What You Put in Your Body Affects Your Health Greatly

Giving birth is a miraculous moment in a woman's life, but pregnancy and childbirth can also cause some embarrassing postpartum problems. A common problem that women experience after giving birth is urinary incontinence. Delivering a child vaginally can cause the pelvic floor muscles to weaken and the nerves that control the bladder can be damaged, and as a result a woman may experience urine leakage. If you are experiencing urinary incontinence after giving birth, don't be afraid to talk to your ob/gyn about the problem-- there are many things that can be done to correct urinary incontinence. Some common treatments for urinary incontinence after childbirth include:

Pelvic Muscle Exercises

Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can go a long way in ending urinary incontinence. These exercises involve squeezing the muscles in your genital area as if you were trying to stop the flow of urine. For the best results, consult your ob/gyn or a nurse to learn the proper way to do these exercises. Your doctor may also refer you to a pelvic floor physical therapist for further treatment.

Medication

There are several types of prescription medications that can help with urinary incontinence. They typically work by either relaxing the bladder muscles or preventing the bladder from having spasms. 

Weight Loss

Being overweight places extra pressure on the bladder and the muscles around it, which can contribute to incontinence problems. It is natural to be carrying extra weight after giving birth, but your doctor may be able to help you develop a healthy eating and exercise plan to help you lose weight and hopefully fix the urinary incontinence issue.

Bladder Retraining

Bladder retraining involves using the bathroom at set times throughout the day before you feel the urge to empty your bladder. Over time, as you gain more control you can increase the length of time between when you use the bathroom. 

Surgery

If urinary incontinence is disrupting your life and you do not respond well to other treatment options, your doctor may recommend surgery to correct the problem. Two types of surgery are typically used to fix urinary incontinence- sling procedures and bladder neck suspension procedures. A sling procedure involves your surgeon using synthetic mesh or your own tissue to create a sling under your bladder neck for support and to help keep the urethra closed so urine does not leak out. During a bladder neck suspension procedure, your surgeon will use sutures to reinforce the bladder neck and urethra to prevent them from sagging and allowing urine to leak. To find out more, speak with a company like Western Branch Center for Women.