I want to share part of my personal postpartum story with you today. Often, I preach about being real and authentic about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum issues. This is something I haven’t talked about much but I need to be real with YOU. Perhaps it is because I am still dealing with some symptoms once in a while. Or it is because I was feeling shame that I, as someone who talks about core and pelvic health constantly, was having an overeactive bladder.
After the birth of my third child (an empowering and beautiful natural vaginal birth after cesarean), I experienced loss of bladder control (Overeactive Bladder).
For the first time in my life, I would LOOK at the toilet and would empty my bladder right there and then whether I was sitting on the toilet or not.I even had an urgency episode in the middle of a Costco aisle. There I was, looking at granola, and my bladder started spasming out of nowhere. I felt my anxiety rise up and I was terrified to empty my bladder in front of other people.
For the first few months after birth, I kept telling myself that it would get better with time. I assumed my pelvic floor muscles were in a little bit of a shock and that it was somewhat normal after having a quick vaginal delivery. I also mentioned my issues to my midwife but she also told me “it’s normal, it will get better with time”.
Months flew by and although my symptoms did improve, they were still there and inconvenient. I felt like I had to go to the bathroom before leaving the house “just in case” and always made sure I knew where the restrooms were. I even carried extra underwear for myself in the diaper bag and wore pads daily. At a year postpartum, I knew this wasn’t right. I didn’t want to live this way anymore.
I felt like my overeactive bladder controlled my life.
My overeactive ladder was starting to affect me emotionally and mentally. I knew something had to change and started to do research on my own. I found some pelvic floor therapists online, read books, listened to podcasts and tried to figure out what my problem was. And then, one day, a light bulb turned on in my head. I realized that I had been carrying tension in my pelvic floor for as long as I can remember. Being an athlete most of my life, I had a strong core but I was also carrying tension in my pelvic area (which is actually common with athletes). I was convinced that this tightness was directly related to my urgency symptoms.
I went back to my midwife for a second time to express my concerns and thoughts about my overeactive bladder. She told me I probably just had a weak pelvic floor and needed to do some kegels (really?!). She also referred me to an urogynecologist. My appointment with the urogynecologist was disappointing to say the least. The specialist told me I had something called Overactive Bladder (sudden or uncontrolled urge to urinate) and mentioned how this condition was rare for women my age. She talked about medication as a solution or the possibility of surgery down the road. There was no mention of pelvic floor physical therapy, and honestly she made me feel like I was the only 33 year old on the planet with such issues.
I was DEVASTATED.
How can a young woman get a condition that older adults deal with? Why me? Will I have to live this way forever? Do I really need surgery? Will my overeactive bladder control my life for the rest of my days?
I didn’t want to accept her prognosis as the answer and I was disappointed that she jumped right to medication and surgery. I even told the urogynecologist that I really thought it was related to my tight pelvic floor. I had to beg her to give me a referral for pelvic floor physical therapy. And so she did and said “good luck”.
During this time, I became really passionate about pelvic health and wanted to learn as much as I could (for selfish reasons-cure myself). I found a great Pelvic Floor Therapist in Florida, The Pelvic Guru. There was a weekend mastermind/mentorship for health and fitness pros in Florida. I flew down to Florida, and spent the weekend with her and other professionals talking about all things core and pelvic health. My experience was eye opening. I will always remember our mentor’s reaction when she asked me to do a pelvic contraction during an internal exam. “Wow, I think you have the strongest pelvic floor muscles I have ever felt”! Everything suddenly made sense. The tension I was carrying down there was linked to my urgency incontinence. On top of that, my anxiety about the whole situation was making everything worse. She was the first person to tell me: “Julie, you are NOT alone. This is really common and I see moms just like you everyday.” WOW. That statement was life changing.
I was no longer feeling isolated and I FELT HOPE.
After that weekend, I went home excited to take charge of my pelvic floor issues. I was so inspired by everything I learned. This inspiration compelled me to pursue my passion for pregnancy and birth. I started my Pre and Postnatal Coaching business focussing on core and pelvic health. As a coach, I knew that I could help moms have better birth and postpartum experiences.
Here is what came next. First, I booked an appointment with a pelvic floor therapist in my area. Then, I changed some habits and behaviors surrounding my bathroom habits. Furthermore, I cut down my water intake, took out bladder irritants, and worked on pelvic floor release DAILY. My symptoms improved a TON. In just a few weeks, I no longer needed a pad and going to the bathroom “just in case” was no longer an issue. My symptoms also got better after I stopped nursing my daughter at 2 ½ years postpartum. Research is unclear about this topic. However, there are speculations that hormones released during breastfeeding could affect pelvic floor dysfunction healing.
Today, I am 99% better and know how to control my urgency feelings. I know my triggers and work on them daily. Currently, I feel like my overactive bladder isn’t controlling my life anymore.
My personal story demonstrates my resilience and willingness to think outside the box. I didn’t settle for a “this is normal” or “just take this medication” answer but spent a lot of time and effort learning to correct my own issues. Since then, I have learned there are so many other women going through similar experiences. This has led me to want to help as many other women as I can.
I want you to know that you are not alone.
If you are experiencing urgency incontinence (overactive bladder) or any other type of incontinence, you are not alone. You do not have to settle for “this is just part of being a mom”. Please mama, advocate for yourself. You can find a pelvic health professional near you in the Global Health Alliance Directory here.
If you have questions or would like to share your personal story with me, please contact me here. I am a real person, and I read every single response. Besides, I am here if you need guidance or support in your journey. If you are looking to work with a coach to achieve your goals, do fill out my 1:1 Coaching Interest Form here. My life was changed because someone told me “you are not alone”. Let me help you change your life too.
