leakylily: a women’s resource for stress incontinence

One in Three Women Have Stress Incontinence

You know that dribbly-nose feeling, when you’re in the middle of a giant head cold, and you feel your nose starting to run at a most inopportune time? There’s nothing you can do to stop it; you just have to hope there’s a tissue nearby and that you’re not standing across from someone watching the slow dribble suddenly descend uncontrolled. It’s over in a second, but so embarrassing when it catches you unsuspecting! That’s the same feeling that one in three women experience on a regular basis due to stress incontinence. It really sucks.

On average, you’ll get 2 to 4 head colds per year, and you usually feel them coming, but you never know when stress incontinence will sneak up on you; it could be any second of any day. You’re feeling great, physically active as usual, but then you trip on a curb, play tag with the kids in the yard after a cup of tea, have a big belly laugh at something funny, or – heaven forbid – you have a head cold and you sneeze. Dribble.

We Never Talk About It

Head colds are like the kiss of death for women suffering with stress incontinence. Think that nose dribble is a concern? Try shifting that worry down to your underwear – it’s not like grabbing a tissue will help you prepare. You feel that sneeze coming on, you know all your muscles are going to contract, and instead of grabbing for a tissue you’re running to find a seat, crossing your legs, or grabbing your own crotch to prevent the inevitable little leak. It’s horrible, it’s embarrassing, and it’s completely disheartening.

But unlike the common cold, this very common problem amongst women is rarely talked about. The condition often occurs as a result of pregnancy and vaginal delivery – yes, my children, your mother is suffering in silence because of you – so as long as babies have been coming into this world, and as long as they keep on coming, it’s a problem that needs to be talked about, and not just ‘managed’ but fixed.

You can Recover from Stress Incontinence

Ladies, we need to regain control of our bodies from head to pelvic floor. That means awareness, education, and recovery. Welcome to LeakyLily – a women’s resource for stress incontinence.