Wearing a pad every day and accepting that as normal is not serving you

Are you one of those chicks that just accepts your weak bladder as the norm? Just chuck a panty liner on, move on and ignore it? Do you say to yourself, ‘oh well, I have had babies and this is the way it goes now. Suck it up and get on with it; panty liners it is!’ Let’s get REAL! Face up to reality! It is not cool to go to an exercise class and train doing the Michael Jackson hold. It’s definitely not cool to be doing sprints on the spot or squat jumps, knowing you won’t be able to control your bladder, and doing it anyway. It’s no fun attending a group fitness class and going to the toilet before the warm up and then again before the actual session starts. It’s stressful needing to cross your legs because you’re about to sneeze and you need to stop that leakage. These are just a few of the signs that you have weak pelvic floor muscles. And it really does suck! Are your babies older now? Have you had this problem for some time now and think, oh well what’s done is done? Well no matter how long ago you had your baby or babies, your weak pelvic floor muscles could still be treatable. I have heard a few conversations of late and it seems most women are just accepting this and even laughing it off. Including ME! I have been in denial for quite some time. You see, I’m going to admit that I have those embarrassing moments too. I have had to rush off and change my underwear and leggings because I have wet straight through, even with panty liners on. It’s so embarrassing. And it’s not right. So the point I’m making is: if you often wear panty liners to hide the fact that you have a weak pelvic floor, rather than hide and ignore this fact, I think it’s time you actually do something about it. Advertisements for incontinence pads suggest light bladder leakage is just a part of being a woman. That’s flat out wrong. And no one needs to be spending even more money on beauty products and women’s essentials. While there are some cases where pads may be needed on an ongoing basis, it is a mistruth to suggest this is normal and that we need to accept it. Pads should be a temporary aid while undergoing treatment. Stress urinary incontinence is the most common form of incontinence and is very treatable. A Women’s Health Physio costs between $80 and $130 per session. Sometimes you may need two or three visits but compare this to all those pads (and embarrassing moments and stress) that you purchase throughout the year; it all adds up! Imagine how much you have spent all these years buying panty liners to hide your little secret. Whether it is walking, playing a social game of netball, hockey, basketball, running or whatever your fitness regime, it is definitely not acceptable to be wetting your pants when exercising. So take that first step, book in to see your local Women’s Health Physio and get guidance from these professionals to lead you on the right path to an incontinence-free, pad-free, stress-free life with no more crutch holding poses! Join me on the journey of helping mums rebuild from the inside and out. Together we can train, have that conversation and actually do something about it. Imagine being able to go to a group session knowing that you are going to be safe and build your pelvic floor strength to what it should be, gaining confidence and good health for the future. So I say NO to panty liners, spending a fortune, ignoring the situation, and laughing it off. Let’s do something about it and build our selves back. Look after number one: YOU. Michele runs specialised mums and bubs sessions in Narrogin, WA – please see her profile page for more information and to get in touch