Leaking with sneezing
Are you LEAKING when you sneeze? 🤧Or how about when you cough...or LAUGH...or bend over...or lift heavy things...or JUMP?! Eek…does this sound familiar?
Common but not something that you have to live with
First off, this is NOTHING to be embarrassed about. This is actually quite common, especially during pregnancy and early postpartum, but it’s also common in people who haven’t had babies, in older adults, and in men! (i.e., it can happen to anyone!)
Please don't let anyone make you feel like you're broken or that it’s something you just need to live with. It’s NOT a “normal part of pregnancy” or a “normal part of motherhood,” or a “normal part of aging” i.e., you DON'T have to live with the leaking!
Leaking is often just a symptom of mismanaged pressure and there’s a relatively simple fix!
First of all, what does all this “mismanaged pressure” stuff mean? 🤯
🔹Sneezing, coughing, laughing, jumping, and even getting up off the floor, involves an increase in PRESSURE in our abdomen - this is normal and okay!🤰🏽
🔹If your pelvic floor is not able to stay shut with the sudden increase in pressure, you may leak.
What happens during pregnancy & postpartum?
🔹The changes in our abdomen during pregnancy and postpartum, eg organs/bladder shifted around, weight of baby, birthing process, scar tissue, stretched out muscles etc. can add additional pressure on our pelvic floor!
🔹Due to your changing body, and lack of coordination or strength of the pelvic floor, you leak!
What can you do about it? Keep reading to find out!
The Knack:
🔹Just before you perform your problematic activity (sneeze, cough, laugh, jump, whatever it is), do a QUICK, STRONG contraction of your pelvic floor.
🔹Hold this squeeze for a couple seconds while you perform said activity, e.g. sneeze 🤧
🔹Then let your pelvic floor muscles go!
🔹Practice this strategy until it becomes more reflexive or automatic. E.g, practice doing The Knack 10 times with 10 fake-sneezes. Start with doing this on an empty bladder and then as you get stronger, do it with a more full bladder. Your goal is to retrain your coordination so this occurs reflexively (i.e., without thought) - but it may take a while, especially if you’re pregnant or recently postpartum.
Here are some cues to help with that ‘lift and squeeze’ pelvic floor contraction (pick the cue that works for you):
🔹Imagine your pelvic floor like a jellyfish (muscles drawing up and together)
🔹Imaging you're stopping the flow of urine (but don't actually do this)
🔹Imagine lifting a raisin up your urethra (your pee-hole). If it’s gas you’re leaking, clench your anus (lift and squeeze). If it’s air leaking from the vagina, imaging lifting up a blueberry up your vagina.
🔹"Zip up your clit" - a term coined by @brianna.battles @pregnant.postpartum.athlete
🔹Imagine what your pelvic floor would do as you walk into very cold water
To summarize:
You don’t have to live with leaking of any kind
As a first step, try the Knack: Lift & squeeze while you sneeze!
Don’t forget, you can check in with a pelvic PT and they can help you manage your symptoms
For additional resources, check out: https://pelvichealthsolutions.ca/for-the-patient/pelvic-floor-weakness/the-knack/ They have tons of patient resources AND an entire list of pelvic PTs registered to practice in Ontario, Canada.
Is this helpful? Let me know below!
