bladder leaks, also known as postpartum incontinence, due to all this build-up stress. Bladder issues are also caused by pelvic organ prolapse which can sometimes occur post childbirth.
What is Postpartum Incontinence?
Postpartum incontinence is involuntary urine leakage post childbirth. Every 4 in 10 women experience urinary incontinence during pregnancy. The most common type of incontinence observed in new mothers is stress incontinence or an overactive bladder.
Pregnancy changes a woman's body in more ways than one and it doesn’t stop when the baby is born. During pregnancy, pelvic muscles that support the baby work harder than normal, causing Pelvic Organ Prolapse. Post-delivery the weight of the expanding uterus weakens the strength of the pelvic floor muscles, causing them to droop or sag, causing urine leakage.
This problem usually improves within weeks post-delivery but in some cases might persist long-term. It is safe to say that the problem is fairly common amongst new mothers. Despite the normalcy, many mothers still feel embarrassed to talk about their problems.
Postpartum Incontinence Treatment
Struggling with postpartum bladder issues? The good news is that there are options available to tackle the problem. Whilst the most widely used method to tackle the incontinence problem is maternity pads, there are few other treatment methods one can opt for. Listed below are a few commonly suggested practices to treat postpartum bladder issues:
- Bladder Training - Training your bladder to manage urinary incontinence is an effective way of tackling bladder issues post-delivery. You can train your bladder by scheduling your bathroom breaks. Once you bound yourself with a schedule, you can start increasing the time in between bathroom breaks slowly and steadily. This helps in strengthening the bladder. However, keep in mind that it may take weeks before you get the desired results.
- Kegels - Kegel exercises are another effective method used in controlling urinary leaks. These exercises help in strengthening pelvic floor muscles that support the uterus, bladder, and rectum.
- Diet Changes- Keeping a watch on what you intake post childbirth is important. It is better to stay away from food and drinks that are labeled as bladder irritants. Consuming alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, acidic food items, and other such food items end up irritating your bladder. Avoiding these food items for a while is advisable. This will help in improving incontinence symptoms. Maintaining your weight within a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) range, and/or focusing on shedding the pregnancy weight is also suggested for better bladder control.
- Physical Therapy - If urinary incontinence is prolonged, you can also opt for physical therapy. When a woman performs strengthening exercises the abdominal muscles, pelvic floor muscles, and hip muscles work together to build up strength and muscle memory. The physical therapist observes and spots the weaker areas in these muscle groups and assists you in building a strong core and pelvic floor.
- Light Incontinence Pads - It will take some time for your body to adapt to the changes and start producing the results of the training and exercises. While you are preparing your body to take back control over your bladder, you need an alternative to cover you through that time. Light Inco Pads are especially helpful in keeping the bladder leaks in check while you stay dry and comfortable. Wearing these super absorbent pads also helps you avoid frequent bathroom breaks and get on with your day. You must know that light inco pads are not the same as menstrual pads given their higher fluid absorption capacity.
Women struggling with postpartum incontinence see significant improvements after implementing these lifestyle and dietary changes. These are attainable and effective solutions to tackle your bladder problem. It may take some time to completely recover from it and hence, it is recommended to befriend light inco pads or adult diapers depending on the frequency of urine leakages.
Dignity Lady Light Inco Pads are super absorbent disposable pads used for managing bladder leaks during the postnatal period or any other time in life. They have a high absorbency, hence, eliminating the stress of changing pads at frequent intervals. For more information head over to https://bit.ly/34xFhPg