I Pee When I Sneeze: Pregnancy: Three quick tips on how to keep your pants dry, from a pelvic physiotherapist.
Do you find yourself leaking a little - or a lot - when you sneeze, cough or laugh in that silent-squeaky-ab-crushing way watching Amy Schumer? Do you find yourself frantically googling things like, I pee when I sneeze: pregnancy ?
This is called stress urinary incontinence, or SUI, and is exactly that - stress- in the form of pressure, pushed through your abdomen onto your bladder causing urine leaks.
As with any downward pressure, if the pressure isn’t met with a coordinated strength up in the opposite direction (talking to you, pelvic floor), this can result in some soggy trousers.
I’ve seen many clients in my practice dealing with incontinence and it can come on during any stage of life:
in puberty through to adulthood
pregnancy
postpartum
or during menopause
To be clear - having SUI does not necessarily mean that you have a weak pelvic floor and can be a result of many factors that may include:
muscle tension
fatigue
position
or coordination.
Since SUI is primarily a pressure-based issue, it’s understandable that with increased weight in your abdomen (ahem… a baby and associated structures), you might be saying, I pee when I sneeze.
Though SUI is a common concern among women, with the right tools and knowledge, it’s also totally fixable and not a life sentence.
Here are three simple steps to help you stop peeing when you don’t want to, and laugh as hard as you do want to.
Lean forward
When you sit with a rounded low back or in a “C-curve” - think watching TV on a couch - the pressure from your abdomen has a direct path to your pelvic floor.
When we sit or stand with “ribs ahead of the pelvis” during times of high pressure, it allows the pressure to have an indirect path to your bladder and this angle can work as a way to absorb the shock of a sneeze or high-pressure event.
Get your shoulders ahead of your hips. Think “standing in ski boots”, where your body stays in a straight line but you’re shifting your weight forward from your ankles
If you’re sitting, lean your forearms onto your legs so your rib cage is well in front of your hips
If you’re the kind of person who does sneezing acrobatics (a full forward bend or some sort of forward stumble) lean forward with your hand or arm on a wall/ door frame to brace yourself for impact.
2. Look up
In the interest of further diffusing the pressure, looking up or forward allows the pressure more room in your body, rather than looking down where the pressure will be diverted downwards to your bladder and pelvic floor.
Point your elbow toward the ceiling and sneeze into it
Throw your head up with laughter- think “chin away from the chest”
If you’re sitting leaning forward and looking straight ahead, your chin is already away from your chest, so you’re already in a great position.
3. If you’re confident you know what you’re doing… KEGEL
Now that we’ve diffused the pressure, let’s give you some support from the other end to seal the deal.
A Kegel is a name for a pelvic floor muscle contraction. If you’re unsure whether you’re doing this correctly, skip it altogether.
Kegels performed incorrectly or with a downward pressure - can make this issue worse… for obvious reasons. If you feel like you’re familiar and just need a quick review, read on for your last tip.
Envision a blueberry at the entrance to your vagina
Lift the blueberry with your labia and bring it up and inside your vagina
Release the blueberry after the high-pressure activity (aka sneezing, coughing or laughter) has subsided
Remember:
As with any medical advice - if this problem persists - you need to get in with your pelvic physiotherapist for personalized advice which could include: working on pelvic floor strength, coordination, full body and core training or more depending on findings and your specific issues and history.
Hope these tips are helpful next time:
your allergies get the best of you
you decide to start a messaging thread with your mommas to be titled: I pee when I sneeze: pregnancy
or the girl’s night goes down some hilarious, offside rabbit hole.
Here for you, your pants and your hive,
- Laine
About the Author: Laine Wall
If you are looking for a pelvic physio, I would love to help you on your pelvic health journey.
I work out of, and own, a pelvic physiotherapy clinic called The Hive Pelvic Health Co. in Millbrook, Ontario and also offer virtual appointments if you reside in Ontario, Canada.
Have more questions? Get in touch with me.
The Hive Pelvic Health Co. is located in the township of Cavan-Monaghan, in Peterborough County; and is less than 20 minutes from the city of Peterborough and 30 minutes from Durham region.
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