As the school year begins and the familiar hustle and bustle of getting the kids ready for school becomes a daily routine, a new opportunity arises for you—a chance to reclaim your time and focus on yourself. While the business of motherhood and career is always present, with the kids back in the classroom, you have a unique and precious opportunity to prioritize something that's likely been on the back burner for far too long: your own health and wellness.
If you’ve been struggling with bladder leaks, you’re not alone. Urinary incontinence is a very common issue, especially for moms who have gone through pregnancy and childbirth. However, with the kids back in school, now is the perfect time to focus on you and take proactive steps toward treating those annoying and embarrassing bladder leaks.
Understanding Urinary Incontinence
Before diving into how to treat bladder leaks, it’s important to understand what urinary incontinence is and why it happens. Urinary incontinence refers to the involuntary leakage of urine and is a condition that can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Pregnancy: Weight changes from a growing baby and hormonal fluctuations can cause laxity (looseness) in connective ligaments and muscle weakness that may lead to stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
- Women who develop SUI during pregnancy are 579% more likely to continue to have SUI 1-year postpartum.
- Childbirth: vagin*l delivery can weaken the pelvic floor muscles, leading to stress urinary incontinence, where leaks occur during activities like coughing, sneezing, or exercising. While a C-section birth typically poses a lower risk for pelvic floor dysfunction compared to vagin*l delivery, it doesn’t eliminate the risk. Postpartum women who have undergone a C-section may still experience pelvic floor issues.
- 1 in 3 postpartum women report urinary incontinence within 3 months of childbirth
- 1 in 3 postpartum women CONTINUE to report urinary incontinence 4 years after childbirth
- …and 76.4% of women who reported urinary incontinence at 3 months continued to report urinary incontinence 12 years later.
- Menopause: Hormonal changes during menopause can cause the tissues of the bladder and urethra to lose elasticity, leading to incontinence.
- More than 60% of adult women in the United State experiences urinary incontinence.
- 33% of middle-aged women avoid physical activity to avoid bladder leaks.
- Age: As we age, the muscles in our bladder and pelvic floor can weaken, making it harder to control the bladder.
- By age 70, 83% of women experience urinary incontinence.
The three most common types of urinary incontinence, or bladder leaks, include:
- Stress urinary incontinence (SUI): Involuntary leakage of urine with activities that cause an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (i.e. coughing, laughing, sneezing, lifting, or exercising).
- Urgency urinary incontinence (UUI): A strong and usually sudden urge to urinate followed by involuntary loss of urine (i.e. leaking on the way to the bathroom).
- Mixed urinary incontinence (MUI): A combination of SUI and UUI.
While bladder leaks can be embarrassing and more than inconvenient, the good news is that they are treatable, and with the right approach, you can regain control and confidence.
Unsure which types of leaks you are experiencing? Take Flyte’s Free Urinary Incontinence Quiz to find out now.
The Importance of Taking Time for Yourself
As a mom, you’re constantly taking care of others—whether it’s making sure your kids are fed, dressed, and ready for school, or managing the household. It’s easy to put your own needs last on the list. But the truth is, taking time for yourself is crucial not only for your well-being but also for the well-being of your family.
When you take care of yourself, you’re better equipped to take care of others. You have more energy, more patience, and more joy to share with your loved ones. Addressing your bladder leaks is a way to reclaim your body and your confidence, allowing you to fully engage in the activities you love without worry.
Making Time for Treatment: A Step-by-Step Guide
Now that the kids are back in school, you may find you have a bit more time to focus on your own health. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you start treating your bladder leaks and reclaiming your body:
Acknowledge the Issue
The first step in treating bladder leaks is acknowledging that there’s an issue. It’s common for women to feel embarrassed about urinary incontinence, but it’s important to remember that you’re not alone, and this is a very common, but not normal issue. Acknowledging the problem allows you to take proactive steps toward a solution.
Consult with a Healthcare Professional
If you haven’t already, consider making an appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss your symptoms. Up to 66% of women do not talk to their doctor about incontinence.
Your healthcare provider can help diagnose the type of incontinence you’re experiencing and recommend appropriate treatments. Whether it’s lifestyle changes, physical therapy, or a medical device like Flyte that treats your incontinence from home, your healthcare provider can help guide you toward the best treatment plan for your needs.
If you want to get a better understanding of what type of incontinence you have right away, take ourfree clinically validated quiz.
Incorporate Pelvic Floor Exercises into Your Routine
Pelvic floor exercises, often referred to as Kegels, are one of the most effective ways to strengthen the muscles that control urination. These exercises involve contracting and relaxing the muscles that make up the pelvic floor. The great thing about Kegels is that they can be done anywhere, anytime—whether you’re sitting at your desk, watching TV, or waiting in the carpool line. The challenge with Kegels is many women perform them incorrectly.
To perform Kegel exercises:
- Identify the right muscles: The pelvic floor muscles are the ones you use to stop the flow of urine. If you’re unsure, try stopping midstream while urinating (but don’t make this a habit). These are your pelvic floor muscles. This does not include contracting your abdominal muscles, buttocks, or inner thighs. Focus just on the pelvic floor muscles.
- Contract the muscles: Squeeze, lift, and hold the pelvic floor muscles for a count of 3-5 seconds, working up to 10 second holds. Avoid holding your breath.
- Relax the muscles: Release the contraction and rest for a count of 3-5 seconds.
- Repeat: Aim to do 10 repetitions, three times a day.
- Looking for a way to amplify your Kegels for faster results? Try Flyte. 39x more effective than pelvic floor exercises alone. Surgical level results in just 5 minutes a day for 6 weeks.
- Need more help? Check out our Kegel how-to guide.
Explore Effective At-Home Treatments
If you’re looking for an effective, convenient way to treat urinary incontinence from the comfort of your home, try Flyte. Flyte is a clinically proven, FDA-cleared device designed to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and treat stress urinary incontinence in just 5 minutes a day. With Flyte, you can be confident you are treating the correct muscles to get the best outcome without guessing if you are doing your exercises right. Flyte is a non-surgical solution, providing results similar to surgery, but without the invasiveness or downtime.
The best part? Flyte is designed to easily fit into your busy day. Results are achieved in only 5 minutes a day for 6 weeks, and some see results in as little as 2 weeks!
As a mom, your schedule is already packed, and finding time for yourself can be a challenge. With Flyte, you don’t need to carve out large blocks of time. Whether you have a few minutes in the morning after the kids are off to school, during your lunch break, or in the evening after they’ve gone to bed, Flyte allows you to treat bladder leaks quickly and efficiently. Its compact design means you can use it whenever it’s convenient for you, making it the ideal solution for busy moms.
Stay Consistent
Consistency is key when it comes to treating bladder leaks. Whether you’re doing pelvic floor exercises, using Flyte, or following your healthcare provider’s recommendations, it’s important to stay consistent with your treatment plan. Set reminders on your phone, create a routine that works for you, and stay committed to your goals.
With Flyte at only 5 minutes per day, we have compliance at over 90%! Women see results quickly and are motivated to finish their 6 week treatment with Flyte.
Celebrate Your Progress
As you begin to see improvements, take time to celebrate your progress. Whether it’s fewer leaks, increased confidence, or simply feeling more in control of your body, each step forward is worth celebrating. Remember, treating bladder leaks is possible, and each positive change is a victory.
Embrace the New Season
With the kids back in school, now is the perfect time to focus on yourself and take steps toward treating bladder leaks. By acknowledging the issue, seeking help, starting treatment sooner rather than later, and staying consistent with your treatment plan, you can regain control of your bladder and your life. This new season is an opportunity for you to prioritize your health, boost your confidence, and enjoy all the moments that matter most—without the worry of bladder leaks holding you back.
With Flyte, you can achieve all of this in just 5 minutes a day. So, go ahead and take this time for yourself. You deserve it.
References
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Urinary Incontinence: An Inevitable Part of Aging? (umich.edu)
