If you are struggling with urinary incontinence post pregnancy stop ‘living with it’ and start dealing with it, the Continence Foundation of Australia has brilliant free resources which are shared below…
Childbirth and pregnancy are two of the major life events associated with urinary incontinence, which is why the Continence Foundation of Australia has made maternity a priority focus.
Many women are unnecessarily putting up with urinary incontinence after childbirth. Eighty per cent of the 4.2 million Australians (aged 15 and over) affected by urinary incontinence are women, with problems arising primarily after childbirth and menopause1.
Once women have had a baby, they have a one in three chance of developing urinary incontinence2. Unfortunately, many women accept this as normal, when in fact it’s preventable and treatable in the majority of cases.
The Foundation has created a number of free resources for women and expectant mothers.
They include The Pregnancy Guide booklet and the Pregnancy Pelvic Floor Plan smartphone app (available from Google Play and iTunes).
Health promotion officer Danyel Walker said one of the most common misconceptions among women was that incontinence after childbirth was inevitable, and to be accepted as a normal part of life.
“Incontinence is not normal, and if left untreated will only get worse. If women are having any incontinence issues, they should seek professional help,” she said.
The National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66) is staffed 8am-8pm Monday to Friday by continence nurse advisors who provide advice, referrals and resources to consumers and health professionals. Further information is also available at www.continence.org.au
- Deloitte Access Economics, The economic impact of incontinence in Australia, 2011
- Newman, D. et al. Continence Promotion: Prevention, education and organisation, 2005.
- Chiarelli P, Brown WJ, McElduff P. Leaking urine: prevalence and associated risk factors in Australian women. Neurol Urodyn 1999; 18: 567-77.