Postpartum Complications: 3 Ways to Address Stress Incontinence

Author:  Dr. Mary Gomez Chambers, DNP, CNM, RN

Do you pee your pants or lose urine when you cough, sneeze, run or jump?

If so, you may be experiencing urinary incontinence. And you are NOT alone. Especially, if you recently gave birth within the last 2 to 3 or even 6 months?

Urinary Incontinence or Stress Incontinence is directly correlated to pelvic floor weakness and is a common issue for many postpartum women. This is an issue that your provider may brush off and say it will go away after breastfeeding but many women experience this issue for the rest of their life if it is not addressed properly.  What I am referring to: are two very common complications of pregnancy. The first one is varicose veins  and the second is urinary incontinence. Let’s talk about urinary incontinence.  And address the things you need to do before your baby's first birthday. We will also talk about the timing of getting your insurance company to cover the treatment that you need whether it is pelvic floor physical therapy or even surgery. 

If you have urinary incontinence, a lot of times your doctor is going to say "don't worry about that" "it will get better over time". The first line of defense is to start doing  Kegel Exercises. Don't really take that as your only option if your stress incontinence persists. I would recommend being a little more assertive with your healthcare provider about your treatment options. Talk to your doctor and request a referral to a pelvic floor specialist or pelvic floor physical therapist (PT) so they can start working with you to strengthen your pelvic floor to mitigate further complications. Also, you can ask for a referral to a Urogynecologist. A Urogynecologist is a medical doctor that is a board certified OB/GYN and Urology which makes them a bladder specialist as well. They can complete urodynamic testing to evaluate this issue and determine whether or not this is going to be a persistent problem for you. Urinary incontinence or peeing your pants is NOT normal whether you have had a baby or not.  This is something that you want to treat, it is medically necessary and the treatment options are usually covered by insurance.  If you are a breastfeeding mom, they will try to delay treatment and even surgery until you are done breastfeeding but you can advocate for yourself in this regard especially if you have already paid a very large deductible when you gave birth.  These issues can persist for a lifetime and usually get worse with each subsequent pregnancy if not addressed properly.

In summary, the 3 things that you can do to address postpartum stress incontinence is (1) Kegel exercises; (2) Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy and (3) referral and treatment by a doctor that specializes in female stress incontinence e.g., Urogynecologist.

Part two of the postpartum complications covered by insurance is going to be on varicose veins. So, stay tuned.  

For information about your pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care from this author: 

About the Author: Mary Gomez Chambers, DNP, CNM, RN has been present for over 1500 births and countless other laboring mothers during her 23 year women's health career. And now has dedicated her career to educating women on the birthing process, teaches patients how to advocate for the birth that they desire and gives pregnant women the tools they need to gain (1) Knowledge, create (2) Community and find (3) Life Balance as they transition to the magical world of motherhood.   

To get a copy of my FREE e-book: : Creating an Informed, Nurturing and Supportive Birth Experience. 

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Medical Disclaimer:  This information is for educational purposes only and meant to assist you in having a more informed discussion with your prenatal care provider NOT meant to be a substitute for needed medical treatment.