Actress Kristen Bell was pregnant with her first child when she mistakenly thought her water broke. “[My doctor] got me on the examination table and she goes, ‘Huh? So you said your water broke?’” she recounted in an episode of Momsplaining with Kristen Bell. “I said, ‘Yeah, definitely, it was a big splash on my bathroom floor.’ She says, ‘OK. Your water didn’t break, but it is quite possible you peed your pants.’”
While many celebrities have been blamed for the over-glamorization of pregnancy and childbirth and the shame and unrealistic expectations this creates for “normal” women, some have started using their spotlight to normalize the parts of pregnancy that aren’t so pretty. Among these less-talked about but commonly experienced “side-effects” are pregnancy incontinence.
What is incontinence and what causes it, both during and after pregnancy?
When to call your doctor (Can incontinence cause UTIs in women?)
If you think you are experiencing incontinence and are in your final weeks of pregnancy, call your doctor right away (even if you feel silly about it!).
In my experience, the trickle that I thought was incontinence was actually a small tear in my amniotic sac; technically, my water broke, but I didn’t know this until I finally went to the hospital, almost 20 hours later. (Everything turned out okay, but it was definitely not a smart decision!)
If you are experiencing incontinence after pregnancy, it is important to let your doctor know, so it can be monitored. Incontinence can lead to a UTI (urinary tract infection), due to the bacteria that can build up in the urine left in the bladder, or the bacteria that develops around the genital area, which can then creep up into the urinary tract.
It is especially important to talk to your doctor if it is limiting your daily activities. Pagel-Hogan also shared about how incontinence after the birth of her first child invaded every part of her life “I cut back on running, playing with my children, and I didn’t feel free to be intimate with my husband,” she wrote. “I held back at work … I didn’t dance at weddings, and I hated shopping and trying on clothes. … Sometimes, I barely even laughed.” Five years and two kids later, she went to see a urologist, and gained her life back.
Incontinence is no fun, but talking about it with your doctor and trusted friends can keep it in its place and let you live your life — wet pants and all.
