Dr. J. Kyle Mathews provides women with an overview of incontinence that can occur after childbirth

You’ve just come home with your beautiful new baby, and you are most concerned with how to care for your new arrival; however, you also have to take care of yourself. Dr. J. Kyle Mathews, a board certified urogynecologist, knows that you may suffer silently with postpartum urinary incontinence, and he wants you to know that suffering is unnecessary—treatment is available at his North Dallas urogynecology office.

What causes postpartum urinary incontinence?

The National Association for Continence notes that 30 to 50% of childbearing women will be affected by urinary incontinence by age 40; furthermore, they state, “Up to 63% of stress-incontinent women report their problem began during or after pregnancy.”

Problems with incontinence can begin during pregnancy when the weight of the baby pushes on the muscles of the pelvic floor, as well as the bladder and urethra, causing those important muscles to weaken.

Labor and vaginal childbirth can also weaken the pelvic floor muscles, and there may even be damage to the nerves that control the way the bladder contracts, causing postpartum urinary incontinence.

• The symptoms of stress urinary incontinence, the most common type experienced after pregnancy, to look for include leaking urine when you laugh, sneeze, cough or exercise.
• Some women may also experience symptoms of urge incontinence, such as feeling an urgency to urinate and needing to go frequently as part of postpartum urinary incontinence.

For some women, these symptoms will resolve as the body heals after giving birth, usually in about six weeks. After six weeks, if you are still having symptoms, you should see a physician like Dr. Mathews who has an expertise in incontinence.

Moms need to know that treatment is available

We know that new moms are busy, but it’s still important to take care of yourself, and treatment for postpartum urinary incontinence often involves programs that you can work on at home.

First, you come into our North Dallas urogynecology office for a consultation. Often, our staff can perform pelvic muscle therapy, sometimes using biofeedback, during which our staff teaches you the correct way to perform Kegel exercises, which will help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

Help is out there—contact us and learn more about postpartum urinary incontinence.

| Category: postpartum incontinence |