12 ways to help fix or alleviate bladder leakage!

1           

Seek medical help

If you haven’t sought help – put this as a priority. Go to the doctor, your local continence nurse, or pelvic health physio therapist.

2           

Do your pelvic floor exercises

Start today! Squeeze and draw-in the muscles around your bottom hole and your girly-parts at the same time. Lift them UP inside – all the way. Hold them strong and tight for 10 seconds. Relax and repeat 10 times (3 times a day). But be aware, pelvic floor exercises are not for everyone.

3           

Keep active and strengthen your core

Keeping active not only helps with overall health but it can also help you lose weight. As carrying extra weight will strain your pelvic floor muscles. And everything adds up!

Some activities are better than others. Yoga and pilates are two activities that are great for strengthening your core and they have the added benefit of incorporating mindfulness and relaxation. This is partially helpful because incontinence is often connected with anxiety and depression.

4           

Minimize bladder irritants

Unfortunately, caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, and spicy/acidic foods can irritate the bladder and make leaks worse. If you find this to be a hard – YOU ARE NOT ALONE. 

5           

Don't strain when doing poo's

Try to keep your bowel movements regular, because being constipated or straining while going number 2’s can overstretch your pelvic floor muscles and make urinary incontinence worse.

6           

Avoid lifting

Lifting strains your pelvic floor muscles – so avoid it whenever you can. The key is to try any avoid anything that repetitively strains your pelvic muscles.

7           

Re-train your bladder

Your bladder is likely to be only 60% full when you get the urge to go pee.
Train your bladder to hold more urine without leaking by delaying your pee past the point of your urge to go. First try to delay by five minutes, by contracting your pelvic floor muscles and holding the contraction. Then aim to build up to twenty minutes or more. While you wait – take a few deep breaths and try wiggling your toes, as this sometimes helps to reduce the urge to go as this sends a signal to the bladder to relax.

8           

Wear something that won’t limit your activities

Reusable leakproof underwear provide helpful backup support for you to rely on while you are working on the options above. Vivo Bodywear’s reusable absorbent leakproof underwear is great, because when you are prepared, you can get active without concern.

9

Be prepared

Your bladder is more likely to leak when full, so while it is important to train your bladder to be strong, it is also important that you don’t set yourself up for failure. Instead, schedule your activity to occur before you have a bladder full of beverages. And make sure you pee before you head out.

10

Create an automatic reflex

Squeeze before you sneeze, cough, jump or do anything else that is likely to trigger your bladder leak events.

11       

Surgical treatment

Surgical treatment may be required for more acute cases of pelvic floor or prolapse. Do your research as some treatments come with many mixed reviews.

12    

Nonsurgical treatment

A number of internal and external treatments are available, including kegal toners, neuromodulation, medications, muscle stimulators, kegel balls, botox, laser therapy, and vaginal pessaries (removable prosthetic device).