Whenever I sneeze, I leak – is that going to last for ever?
Many women suffer from stress incontinence during pregnancy, which means a leakage of urine when you cough or sneeze The leaks are caused by the loosening of muscles in the pelvic floor – a group of muscles and ligaments that support the pelvic organs – due to pregnancy hormones. Also, as the growing baby puts more pressure on the bladder stress incontinence becomes more likely, It is recommended that you carry out pelvic floor exercises (see p.57) to reduce the likelihood of leakage. These can be started at any stage of pregnancy, but the earlier you begin the better; once you get the technique right they are simple. As these are such discreet exercises it is easy to practise without anyone else realizing what you are doing Stress incontinence should improve following the birth, although it can take up to six weeks There is some suggestion that the problem can persist longer depending on the type of birth you have, with a natural vaginal birth more likely to cause ongoing problems tha
