Leaning back in bed supported by a mountain of pillows, your favorite drink on the bedside table, time for a good book, or a few episodes of a favorite Netflix show is downright indulgent. It’s a bit of an escape, even for those of us who haven’t traveled yet again. Less luxurious: A sudden laugh or sneeze and pee in the perfectly made bed.
That’s how I started last weekend. Scott! (this is my husband) are you bringing a fresh sheet of paper? I just peed in bed! It was just a little, but we have an elephantine Serta hybrid mattress that is difficult for me to change – especially in the sixth month of pregnancy. I also wanted and needed the moral support not to be alone with my accident.
I know at this point in my story many women will nod with me. We can experience incontinence at different ages and for different reasons. I’ve never been shy about talking to other women about it. I grew up in a family where generations of women have had bladder, prolapse, and other urogynecological problems (some of which are related to a genetic connective tissue disorder). But talking about it didn’t mean feeling empowered to do anything about it – until now.
When Scott and I switched beds, I raved about how grateful I was to have my first appointment with a pelvic floor therapist the next morning. Before this pregnancy (my first) I had never heard of pelvic floor PT or a pelvic health therapist. Nor did I know that acupuncture could be used to treat incontinence, or that urogynecology is an entire branch of allopathic medicine that addresses and treats urinary incontinence in women.
That changed when I was allowed to speak to Leila Brier and Alexandra Fennell von Attn: Grace, a company run by women that not only makes beautiful, environmentally conscious incontinence products, but also uses new resources to shed light on women’s health and invites people to talk a fantastic resource library It lists urologists, urogynecologists, pelvic health therapists and acupuncturists who can help women treat incontinence at every stage of life.
