Becoming pregnant for the first time is a wonderful thing. However along with the blessing of new life is the unfortunate fact that you will soon suffer from a wide range of unpleasant and awkward conditions! Even if you treat these as all part of the experience, it is worth learning some tips to help manage symptoms when they occur. Urinary incontinence is one of the more problematic of the common pregnancy ailments, with most women experiencing the condition to some extent. The frequency of occurrence and the amount of urine that leaks can vary wildly, with less severe cases being easy to ignore, or address with light incontinence pads.
Incontinence can occur at any time during pregnancy, and it can even last past the birth of the child. Some women even experience incontinence on an ongoing basis after pregnancy, requiring treatment down the track to fix the problem. Pregnancy causes many changes in the body, and incontinence can be caused by several of these. The most common is simply the extra pressure that the growing child places on the bladder.
Ongoing incontinence after birth is caused by weakening of the muscles that can occur while giving birth. If you do experience some incontinence, incontinence pants or pads can similarly be of assistance. Once you have recovered from giving birth, it is worth looking at some pelvic floor exercises to help you strengthen and regain full function in the pelvic floor muscles. If the problem persists for more than a few months it is worthwhile seeking medical advice. There are a range of minor surgical options that are helpful in addressing incontinence. These include inserting a small device to tighten the urethra, called a sling. If the problem is that the bladder has become displaced during pregnancy, there are also treatment options to adjust the bladder to its normal position. Of course, none of this should put anyone of the wonderful experience of giving birth. Armed with some basic knowledge though, you can tackle these complications head on and without concern.