DOES CHILDBIRTH INEVITABLY LEAD TO INCONTINENCE?
Despite all the forces the pelvic tissues endure during labor and childbirth, incontinence is not inevitable. In fact, a woman’s body is remarkably resilient, and the vast majority of women who give birth do not develop incontinence. In most cases, the damage created by childbirth repairs itself over time as the tissues go through the normal healing process. The majority of women experience no residual effect within just a few months after childbirth. Almost half of all women who have a vaginal delivery show immediate recovery of the nerves’ ability to carry messages to the pelvic muscles, and 60% will have complete resolution within two months. However, in some women, the injured tissue does not recover 100% of pre-labor strength. For them, the likelihood of incontinence and the discomfort of pelvic prolapse developing later in life are more common. The actual specific risks of developing incontinence vary for individual women. Each woman is unique; some heal more quickly than others
