More and more women are having C-sections, which could be partly due to concerns about the dangers of vaginal delivery, Dr. C. E. Turner of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney reports.

Australian researchers have sought to put a number on how much risk pregnant women would be willing to accept before opting for a C-section. They looked at 17 potential complications, including various degrees of vaginal tearing, faecal incontinence or urinary incontinence.

For each of the complications, the participants gave a percentage for the risk they would be willing to accept before deciding on a C-section.

Pregnant women were least willing to accept the risk of severe anal incontinence; on average, they said that if the risk of having this complication was any greater than 32% they would want a C-section.

Emergency C-section, moderate anal incontinence, severe urinary incontinence, and severe tears were less acceptable to pregnant women than pain, less severe tears, and prolonged labour.

Severe or moderate anal incontinence and urinary incontinence were among the top 5 least acceptable risks for the pregnant women.

‘When the women were informed of these rates at the end of the interview, they felt generally relieved.’

The researchers are currently involved in a study looking at whether women’s views changed after giving birth.

Allanda can provide all the products and advice for all  your incontinence needs.

Carers will be recognised by the West Midlands Care Association (WMCA), as part of a new award being launched by a Halesowen-based association.

They will present five trophies as part of the new Central England Care Awards at the Care Show at the Birmingham NEC, on Thursday 6th November.  

Trophies include carer of the year, manager of the year and best small care home.

WMCA’s chief executive officer said: ‘There are hundreds of remarkable carers and care providers in central England whose lives and passions revolve around the care of the individuals they look after.’

‘We have been looking for a way to recognise this professionalism, dedication and skill, so were delighted when the Care Show gave us the opportunity to present the awards.’

The research done by the University of Glamorgan will ask women what information they need to help them deal with incontinence. The Study could also lead to the development of specific information tailored towards women’s needs.

This comes after research carried out by Dr Christine Shaw found that few women from incontinence seeked help for the condition.

She said: ‘Only about 15% of women with symptoms of frequency or urgency seek help largely because they are embarrassed and they believe that there is very little treatment available.’

‘There is also a lack of knowledge about the symptoms and a lot of women believe that it is just part of the ageing process or consequence of having had a baby or two.’

The study will involve about 20 women who are experiencing incontinence, in particular those who have not sought help from their GP. It will ask them about what they believe will be the best form of help for them.

Dr Shaw said: ‘One model is the expert patient programme which is a group-based intervention that helps people self-manage a condition.’

‘Another approach may be information on the internet, but because incontinence is an age-related condition, there may be issues about access.’

‘We’re trying to find out what women would prefer and what type of information they want, be it about self-management, treatment or help from health professionals.’

When experiencing incontinence your pelvic muscles become weaker, but as with all muscles they can be strengthened again. Pelvic floor exercises are a great way of achieving this.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

- Carry out pelvic floor exercises for 5 minutes 3 times a day. This will help to strengthen your bladder, therefore giving you more control.

- Be careful not to exercise other muscles at the same time, as this can put more pressure on the bladder.

- The exercises: Lie on the floor, pull in the pelvic floor muscles and hold for a count of three, repeat this 10-15 times.

- Do you pelvic floor exercises three times a day.

- Most people begin to notice a difference after 3-6 weeks, so be patient, the results will be worth it.

For information on Allanda’s products and services please click here.

Actor Tony Robinson visited Maulden last week to help celebrate the role of carers in the Bedfordshire community. 

The Blackadder star is the voice fof Bedfordshire County Council’s new carers helpline, and was the guest speaker at a special event organised by the council with the charity Carers in Bedfordshire.

Speaking from personal experience of placing his mother in residential care Mr Robinson had this to say:

‘Carers are the unsung heroes and heroines of contemporary society, but the contribution they make is far too often ignored. Let’s work together and demand the changes we need in order to make their lives better.’

’Whether you are a carer, think you might be, or know someone who is, now is the time to celebrate caring and get information that will help you and those around you.’

Cabinet member for community services, Coun Peter Hollick added: ‘There is now extra support for carers through the Government’s national strategy which offers better health and social care, employment, education and information.’

Allanda knows how important personal hygiene and skin health is to our customers. So that’s why we retail a range of skincare specifically designed for those experiencing incontinence.

Our range includes:

- Body Wash Cloths

- *Abena Washing Foam

- Wash Glove

- Abena Washing Lotion

- Abena Wet Wipes

- Gloves

For more details please click here.

*Abena skincare products are designed by a protective healthcare business with particular emphasis on total incontinence management.

According to an Italian study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, incontinence keeps many women from taking part in sports.

In a survey of 679 Italian young and middle-aged women, researchers found that 1 in 7 were bothered by urinary stress incontinence.

Dr. Stefano Salvatore from the University of Insubria found that being overweight or having children boosted the likelihood of having urinary stress incontinence.

One in 10 women said the problem led them to give up their favorite sport, while one in 5 women said they limited the way they engaged in the sport in a bid to reduce leaking.

Sports with repetitive bouncing, such as tennis and squash, were associated with the highest incidence of incontinence episodes.

Researchers of this study say it shows that urinary incontinence, even when mild, can have a harmful impact on the quality of women’s lives by limiting their participation in sporting activities. Despite this, few women seek help.

Salvatore adds: Women ‘should be given information and offered diagnostic and conservative therapeutic options,’ including pelvic floor exercises, which have proven to be very effective in alleviating urinary incontinence.

Allanda can provide you with all the right incontinence products to help you live a healthy and happy lifestyle, for information please click here.

Louise Price, from south Wales, talks openly about her incontinence, which is caused by multiple sclerosis.

She is 1 of 14m people in the UK who have some kind of bladder control problem.

Louise Price said she was in so much pain she sought help quickly and was lucky to have a supportive husband and friends she could confide in. She was equally as open with her work colleagues which allowed her to continue in her job.

But the stigma that comes with condition can result in some people with incontinence being silent about it for years.

National Continence Awareness Week, from 15 - 19 September, aims to raise awareness of bowel and bladder problems and let people know that help is available.

Karen Logan, a nurse consultant and head of continence services, said some people refused to tell their closest friends, let alone seek medical help:

‘The biggest frustration for us is that people don’t come forward and suffer in silence.’

‘It’s normal for people to suffer for 5 to 10 years with an overactive bladder or stress incontinence, triggered by sneezing or coughing for example.’

Problems can range in severity from a mildly overactive bladder, to neurological conditions or impairments, such as MS and extreme diabetes, which can cause incontinence.

In more extreme cases like Mrs Price’s, a disposable catheter can be inserted after urination to help empty the bladder.

Louise Price said her life had been transformed and urged anybody with bladder or bowel problems to seek help:

‘You will not be the first case anyone has heard about and you won’t be the last. It’s about getting your quality of life back.’

Here at Allanda we can provide you with all the incontinence care needed, to live a comfortable lifestyle.

National Continence Awareness Week is running this year from 15th to 19th September 2008.

This year the theme is ‘Dispelling the Myths’ and a new booklet with the same name has been produced to support this work.

The week will also see the official launch of the new charity, Bladder and Bowel Foundation which will replace both Incontact and the Continence Foundation.

Millions of people are affected by bladder and bowel problems and for most, the embarrassment and stigma that comes with the condition, stops them from even talking about it, let alone asking for help.

The Bladder and Bowel Foundation realise the importance of getting these subjects out in the open and let people know there is something that can be done to help them. National Continence Awareness Week was created to achieve this.

Whether it is a simple display of information in clinics and waiting rooms or an exhibition or conference on a larger scale, the important point is that we can all do something.

The support of volunteers to help get the message across to as wide an audience as possible is so important. Because it ensures patients, carers and healthcare professionals know there is help and support available and where they can get it from.

Allanda does its best to support those with incontinence by providing quality incontinence products to suit every lifestyle.

Then why not try out the Allanda Product Finder.

Whether you’re experiencing urge incontinence or stress incontinence, the product finder can help you learn what kind of pads or pants are suitable for you and your lifestyle.

So how does it work??

- Well firstly you need to go to the page, to do this you can click here.

- Then you simply choose the correct answers from the options provided.

- Once you’ve done this click find products and Allanda will automatically select the right incontinence wear for you.

Clever hey!

Discovering you have incontinence can be a daunting experience and it’s also a subject people find they know little about.

So having some guidance about what products are best to use can be a great help.