What to do about urinary incontinence after childbirth.

Urinary incontinence after childbirth is a pathological condition in women in which involuntary urination occurs. Postpartum involuntary urination is often referred to as stress urinary incontinence, when discharge occurs during physical activity, laughing, sneezing, coughing, or sexual intercourse (in cases of a sharp increase in intra-abdominal pressure).

Urinary incontinence is not a disease, but a disruption of the normal functioning of the urinary system. Urinary incontinence is a postpartum complication that occurs in 10% of women during the first pregnancy and childbirth, and in 21% of women during the second and each subsequent pregnancy. At natural childbirth the likelihood of developing urinary incontinence is slightly higher than with a caesarean section.

Postpartum urinary incontinence is not a woman’s natural condition and requires correction. Urinary function is restored on average within a year. In some cases self-recovery not happening. Urinary incontinence does not pose a significant threat to a woman’s health (in the absence of complications in the form of inflammatory and infectious processes), but significantly reduces the quality of life. With timely diagnosis and proper treatment, postpartum urinary incontinence is completely eliminated. If the problem is not diagnosed in time and measures are not taken to normalize urination, the condition may worsen over time. Neglected cases are much more difficult to correct and are characterized by frequent relapses.

Causes of urinary incontinence after childbirth

The main cause of urinary incontinence after childbirth is stretching and weakening of the pelvic floor muscles, which provide sufficient support for the uterus throughout pregnancy.

The pelvic floor is a powerful muscular-fascial layer that serves to support internal organs, maintain their normal position, regulate intra-abdominal pressure, and also contribute to the expulsion of the fetus during childbirth, forming the birth canal. Stretching of the pelvic floor muscles occurs under the weight of the uterus and the fetus developing in it. Difficult childbirth, a large fetus, and birth injuries are also causes of muscle weakness.

Urinary incontinence after childbirth is caused by the following factors:

Violation of the innervation of the muscles of the pelvic floor and bladder;
Violation of the closure function of the urethra and bladder;
Pathological mobility of the urethra;
Instability of the position of the bladder, fluctuations in intravesical pressure.

There are a number of risk factors that contribute to the development of urinary incontinence after childbirth:

Heredity (genetic predisposition to the development of a disorder);
Features of the anatomical structure of the pelvic organs and pelvic floor muscles;
Neurological disorders (diseases) nervous system, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and spinal injuries);
Surgical interventions during childbirth and birth injuries;
Large fruit;
Excessive weight gain during pregnancy.

Symptoms of urinary incontinence after childbirth

In medical practice, there are 7 main types of urinary incontinence:

Urgent urinary incontinence – voluntary urination with a sharp, strong urge that is uncontrollable;
Stress urinary incontinence – urination during any type of physical activity, increased intra-abdominal pressure;
Paradox ischuria or overfill incontinence - urine leakage when the bladder is full;
Reflex incontinence – urination when exposed to provoking factors (loud scream, fear, sound of water);
Bed-wetting;
Involuntary constant leakage of urine;
Urine leakage after complete urination.

Urinary incontinence after childbirth is often referred to as stress incontinence (SUI). To make an accurate diagnosis, a comprehensive examination is necessary.

The diagnosis of urinary incontinence after childbirth is made if a woman experiences the following symptoms:

Regular episodes of involuntary loss of urine;
Significant volume of urine during each episode;
Increased urine output during physical activity, stress, and during sexual intercourse.

If you experience irregular episodes of involuntary urination, you should also consult a doctor to correct the condition. It is worth noting that isolated cases of involuntary urination in small volumes are also typical for a healthy body.

Urinary incontinence after childbirth: treatment and prognosis

The treatment of urinary disorders should be approached correctly. Many women ignore the problem and, without consulting a doctor, try to fix the problem on their own or come to terms with it pathological condition. For urinary incontinence after childbirth, treatment involves conservative and radical methods.

In case of urinary incontinence, it is not recommended to self-medicate, since this condition requires a thorough examination to exclude possible inflammation and infectious causes of incontinence.

For urinary incontinence after childbirth, treatment does not involve the use of medications. Medicines are prescribed in cases of complications of urinary incontinence due to inflammation or infection.

Diagnosis of urinary incontinence is carried out using the following methods:

Collecting anamnesis (subjective signs of the patient characterizing the disorder);
Examination on a gynecological chair;
Cystoscopy (endoscopic examination of the bladder);
Conducting laboratory tests;
Complex urodynamic study (cystometry, profilometry, uroflowmetry).

Conservative methods of treating urinary incontinence after childbirth are: physical exercise to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and so-called step-free therapy, which involves training muscles by holding certain weights of increasing weight.

The criterion for assessing the effectiveness of conservative methods is the complete disappearance of episodes of involuntary urination. On average, normalization of urination takes up to 1 year.

If conservative methods of treating urinary incontinence after childbirth are ineffective, surgical methods correcting the problem. Currently, minimally invasive surgical techniques are being practiced.

The main methods of surgical correction are:

Urethrocystocervicopexy – full surgical intervention for fixing the bladder, urethra and uterus. This method is used extremely rarely when there is a significant violation of the structure of the pelvic muscles;
Introduction of the gel into the paraurethral space - manipulation is carried out both in a hospital setting and on an outpatient basis. With this method of incontinence correction, the risk of relapse remains high;
Sling loop surgical corrections involve placing a synthetic loop under the middle part of the urethra to provide additional support.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Hello, dear readers!

Urinary incontinence after childbirth is an extremely delicate topic, rarely discussed, however. and no less urgent. Rarely does this issue pass by. To one degree or another, most women who give birth face this problem.

Urinary incontinence with a small child in your arms is a very unpleasant phenomenon. On the Internet, as always, there is a lot of contradictory and incomplete information. Let's try to figure it out and add something.

There are several types of urinary incontinence. The most common of them are:

stressful (when coughing, sneezing, laughing, running, jumping...)
urgent (the urge to urinate occurs suddenly and is extremely demanding, while it is impossible to hold urine)
mixed type

Stress incontinence develops due to weakness of the pelvic floor muscles.

Urgency is a neurological problem - the innervation of the muscles that contract the bladder is disrupted.

The mixed type includes the reasons already listed, and not only.

Urinary incontinence also occurs:

When a woman’s hormonal background is changed (including after childbirth).
On the background inflammatory diseases genitourinary system.

It is for these reasons that an examination with your gynecologist is simply irreplaceable for making a correct diagnosis.

After pregnancy and childbirth, stress urinary incontinence most often occurs.

In our culture it is not customary to pay much attention intimate muscles, and during pregnancy and childbirth they do a tremendous job. The result is overload and, as a result, their weakness after childbirth. Weakened and overstretched muscles are simply unable to hold the pressure of urine and it begins to flow out at the most inconvenient moment.

Rapid course of labor.
Large fruit.
Breaks.
Vacuum extraction.
Application of obstetric forceps.

These reasons can negatively affect the health of even the most trained pelvic floor muscles and provoke urinary incontinence.

Another reason is the congenital characteristics of connective tissue.

During complicated childbirth, not only stress, but also other types of urinary incontinence can develop, and they have their own methods of treatment. That is why a visit to the doctor will be useful.

2. Treatment methods

Modern medicine offers a fairly wide range of treatments for urinary incontinence, including after childbirth. This type of incontinence can be affected, perhaps, only by physical methods:

Pelvic floor training - effectiveness depends on the regularity of exercise.
Collagen injection into the submucosal layer of the urethra lasts for about a year.
Sling operations (TVT or TVT-O) and other types of surgical interventions.

The last point, in addition to the high price, has one peculiarity - a subsequent pregnancy will negate the effectiveness of the operation. And which of us can say with confidence that we will no longer give birth? In life there are the most unusual and unexpected turns of events.

The high effectiveness of any type of exercise has been clinically proven:

On one's own.
With a special Kegel exercise machine.
With feedback trainers.

IN early period After giving birth, it is advisable to train independently without using a simulator. Let's take a closer look at them.

3. Exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor

If there are no seams or tears, you can start training on the first day after birth. The main goal is to learn to control the functioning of the pelvic floor muscles. Consciously contract and relax them. Here are some tips for mastering this technique:

Find the right muscles. To identify the pelvic floor muscles, you need to stop urinating. Once you succeed, consider that the necessary muscles have been found. This action can be performed only 1 time per 1 urination. Stop the thread at the beginning of the process. Repeat this action no more than 2-3 times a day.

Improve your technique. Once the target muscles are identified, empty your bladder and sit on a hard surface with your legs spread wide. Tighten your pelvic floor, hold it for 5 seconds, then release and pause for 5 seconds. Repeat these steps 4-5 times in a row. Our goal is to hold tension for 10 seconds, followed by relaxation for 10 seconds.

Repeat 3 times a day. Optimal training frequency: 3 approaches daily. Each set contains 10 repetitions.

Do not use Kegel exercises while urinating. Training while emptying your bladder can lead to:

Weakening of muscles.
Incomplete emptying of the bladder.

We don't need either one or the other.

4. The secret that no one talks about!

To prevent stress urinary incontinence, use deep squats in parallel with Kegel exercises. You can also find names for this pose such as “tailor’s pose,” “malasana,” “garland frog pose,” but the essence remains the same.

When performed correctly, this pose provides a number of health benefits, especially for women. This is both stretching and breathing exercises, and beautiful posture, and a healthy pelvic floor, and beautiful hips... All in one!

It is necessary to abandon this exercise in the first time after childbirth and when the pelvic organs prolapse! If you have minor urinary incontinence, you should refrain from any exercises with wide legs!

The practice of malasana is also limited when there is a threat of premature birth.

But malasana will be extremely useful for difficulties during urination or defecation. And for preventive purposes for people who do not have problems with the pelvic floor and incontinence.

So let's get started! Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, or slightly wider, toes apart. The back is straight, the chest is turned out, the chin is parallel to the floor. Stretch your arms in front of you, bend your knees. Don't lift your heels off the floor! If that doesn’t work, place some support under your heels.

Spread your knees, place your hands palms together and place them between your knees. We look straight ahead, straight back, pull the top of the head up, shoulders down, don’t pull your shoulder blades together.

The female body is exposed heavy load during pregnancy, which subsequently affects his life. Disturbances in the functioning of certain organs of a woman during and after childbirth are often observed. One of these disorders is postpartum urinary incontinence.

Urinary incontinence after childbirth is a disruption of the physiological mechanisms of the bladder, resulting in uncontrolled urine output.

After childbirth, the most common type of incontinence is stress urinary incontinence. This is the involuntary release of urine when coughing, sneezing or laughing.

This problem is not only physiological, but also psychological. Often women, keeping silent about this problem, oppress themselves for inferiority, their self-esteem drops, which affects their lifestyle.

Pregnancy is stress and strain on a woman’s body. Over the course of 9 months, the load on the pelvic muscles increases with the growth of the fetus. As a result, there is a dysfunction of the muscles in this area and a disruption of the entire anatomy between the pelvic organs.

High pressure on the pelvic muscles, their participation in the formation of the birth canal, disrupts blood circulation in the muscles that are responsible for holding urine in the bladder.

Birth injuries, a large fetus, the application of gynecological forceps and repeated childbirth can provoke the development of urinary incontinence after childbirth.

Symptoms of urinary incontinence

leakage of urine when standing up, squatting, sneezing and coughing;
involuntary release of drops of urine during sexual intercourse or simply in a horizontal position;
constant feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder;
feeling of something foreign in the vagina;
uncontrolled urine output after drinking a small amount of alcohol.

Diagnosis of postpartum incontinence

Diagnosis of this problem should be carried out by a urologist. After giving birth, a woman must visit a gynecologist, who needs to be told openly about all the delicate problems that have arisen. Mandatory for diagnostics examination on a gynecological chair . The specialist may perform the following test to make a correct diagnosis: Ask the patient to cough while she is in a chair. If urine leakage is detected, the test is considered positive.

For more accurate diagnosis, use Ultrasound kidneys, pelvis, laboratory tests, uroflowmetry, cystometry and profilometry.

A timely examination allows you to choose the correct and most effective tactics for treating the problem of urinary incontinence after childbirth.

Urinary incontinence after childbirth: what to do

Many women today do not even suspect that treating urinary incontinence after childbirth is quite possible. If the problem is diagnosed in time, the degree of disruption of the bladder mechanism is small, then non-surgical treatment is carried out. In more severe cases, surgical intervention is possible.

Conservative treatment

Conservative treatment methods are primarily aimed at training the muscles of the pelvic floor and bladder. The first recommended are Kegel exercises and exercises for holding small weights with the vaginal muscles. With the help of these exercises, normal activity of the vaginal muscles is restored.

The most convenient for treating incontinence after pregnancy are Kegle exercises, which can be done even in a public place. These exercises involve tensing the muscles around the bladder and rectum 200 times a day. To find these muscles, you can hold the stream of urine while urinating.

Urinary incontinence after childbirth can also be treated with physical therapy. Physiotherapy alternates with exercise.

Bladder training is an effective method. In this case, the doctor develops a specific urination schedule for the patient. A woman tries to empty her bladder even when it is the slightest full. This program is carried out from the minimum period between urinations to the maximum: 3 -3.5 hours.

Drug treatment is prescribed in conjunction with exercises and muscle training. There are no medications that eliminate the cause of urinary incontinence. If such a problem occurs, the doctor may prescribe a sedative, a drug to improve blood circulation, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, or vitamins.

Surgery

Surgery to solve such a problem is prescribed only if conservative treatment methods are ineffective. Such operations are:

Loop operation, during which a loop is placed on the middle part of the urethra. The operation lasts only 40 minutes, and the patient is discharged after 2 days. Sexual activity is permitted after 6 weeks, and return to work after 2 weeks. This operation is performed for any degree of incontinence. The only contraindication is planned pregnancy. After childbirth, the effect of the operation is reduced to nothing.
Surgery with gel injection. In this case, using a gel that is injected near the urethra, additional support is created in its middle part. The operation is performed under local anesthesia and lasts less than 30 minutes.
Urethrocystocervicopexy– the least common surgical type of solution to the problem of postpartum incontinence in women. This operation allows you to strengthen the pubovesical ligaments. But it is difficult in terms of technique and requires long-term rehabilitation. For these reasons, this method is used very rarely.

In general, surgical intervention is resorted to in extremely rare cases. Urinary incontinence after childbirth can be treated with conservative methods, if there are no more serious disorders in the mechanism of bladder activity.

Prevention

To avoid serious problems that will lead to irreversible consequences, you need to follow recommendations that will help avoid urinary incontinence after childbirth. Even during pregnancy, get to know and follow muscle training exercises vagina, pelvic floor (Kegl gymnastics is even useful, it will also help during childbirth, and not just to eliminate the occurrence of incontinence).

If such a problem arises after childbirth in minor manifestations, be sure to regularly perform the above exercises. But don’t put off going to the doctor.

Prevention of this problem is preventing bladder overflow(especially during pregnancy). “You can’t tolerate it,” our parents often told us. If you endure for a long time, the muscles become stretched, which leads to their uselessness.

To avoid incontinence problems give up alcohol, caffeine (including caffeine-containing medications), smoking, etc. Eat more raw vegetables and fruits, which will promote timely emptying of the stomach.

After childbirth, any woman strives to quickly return to her prenatal weight - this will also help solve the problem of incontinence. A compliance with nutritional rules during pregnancy will be a good prevention of urinary incontinence after childbirth.

Experts say that, by and large, urinary incontinence after childbirth is a psychological problem. Women are embarrassed by this and hide the problem from doctors. Hiddenness leads to more serious consequences.

There is no shame in facing this problem. Regular exercise, consultation with a gynecologist, monitoring your body - all this will help you cope with troubles quickly and easily.

Replies

Several weeks passed after the birth, the perineal incision had already healed, the lochia had stopped, and the baby smiled for the first time. However, joy is not always cloudless. If a baby needs diapers, that's normal. It will take a long time before he learns to control his bladder and empty his stomach. But it happens that a young mother suddenly develops similar problems: after giving birth her bladder has lost the ability to close tightly, so when laughing or sneezing, a few drops of urine are always released.

Atony bladder after childbirth- a very common disease. Faces this problem a large number of women, but many, embarrassed to tell, keep silent about it.

This is a serious mistake. It is possible to cope with urinary incontinence acquired as a result of childbirth. It is to blame for the weakness of the muscles of the pelvic floor, and the muscles are easy to train.
To do this, you need to know how the female body works. Internal organs The upper part of the body is supported by the diaphragm, and organs of the hypogastric region such as the urethra (urethra), intestines, and uterus are supported by the pelvic floor. The muscular layer that forms the floor of the pelvis is stretched like a hammock between the pubic bone and the tailbone, and has only three openings: for the urethra, vagina and anus. Usually the muscles of the pelvic floor are in a state of moderate tension. They push the bladder and urethra upward; the latter, being in an upright position, tightly locks the bladder.

The bladder has two opposing tasks: to collect urine (then the urethra must close it tightly) and to empty itself (the urethra in this case relaxes and allows urine to pass through). Both happen by themselves: the bladder and urethra consist of smooth muscles that are not subject to volitional influence.

The pelvic floor, on the other hand, consists of striated muscles that can be trained and voluntarily controlled. This is important for labor, when a woman in the expulsion phase relaxes her pelvis, tenses her muscles, or strains. The longer labor lasts and the larger the baby, the more the muscles of the pelvic floor are stretched (and often overstretched). As a result, the muscles of the pelvic floor lose their elasticity, become weakened or even sag, and therefore the angle formed by the urethra and the bladder changes. The normal functioning of the locking mechanism is disrupted. If, in addition, the pressure in the abdominal cavity increases - due to coughing, sneezing, laughing, climbing stairs or lifting heavy objects - then a few drops of urine end up in the panties.

After a normal delivery, almost every woman has a weakened pelvic floor. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen its muscles at the first symptoms of incontinence, and best of all, before they appear.
The best workout is exercises that you can start doing after about two to three weeks. The essence of these exercises, repeated ten times a day, ten times, is to consciously tense and relax the pelvic floor. To understand how this is done, try, while on the toilet, stopping urination several times for short periods of time or tightly squeezing the anal sphincter. If you are not sure that when performing the exercise, the muscles that are really needed are compressed, and not just the buttocks, then to check it is best to insert two fingers about two centimeters into the vagina. If at the moment of compression you feel that your fingers are becoming tighter, then you are doing everything correctly.

The advantage of these squeezing exercises is that they can be done anywhere and unnoticed by others - while washing dishes and at a desk, on the bus.

There are special pessaries (not to be confused with birth control pills) that are placed in the vagina, push the urethra upward and hold the bladder in the desired position. As the closure angle becomes correct again, involuntary urine flow stops.
Medicines that are prescribed for older women after menopause for bladder atony do not help young mothers, since their incontinence is not caused by estrogen deficiency.

It is better to start squeezing exercises and gymnastics consistently and regularly before the start of pregnancy. Studies conducted on female athletes have shown that the trained pelvic floor muscles lose only 20% of weight (and thus strength) as a result of pregnancy, while the untrained pelvic floor loses 80%. So the risk negative consequences pregnancy for the pelvic floor increases.

But those who begin to perform squeezing exercises only after complaints appear also have a good chance of recovery.

Exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles

IN A POSITION ON YOUR BACK: As you inhale, stick your stomach out, as you exhale, lift your buttocks and pull in your stomach for two to three seconds.

IN THE SIDE POSITION: as you exhale, press your heel to your heel and move one knee to the side, stretch your back, while inhaling, bring your knees together.

BEST WORKOUT - EXERCISES

Gymnastics for the pelvic floor are very effective - special exercises that can be shown to you in physical therapy classes. With consistent training, most women with mild incontinence can heal themselves. You should consult your doctor about other methods of treating urinary incontinence.

About a third of all women experience urine leakage after childbirth. Some people spontaneously secrete only a few drops, while others have very significant volumes of urine. Most women consider urinary incontinence after childbirth to be a normal condition and do not contact their doctor about this. Some consider the problem to be delicate and prefer to get rid of it folk ways. It is important to understand that this postpartum condition is pathological and requires correction.

Urinary incontinence: concept

This disease is characterized by spontaneous release of urine. Currently, the pathology is not uncommon; most often it is detected in the postpartum period and in women over 40 years of age.

The disease does not pose a serious threat to health, but it significantly reduces the quality of life and negatively affects the psycho-emotional state. Many women believe that urinary incontinence after childbirth is a normal condition. Contrary to popular belief, it must be treated.

Symptoms

It is important to understand that isolated cases of urinary incontinence in women after childbirth do not always indicate pathology. One-time episodes can also occur in a completely healthy person.

The following symptoms serve as the basis for diagnosis:

Involuntary urine discharge occurs regularly, including at night. It cannot be controlled.
The volume of urine leaked is usually significant.
Episodes of incontinence occur during sports, sexual intercourse, and being under stress.
After emptying the bladder, residual secretions continue to flow out.
Frequent and sudden urges.

However, even if the involuntary discharge of urine is not regular, it is necessary to consult a doctor in order to confirm or rule out the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.

Types of incontinence

There are several types of the disease, each of which has characteristic symptoms.

Urinary incontinence happens the following types:

Urgentnoe. It is impossible to control, the urge to urinate is very strong and appears suddenly.
Stressful. Urine leakage is observed even with slight exertion. For example, urinary incontinence appears after childbirth when sneezing, laughing, coughing, during physical activity of both low and high intensity, etc.
Paradoxical ischuria. Spontaneous release of urine occurs when the bladder is full. In this case, it is impossible to control the process.
Reflex. The act of involuntary urination is a consequence of fear. It can also occur if a person hears the sound of flowing water.

As a rule, in women after childbirth, urinary incontinence is of a stress nature.

Causes

The occurrence of complications is associated with changes occurring in a woman’s body during pregnancy and its completion.

The following are considered the main causes of urinary incontinence after childbirth:

Weak ligaments. During pregnancy, changes occur in the pubic and iliosacral joints. They are characterized by gradual relaxation of the ligaments, which is normal during pregnancy.
Weak pelvic muscles. The closer the birth process is, the higher the concentration of the hormone relaxin in the blood. This substance is necessary in order to weaken the muscles and ligaments of the pelvic floor. This is necessary to increase the degree of bone dynamics.
Expansion of pelvic tissues. The separation of the bones during labor is necessary to prevent the child from being injured.
Breaks. They are not uncommon during childbirth. In addition, doctors may resort to episiotomy, a method of facilitating the passage of the child, which involves cutting the perineum. A natural consequence of ruptures and this surgical procedure is urinary incontinence after childbirth when coughing, playing sports, sneezing, etc.

The following factors also influence the increase in the likelihood of complications:

hereditary predisposition;
excess body weight;
developmental anomalies of the pelvic organs;
psychoemotional disorders;
hormonal disbalance;
pathologies of the nervous system;
the person has been exposed to radiation in the past;
Previously, surgical intervention was performed in the pelvic organs.

Thus, there are many reasons for urinary incontinence in women after childbirth, and therefore a thorough examination is recommended for each patient.

Which doctor should I contact?

When the first alarming symptoms appear, you must make an appointment with a urologist. He will find out the causes of urinary incontinence after childbirth, and prescribe the most effective treatment.

It is important to understand: the disease is dangerous because it develops gradually. The sooner you contact a specialist, the less time the treatment period will take, and the likelihood that you will be able to avoid surgical intervention will increase many times over.

Diagnostics

During a conversation with the patient, the doctor needs to establish the type of pathology and determine the degree of its manifestation.

During the history taking process, he should receive answers to the following questions:

how many births the woman had, whether complications arose;
does she have any chronic diseases;
whether a hormonal imbalance has ever been detected;
whether surgery was performed;
whether the patient suffers from pathologies of the nervous system.

In addition, the doctor may ask other questions that may not seem entirely appropriate to the woman, since they relate to her personal life. It is necessary to understand that this information is required by a specialist in order to make an accurate diagnosis, so it is important to provide it.

Diagnosis of urinary incontinence consists of several stages:

Examination on a gynecological chair. The doctor evaluates the location of the organs of the reproductive system, checks the presence or absence of neoplasms, examines the mobility of the bladder neck, examines the mucous membrane and skin in the perineal area. After this, he takes biomaterial for research from the urethra, cervix and vagina. These tests are necessary to confirm or exclude the presence of inflammatory processes. A general urine test and bacterial culture are also mandatory.
Keeping an observation diary. In order to obtain the most complete information about the existing pathology, the doctor recommends that the patient write down the following information for 2-3 days: how much liquid was drunk during the day, how much urine was excreted at one time, how many acts of urination and episodes of incontinence there were in 24 hours ., how many pads were used, what load the patient was exposed to. Analysis of the observation diary will help the urologist not only in making a diagnosis, but also in drawing up an effective treatment regimen.
Instrumental research. As a rule, the patient is prescribed a transvaginal ultrasound, during which the condition of the urethra, the bladder itself is analyzed, and sphincteric insufficiency is detected or excluded.

After completing all diagnostic measures, the doctor makes a diagnosis and prescribes treatment. In cases where it is ineffective, the results obtained do not correspond to the symptoms, the woman suffers from psycho-emotional disorders, etc., a comprehensive urodynamic examination is indicated. It includes: uroflowmetry, cystometry, cystoscopy.

If, during the diagnostic process, a woman’s nervous system disorders are identified, she is referred for a consultation with a psychotherapist or neurologist. A consultation with an endocrinologist is often necessary.

Conservative treatment

Urinary incontinence after childbirth in women is a pathology for which medications are extremely rarely prescribed. The exception is when the patient is diagnosed with enuresis. To reduce the severity of symptoms, it is recommended to take vitamins and medications that have a positive effect on the condition of blood vessels, the circulatory process and the functioning of the nervous system.

Basic conservative methods Treatment of urinary incontinence after childbirth:

Strengthening the muscles of the organ itself and the pelvic floor. Your doctor may recommend exercises using weights and vaginal cones. Holding foreign objects helps to gradually strengthen the muscles of the vagina and those involved in the process of urination. Good effect achieved by regularly performing Kegel exercises. They are also based on muscle training. To understand which of them and how you need to strain, you need to stop the stream during urination and remember these sensations. Thus, you need to constantly strain the muscles of the rectum and vagina. To achieve the best results, you must perform at least 200 repetitions per day.
Carrying out urination according to schedule. Its essence lies in the fact that the patient must empty the bladder at a strictly prescribed time by the doctor. This method helps improve bladder function and gain control over the situation. For each woman, the schedule is developed individually. It must be followed for at least 2 months.
Physiotherapy. As a rule, treatment with electromagnetic waves is prescribed. In combination with exercises, this method brings the best results.

At the end of the course of treatment, the doctor evaluates the changes. If they are insignificant or absent altogether, surgical intervention is prescribed.

Duration of treatment

Urinary incontinence after childbirth is a complication that requires individual approach. As a rule, the process of getting rid of pathology is quite long. The patient should perform the exercises regularly throughout the year. During this time she needs to undergo 4 courses of physiotherapy. After 1 year, the doctor evaluates the patient’s condition. If the illness does not subside, the woman is sent to the hospital with a referral for surgery.

Surgery

In practice, several methods of getting rid of pathology are used. Typically, the operation takes 30 to 45 minutes. It is performed under local anesthesia. On the second day the woman is discharged from the hospital, but if her daily activities involve intense physical activity, the patient can start using it no earlier than 2 weeks after the operation.

TO possible complications include: damage to the walls of the bladder, blood vessels, and intestines. Contacting a highly qualified doctor reduces the likelihood of these risks to a minimum.

If not treated?

Urinary incontinence after childbirth is a complication that is not dangerous at the initial stage. But it significantly worsens the quality of life and emotional state of every woman. Ignoring this problem leads not only to its progression, but also to the occurrence of inflammatory processes in the organs of the genitourinary system.

Forecast

In most cases it is favorable. The overwhelming number of women forget about the problem of urinary incontinence after childbirth. Very rarely, conservative treatment methods do not bring the desired result; surgical intervention is prescribed only in isolated cases. But even after it is carried out, the likelihood of relapse is minimal.

Preventive measures

In order to prevent the occurrence of complications, it is necessary to follow simple recommendations throughout your life:

regularly train the muscles of the pelvic floor and vagina;
do not tolerate if the bladder is full;
eat a balanced diet, do not abuse alcoholic beverages, do not smoke;
keep body weight under control;
empty your bowels regularly;
observe the drinking regime.

Paying attention to your health significantly reduces the risk of pathology.

Finally

A third of women experience urinary incontinence after childbirth. What to do? First of all, make an appointment with a urologist. Ignoring the problem can lead to serious illness. Based on the diagnostic results, an individual treatment plan will be drawn up. In most cases, doing specific exercises and going to physical therapy is enough. If these methods are ineffective, surgical intervention is indicated.