Have you ever struggled with incontinence?
So I’m a pelvic floor therapist – I’m not supposed to have issues peeing or with pelvic pain right? Well thankfully I don’t have pain but last week, I had 2 episodes of crazy sneezing and peed.
😬Yep you read that right. I peed.
I didn’t lose my whole bladder, but just enough I needed to change my underwear and there was no amount of leg clenching adequate to handle the force of my sneeze.
Speaking of which, let’s bust a few myths:
- It’s normal to need to clench your legs to avoid peeing
- It’s normal to leak pee if you’ve had children
- It’s not really incontinence if it only happens every once in a while
- leaking pee means you have a weak pelvic floor
To kick off some truth, we wanted to include some accurate anatomy pictures.

The bladder has quite a lot of elasticity and stacks in front of the uterus which means the uterus can affect it quite a lot. So can our breathing. Check out the pictures below of breathing and how the core and pelvic floor move together. This is why good belly breathing is the first thing we usually go over with clients. Click HERE for our video on Filling and Emptying Breath. Scroll down for more on how I’m solving my problem. |

So I’ve had 2 kids. But my youngest was born more than 16 years ago. Why would I leak now? Menopause? Not yet, praise the Lord!I’m going to share some facts that might apply to you:We have hormone surges at various points in our cycle that can lead to ligament laxity which can cause the bladder to feel more pressure or not empty as well. Click HERE for more about the impact of hormones on the pelvic floor. Tension can be just as likely a culprit as weakness🤯Constipation and digestive issues are often a huge factor in bladder function and pressure. Being catheterized can cause leaking by interrupting the urethral sphincterOk so my plan for myself – I started with belly breathing. I reflected on what may have impacted things in the previous few weeks. 2 main things – more workouts with squats and jumping, I had some allergies and had been sneezing a lot and blowing my nose which creates some pressure. Also a 3rd thing, my husband has been out of town so no bedroom fun and that can impact muscles, particularly when your body is used to “regular activity” – you knew you could count on me to keep it real, right guys? I even did some reverse kegels – that’s right relaxation of the muscles. Weakness is not likely my issue but I also did some kegels. Are you confused yet?😉Our pelvic floor muscles are just like any body part. They function best when we have full mobility and can optimally engage those muscles. That requires being able to fully relax just as well as you can engage!That’s a huge part of what pelvic floor physical therapy is about. No leaking since last Friday and I will keep you guys posted.Please reach out if you have any questions or possibly wonder if you’ve got some myths that need busting – or validating! Blessings from Amy and the Moment of Truth team. |
These videos and any content included are meant to be educational and instructional. They are not able to diagnose or treat a specific issue and are definitely not a substitute for a professional evaluation. |
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