November is bladder health awareness month so what better time to start a discussion on incontinence... It is estimated that 65% of women with urinary incontinence have not discussed their symptoms with a health care provider. Pelvic floor physical therapy has excellent success rates with eliminating many forms of urinary (and fecal) incontinence. I have personally helped many women cure their incontinence in as little as 3 visits! There is absolutely no reason you should have to live with incontinence.
What is good bladder health?
You can delay your urge until it's a convenient time for you to go - during pregnancy this will be altered due to how much space baby is taking up.
On average (when not pregnant), you pee 4-8x/day and 0-1x/night
Your pee is a light yellow color - if your pee is dark it means you aren't hydrating enough
You don't leak urine while exercising, jumping, running, sneezing/coughing or laughing - these things are signs of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction
You don't wear pads or liners "in case" you leak
Pregnancy and Postpartum:
While it is common to experience leaking during pregnancy and especially postpartum, it most certainly is not normal! It is not normal to leak urine at any stage of life and there is help available! If you are still leaking 2-3 months postpartum (whether you had a vaginal birth or C-section) it likely will not go away on it's own and you should see a pelvic floor PT to learn why it's happening and what you can do about it.
Bladder Statistics:
~25 million US adults have some sort of urinary incontinence
6.5 years is the average time women wait after first experiencing symptoms to address their bladder issues.
~33 million US adults experience symptoms of overactive bladder
50% of men report leaking after prostate surgery
Summary:
If you experience any issues with your bladder health, whether it's leaking, urgency, frequency, bladder pain or interstitial cystitis, you are not alone and pelvic floor physical therapy can help!
Have questions or need more info? Leave us a comment or message us directly at info@rootedwellnesspt.com
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