It is not uncommon to hear of pregnant women having trouble holding their bladders. In fact, 67% of women report some degree of urinary incontinence during pregnancy. But what happens if a mother is still struggling with the involuntary loss of urine a few years after childbirth? She may be suffering from postpartum incontinence.
What is Postpartum Incontinence?
There are two main categories of postpartum incontinence: stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Many women experience both.
Stress incontinence
The first is referred to as stress incontinence, where the loss of urine is caused by increased pressure or stress in the body. It is frequently correlated with a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles or pelvic muscles that have lost normal function due to overuse. If running, jumping, or a sneeze, coughing, or laughing sends you to the restroom, you may be experiencing stress incontinence.
Urge incontinence
The second category of postpartum incontinence is called urge incontinence. It is most often caused by nerve damage sustained while pregnant or delivering, which impairs the bladder’s ability to communicate with one’s brain. As a result, the bladder may signal a need to use the restroom too soon or too often. Women with urge incontinence may suddenly feel like they’ve “got to go”, even when their bladders are nearly empty. The onset of these feelings may be quick and intense, and leaks may happen before they can make it to the restroom.
What causes urinary incontinence after childbirth?
Women who had a vaginal delivery are most likely to be affected, with up to 25% experiencing symptoms that persist for at least 1 year postpartum. In contrast, it affects up to 16% of women having had a caesarian section delivery.
Furthermore, obese women or women over the age of 35 are at an increased risk of postpartum urinary incontinence. Likewise, the use of forceps in delivery, smoking, and incontinence during pregnancy predict a higher likelihood of postpartum incontinence.
Unfortunately, even though urinary incontinence after childbirth is extremely common, 77% of women who have postpartum incontinence either do not know or never seek a formal diagnosis and as a result, they will never receive treatment.
Treatment for urinary incontinence after childbirth
Postpartum incontinence greatly affects the daily lives of those who have it. Many women resort to always wearing pads, visiting the restroom frequently, and even drinking less to minimize fluid in the bladder. Yet none of these methods offer a permanent solution.
Botox®
Botox® is a good solution for urge incontinence issues, as it relieves symptoms by calming the nerves that overstimulate your bladder. For treatment, it is injected into your bladder muscle. It takes less than 15 minutes and is performed with local or general anesthesia on an outpatient basis. This treatment cannot be done while pregnant, but it is an option for women who are planning to become pregnant or are in between pregnancies.
Bladder Sling
If you are suffering from stress incontinence issues, a bladder sling surgery may be the right treatment for you. For this procedure, a sling is attached to your abdominal wall to lift the urethra to its normal position. It will then put pressure on your urethra to assist with urine retention.
Sacral Neuromodulation
A sacral neuromodulation device goes underneath the skin of the pelvis above the buttocks, which emits tiny electrical pulses that target an area near the sacral nerves to adjust neural activity controlling the bladder and bowels. The process is a minimally invasive surgery performed at an outpatient surgery center that takes between 20-30 minutes to complete.
Find Postpartum Incontinence Relief with the Incontinence Institute
In every urinary incontinence case, our board-certified physicians work closely with patients to create customized plans that cater directly to your unique needs. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and regain control – because no one should have to live with leaks.