“Stuff” happens when I bounce up and down.

By LOUISE BRIMMS

“Mum! Mum! Come play with us on the trampoline!!”  I would cringe when I heard those words being yelled to me from the backyard. Not because I didn’t want to jump around with my children on the trampoline, but because I did. But “stuff” happens when I bounce up and down on that contraption. Stuff that never used to happen to me before I gave birth to three children.

LBL. Light bladder leakage. I’m sure I don’t have to break it down any further than that for you, it’s fairly self-explanatory.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Poise. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.

Thing is, the trampoline wasn’t my first glimpse into the light bladder leakage world. I used to skip a great deal before I had children. Not skipping as in gaily skipping the corner shop, but skipping with a rope, on the spot. It was both my fitness and my fun and let’s just say, had there been a skipping rope Olympics, I would have been a contender.

One day, between having child number two and child number three, I wandered out into the backyard to get started on a new fitness routine. I’d gotten grossly unfit in between and decided this was the easiest way to pick it back up. I started to skip and felt something “happen” below. I looked around, sure someone had just played a joke on me. What kind of joke I’m not exactly sure, I just knew something didn’t feel right down there.  I started back up again and there it was again. Holy crap, had I just WET myself? It wasn’t a lot, but I had definitely just weed in my pants. This would be fine if I weren’t 29 years of age!

I ran inside, changed my underpants and sat on my bed and waited. Waited for what exactly I’m not sure. The sky to fall? So I did the next best thing, I went to the computer and did what every self-respecting adult does in the age of internet, I Googled. I soon discovered what it was and why it was happening and happening to me. I also discovered that I was far from alone and that in fact, 1 in 3 ladies experience Light Bladder Leakage at some time during their lives.

This is usually brought on by some kind of physical activity (jumping on a trampoline for instance) or as my friend admitted to me, when she sneezes.  She actually crosses her legs when she feels a sneeze coming on, she just has to.

But why then, don’t women talk more about it? We talk about periods, we talk about childbirth, contraception, all the stuff that is not always the prettiest conversation to have. Why had no one told me about their LBL though? It turned out, once I started asking around, three out of three of my good friends experience it. And whilst we all made a joke about it, I’m sure we all felt much better for sharing once we did. In fact, it gave us back something we couldn’t purchase, confidence.  I think it’s time to start changing our perspective on LBL. It’s not a dirty little secret, it is simply something that just happens and can be completely managed.

Neurological Continence Nurse Consultant, Joanne Lawrence, said women’s confidence is being unnecessarily impacted by light bladder leakage with nearly 2 in 3 (58 per cent) admitting they find it difficult to feel confident, impacting everything from their clothing choices to their sex life.

Small lifestyle changes, like pilates classes to build pelvic floor strength can help address the problem. There is also a range of discreet Poise feminine care products designed specifically for light bladder leakage that absorb liquid and reduce potential odour. The Poise range provides different options, depending on symptoms and stage of life, enabling women to choose the right solution for their needs.

“I recommend a combination of pelvic floor exercises and feminine care products, whilst women work towards a long term solution, as they allow women to remain active and continue to wear their favourite underwear and clothing – without feeling self-conscious,” said Lawrence.

So although Olympic level rope jumping may be off my agenda in the near future, I know that if I am worried, there is help.

There are a range of discreet Poise feminine care products designed specifically for light bladder leakage that absorb liquid and reduce potential odour. The Poise range provides different options, depending on symptoms and stage of life, enabling women to choose the right solution for their needs. Join the conversation and request a free sample by going HERE.