Overcoming Postpartum Incontinence: Effective Solutions and Strategies for Active Women

Urinary leakage after childbirth is quite common, affecting about one in three women within the first three months after delivery. This issue arises from several factors, including stress on the pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy and childbirth, the number of pregnancies a woman has had, and whether she experienced urinary leaks before pregnancy.

Stress urinary incontinence is the most prevalent form of postpartum incontinence. It occurs during activities like lifting heavy objects, running, sneezing, coughing, or laughing. Being active and fit doesn't make you immune to it.

The well-known Kegel exercises are frequently recommended to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. However, executing them correctly is crucial.

Research has shown that many women do not perform them correctly. And beware, they don't magically solve all problems. Improper pelvic floor rehabilitation management can also lead to consequences such as lower back pain, organ prolapse, and increased urinary leaks.

To identify an effective solution, it's important to discuss this with your doctor or gynecologist and/or seek a physiotherapist specializing in pelvic-perineal rehabilitation. This will allow for an accurate assessment of your urinary leakage and pelvic floor issues.

Your physiotherapist can then tailor a treatment plan to your specific needs. Alongside strengthening exercises, they might employ various techniques to improve muscle coordination and reduce tension.

For instance, biofeedback may be used during sessions to help you visualize and improve how you contract your pelvic floor muscles, providing real-time feedback on the quality of your contractions. This aids in understanding the rehabilitation process while your physiotherapist ensures there’s no compensation from other muscles like the glutes or abdominals.

If you're struggling with exercises at home, your physiotherapist notices you're compensating with other muscles, or if you're not seeing improvement, an additional solution might be suggested: electrotherapy. This approach, which can include using a portable device for pelvic floor muscle stimulation, sends a gentle electrical current to facilitate correct and more effective muscle contractions.

Using it at home during your exercises will enhance your understanding of how to contract your muscles, leading to more effective contractions, and can be adjusted as you progress. Electrical muscle stimulation is indeed recommended in various scientific studies for women who have difficulty contracting their pelvic floor properly, supplementing pelvic-perineal rehabilitation. It can significantly improve the quality of life in the short and long term for women with urinary leakage.

Therefore, it's vital to note that home electrotherapy does not replace professional pelvic-perineal rehabilitation but complements it. Proper training for its use at home is also crucial.

This is where SET steps in to support you in maximizing your results. By working closely with your physiotherapist and offering training on using home electrotherapy aligned with your physiotherapist's goals, you can optimize your home rehabilitation outcomes. This will improve your quality of life and reduce urinary leakage incidents during sports and daily activities.

Click here to learn more about our perineal and pelvic health solutions.

Sources:

Prendre soin de soi les semaines suivant l'accouchement (chumontreal.qc.ca) 

Thom, D.H., Rortveit, G., Prevalence of postpartum urinary incontinence: a systematic review, Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica, 2010, 89, pages 1511–1522. 

Fantl, J.A., Wyman, J.F, Assessment of Kegel pelvic muscle exercise performance after brief verbal instruction, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, août 1991, volume 165, issue 2, pages 322-329.  

Morrow L. and al., Management or urinary incontinence in primary care: A national clinic guideline, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, décembre 2014: 1-79. 

Xu, H., Haiyue, S., Chen, J., & Wu, Y. (2022). Efficacy and safety of electrical stimulation for stress urinary incontinence in women : A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Urogynecology Journal, 33(4), 789‑799. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-021-04928-2