I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Depend. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
Today I have something personal in nature to talk to you about, mom to mom.
As many of you know, I have three little kids, ages 3, 5, and 7. I had them practically back to back (or at least it seems that way!).
There are many things I didn’t know about having children 8 years ago. One thing I was particularly surprised at was the bladder issues I would find myself experiencing.
I remember clearly the day I started having to wake up at night to go to the bathroom during my first pregnancy. It was an unusual experience because up until that point, I was a sound sleeper and rarely woke up in the night. As my pregnancy progressed, I had to pee more and more frequently. I eventually trained myself to go to the bathroom just before I left the house so I wouldn’t have to go as soon as I arrived where I was going. 🙂
After baby #1, things went back to normal for the most part.
It was baby #2 when I noticed things really started to change.
Bladder Leakage Issues for Moms
That pregnancy was harder on my body than the first and I noticed I had to go to the bathroom much more often than I did with my first. I talked to a good friend about this (she had 3 kids at that point…4 now), and you know what she told me? She said, “Just wait until you have your third child. Then you won’t be able to even jump without peeing.”
I told her no way does that happen to everyone. Surely she was wrong.
Before long, I had my third child and started going to the gym regularly in an effort to get my tired body in shape and to lose the extra 50 lbs I’d been carrying around for quite some time.
I started going to lots of different classes at the gym, including my favorite class, kickboxing. Despite my earlier disbelief, my bladder acted exactly as my friend had described. As soon as we would get through the warm up and started doing our first jumping jacks, I immediately needed to pee.
I couldn’t believe it! I couldn’t make it through two sets of 10 jumping jacks without feeling like I was going to pee all over the place. I would have been so embarrassed (and uncomfortable) if that had happened, so of course I would head to the bathroom as quickly as possible so I could get back in time for the next song.
And it wasn’t just me – most women in the class who had 2 or 3 kids also had to leave within the first 15 minutes of class for a bathroom break! We would pass each other in and out of the bathroom and wave with quiet smiles of understanding. We were all facing the same issue!
It was funny, but not funny. You know what I mean?!
It’s been 3 years since I had my last baby, and I’m finding that bladder leakage doesn’t only apply to gym settings. Sometimes when I drink too much caffeine, my bladder goes into overdrive and I’m liable to have leakage issues. Sometimes it happens when I simply stand up. These days any activity or movement is game! Aghhhh so frustrating.
I was pretty excited when Depend asked me to write about the Depend Silhouette Active Fit briefs. I probably would have never gone into the store to buy them myself, not knowing if other women like me were also doing that. But now that I know how awesome they are, I wouldn’t hesitate.
According to Depend, over 51 million American women experience bladder leakage. That’s 1 in every 3! Pregnancy and childbirth are two prominent reasons it occurs.
How Pregnancy & Childbirth Cause Bladder Leakage
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, bladder leakage (or urinary incontinence) can be caused by many things, including pregnancy & childbirth.
Bladder control is governed by the muscles and nerves that help to hold or pass urine. When your bladder muscles suddenly contract or your sphincter muscles are weak, you are in danger of not being able to hold back urine properly.
When you’re pregnant your baby pushes down your your bladder and pelvic floor. This weakens your pelvic floor and leads to bladder leakage. Natural childbirth labor weakens the muscles even further and damages nerves that control your bladder.
There are so many reasons why you may experience bladder leakage, but these are the reasons why I personally experience them as do many moms I know. You can find more information on bladder leakage at WomensHealth.gov
Depend Silhouette Active Fit Briefs
If you are unfamiliar with Depend Active Fit briefs, let me tell you – they are not what I expected…in a good way! When I think of adult briefs, I think of my grandmother’s adult sized diapers. These are NOT the same.
Depend Silhouette Active Fit Briefs feature a thin, low rise design for a look, fit, and feel like underwear. They have moderate absorbancy and come in black or beige colors.
See how they fit?
I wore them while doing some home workout videos this morning, and I have to say they are quite comfortable. It seemed odd not having to worry about any bladder leakage – I could really get used to this!
The #Underwareness Movement
The Depend brand is on a mission to break the stigma of bladder leakage with its #Underwareness campaign. A part of Underwareness, Depend is encouraging people to show their support for women with bladder leakage.
For every photo and video shared using #Underwareness, the Depend brand will donate $1, up to $3 million, through 2016 to fund charities that advance the research and education of bladder leakage.
You can join the movement and request a free sample of Depend Silhouette Active Fit briefs at www.Underwareness.com
For Depend coupons, click here!
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