Treating Stress Urinary Incontinence

A Common Condition With Surprising Remedies

By Katherine Bontrager

When Edna Kaplan gave birth to her two sons some 20 plus years ago, her body changed in some rather unexpected ways. When she exercised, her muscles were unable to combat a slight leakage of urine. "After my boys were born, I had mild incontinence when I laughed or jumped or did aerobics," Kaplan says. "I would wear a pad when I went for a run."

Kaplan found herself in the company of a large, but relatively silent group, of more than 20 million women. Statistics show that up to 63 percent of women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) – accidental loss of urine during coughing, laughing or exercise – report their problem began during or after pregnancy, according to Dr. Roger Goldberg.

Dr. Goldberg practices urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery at the Evanston Continence Center of Northwestern University Medical School. He is the author of Ever Since I Had My Baby (Three Rivers Press, 2003), which explains what women can do to prevent or treat SUI and other related problems.

According to Dr. Goldberg, SUI is the most common form of urinary incontinence and also one of the most common medical problems faced by women during the years, and even decades, after childbirth. "Unfortunately, many of them begin to abandon their fitness routines and avoid activities they previously enjoyed for fear of accidents," he says. "Withdrawing from a healthy and active lifestyle is one of the most unfortunate aspects of this condition. Until recently, women tended to view SUI as an 'inevitable cost of motherhood' or just a normal part of aging – but in today's world, this is not the case."

Dr. Lawrence Lind, chief of urogynecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., reports that even if a woman had no incontinence with pregnancy, every advancing decade of her life increases the chances that she will become incontinent. For example, by age 65 about 40 percent of all women have incontinence. "Research has shown that less than half of incontinent women seek help for the condition despite the fact that most patients can be cured," he says. "Many women are embarrassed or are taught that it is a normal part of aging. While it is incredibly common, it is not normal to have poor bladder control, and every woman has the right to seek help and regain control and dignity."

Want to see more?

• Active Living: Managing Urinary Incontinence
• A Cure for Incontinence: One Woman's Story of Hope
• When Laughing Makes You Leak: Fast Facts About Stress Urinary Incontinence
• Pregnancy Today
• Talk about it!