The topic can feel a little taboo, but incontinence and pelvic floor disorders are in fact very common in adult women – especially after having a baby. Katie Soodsma, CNP with Avera Urogynecology helps shed a light on postpartum pelvic health and the options available to patients.
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is accidental leakage of urine. After having a baby, this most commonly occurs with our normal everyday activities like coughing, laughing, sneezing, jumping and exercise. We call this stress incontinence. It certainly can range in severity of how long it lasts from person to person, but it’s not something that you have to live with forever.
Why is pregnancy a cause for incontinence?
Our pelvic floor helps to provide support to our uterus, our bladder and our bowels. During pregnancy, our body releases hormones that helps to relax those pelvic floor muscles so that your baby can continue to grow. During delivery, those muscles can be further disrupted. So when we lose that muscle support, that does put us at risk for urinary leakage. You are at higher risk with having a vaginal delivery and the more babies that you have, but even if you've had a C-section just with the hormonal changes your body experienced during pregnancy, you still may have some urinary leakage.
When should I see my doctor or provider?
Common symptoms that women experience after having a baby include vaginal fullness, pressure, prolapse symptoms, pain with intercourse, bladder and bowel issues. So if these symptoms are lasting more than a couple of months or starting to impact your quality of life or ability to do your normal everyday activities, then it's time to seek help with your doctor.
How is incontinence after pregnancy treated?
There are several different options we can use for treatment. Our main first-line treatment is pelvic floor physical therapy. Our pelvic floor muscles are what provide that support to our bladder and so if we can get you in touch with one of our specifically trained pelvic floor physical therapists, they can help teach you exercises to do at home to strengthen those pelvic floor muscles. If we're not getting to where we want to be with physical therapy, there are certainly other non-surgical and surgical options that are both safe and effective.
Here at Avera Urogynecology, we have developed a postpartum wellness program, specifically for women who've had a third- or fourth-degree tear during vaginal delivery, because we know those women are at higher risk for pelvic pain, poor wound healing, pain with intercourse or urinary and bowel leakage. With this program, you have access to a urogynecologist, physical therapist, wound care, medications, and all sorts of treatments you might need to get you back to feeling like your normal self.
How do you encourage patients?
I would say it’s very normal to experience these types of symptoms after delivery. And I think women are aware that they are at risk for that. But I think that next step is just seeking care, putting that focus on you to get the help you need. That way you don't have to worry about it any longer, and you can focus on your baby.
Learn more about urogynecology care at Avera
