3 Ways To Help Fight Urinary Leakage

Are you suffering from urinary leakage?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Did you know 50% of women will experience some form of urinary leakage in their lifetime? Two major reasons why we may leak urine is pregnancy and childbirth! Our pelvic floor muscles are crucial for keeping continence and not having any leakage. These muscles are under stress and tension during pregnancy and can then suffer trauma during childbirth, which is why so many mamas experience some form of leakage.

Less than half of women who experience leakage seek the care they need and deserve due to feelings of embarrassment, mortification, and shame. WE ARE ONLY HUMAN. Give yourself some grace mama you are doing the best that you can. Set aside a few minutes for yourself to read through this post and start your journey to becoming leak free.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

1. Limit bladder irritants

Below is a list of foods that are considered “bladder irritants” meaning they cause irritation to the lining of your bladder. When your bladder is irritated it gives you the sensation that you need to urinate, even if your bladder is not full. These bladder irritants may cause you to urinate more frequently than normal and may be contributing to urinary leakage. To reduce bladder irritation and the feeling like you need to urinate, start by reducing your intake of these foods/fluids.

• Citrus fruits – apples, lemons, limes, oranges, pineapple

• Juices – apple juice, lemon juices

• Vinegar

• Tomatoes

• Spicy foods

• Artificial sweeteners

• Alcohol

• Beer/wine

• Carbonated drinks

• Caffeine

• Coffee and tea (decaf or caffeinated)

• Chocolate

• Dairy- milk, yogurt, cheese, sour cream

  
  This is a long list and you are not expected to stop consuming all the food/fluids above. Consider picking a few things on this list and reducing your intake of them. For example, if you have two cups of coffee in the morning, consider reducing to one cup and adding a cup of water to your routine. If you love fruit, you may consider subbing pears, watermelons, or papayas for the fruit above.

2. Perform pelvic floor muscles exercises

A major role of our pelvic floor muscles is to control our sphincters and to keep us continent. With a dysfunctional pelvic floor there is an increased chance to leak urine when sneezing, coughing, jumping, and bending over. Strengthening these muscles and performing these exercises regularly can help reduce the incidence of leaking.

Contracting (and relaxing) your pelvic floor consists of these steps:
-Tighten these muscles by first squeezing and then lifting upward-think like you are sucking a smoothie through a straw through your vagina! Yes, we said and now try it!!

-Sit or lay in a comfortable position and visualize the muscles that can stop urine flow or stop you from passing gas - but you have to fully let go after!

-Hold this contraction for 6 seconds, count out loud to avoid breath holding

-Release the muscles and rest for 6 seconds

-Repeat up to 10 repetitions

Remember to keep breathing and NOT to hold your breath during contractions. Try to minimize contracting your legs, buttocks, and abdominal muscles. Unsure if you are doing these correctly?? Consider reaching out to a pelvic health physical therapist. They can determine the strength of your pelvic floor, provide feedback on your contractions, and give you treatment that is individualized to your needs and concerns.

3. Avoid these “bad habits”

Peeing just in case:
We’ve all done it. Gone to the bathroom to pee just in case. It could have been before running errands, going out to a restaurant, or before a workout. By doing this we are teaching our bladder bad habits. We are emptying it before it is actually full training the bladder to hold less and less urine. Ultimately this will make us have to go to the bathroom more frequently in the day and may even contribute to leakage. Instead, use the bathroom only when you feel the urge to go.

*It is ok to “pee just in case” before and after sex*

Squatting over the toilet seat:
When we urinate, our pelvic floor muscles need to relax to allow the urine to pass. When we squat over a toilet our muscles (legs, buttock, and pelvic floor) are still engaged and do not get the opportunity to fully relax. If you find yourself at a toilet where you don’t want your butt to touch, use a barrier to protect yourself such as toilet paper. Your bladder and pelvic floor muscles will thank you!

Straining or pushing to get urine out:
During urination our bladder contracts and our pelvic floor muscles relax. When we push or strain, we are causing an increase in intraabdominal pressure. This pressure overpowers the pelvic floor muscles, allowing the urine to pass. Instead, we need to be fully relaxing our pelvic floor. Take your time when you urinate and perform deep breathing techniques to relax the pelvic floor to allow the urine to pass without pushing or straining.

Need more assistance? Have more questions?

Goforth J, Langaker M. Urinary Incontinence in Women. N C Med J. 2016;77(6):423-425.
Pelvic Floor Level 1. Washington, DC: Herman and Wallace; 2018.