Does incontinence go away by itself?

‘One in Three Women who ever had a baby wet themselves’

Don’t become the ‘One’ in three – This International Women’s Day – Do something about strengthening your pelvic floor!

Why can having a baby make you wet yourself?

The weight of your baby during pregnancy and birth can stretch your pelvic floor muscles, your pelvic connective tissues and the nerves suppling your pelvic floor. This can leave the pelvic floor and connective tissues weak so they are not able to keep the bladder from leaking, especially when you cough, sneeze and exercise. Leakage can start after having a baby or as you get older or following menopause.Weakened pelvic floor muscles and connective tissue can also cause a prolapse (dropping down) of the pelvic organs.

Will this leaking or prolapse go away by itself?

No, probably not… but it is never too late to take steps to strengthen your pelvic floor, protect your connective tissue and prevent future damage.
A helpful Tip: A good place to start is to squeeze and lift your pelvic floor just before you cough, sneeze or lift something. This will provide better support for your pelvic organs, and will help to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. This can reduce the chance of urinary incontinence.

If you have continence concerns, a Women’s Health Physiotherapist can help.

Please contact us for further information and individual advice. We offer total confidentiality and privacy with all our physiotherapy consultations. Simply call us on 02 9399 7399, and request a Women’s Health Consultation.

Reference- Continence Foundation of Australia