Incontinence Products for Women

Women who have given birth should not view urinary incontinence as an avoidable part of motherhood, it has been claimed.

Noreen Dockery, a chartered physiotherapist who specialises in rehabilitating the pelvic floor, told the Irish Independent that female incontinence is a "very common" problem.

She revealed that a greater number of women are choosing to seek help for incontinence nowadays, but that she still sees patients who wait until their children are teenagers before getting advice.

According to Ms Dockery, it is "far preferential" to deal with post-pregnancy incontinence a few months after a woman has given birth.

"It is hard for women, though, especially with a new baby; but, if it's left too late, symptoms can deteriorate, especially in menopause when the muscle tone gets more relaxed and hormones are involved," she explained.

Ms Dockery revealed that one of the goals of physiotherapy for this condition is to lengthen or relax the woman's pelvic floor muscles so that they are no longer in spasm.

"The pelvic floor muscles are very much connected to the abdominal muscles, and releasing tension here can have a major effect on the tension found in the pelvic floor," she told the news provider.

"Most patients feel their pelvic floor is weak but in actual fact the resting tension or already elevated tone prevents the muscle from lifting any higher."

The physiotherapist also emphasised the fact that women with female incontinence should not feel isolated, as many other women suffer from the same issues after having children.

Studies suggest that about 13 per cent of women in the UK are affected by urinary incontinence to some extent, along with five per cent of men.

There are a number of other risk factors for incontinence alongside childbirth, including age, depression and a high intake of caffeine.