Women’s bodies experience many changes in life from pregnancy through to menopause and with each change comes new little challenges that women need to overcome. From hot flushes to mood swings and light bladder leakage, menopause really does put a women through her paces and the hormonal changes can often impact her confidence.
So, you have a beautiful family who you’re proud of, you’ve got a successful career, and you’ve finally started to feel like (for what feels like the first time in your life) as though you’re getting the hang of living like the confident woman you were born to be. But, right out of nowhere, life decides to throw you a curve ball that you weren’t really anticipating - or let’s be honest, one you’ve chosen to not ever properly think about.
We can only really be talking about one thing. That’s right, you guessed it. We’re talking about that new phase in a mature woman’s life called menopause. Not only does menopause knock your body around it also impacts a woman’s confidence and can be tough to navigate when everything seems to be a challenge.
Whether you’re currently experiencing menopause or are about to start, it can be a difficult time for any woman. With hot flushes, mood swings, and irregular bleeding, menopause can also have an impact on your hormone levels and cause light bladder leakage or menopause incontinence. As if coming to terms with what many other women describe as their “womanhood” slowly evaporating wasn’t difficult enough!
There can be a lot of apprehension when it comes to knowing what’s in store once menopause starts and as a result women’s confidence can be impacted dramatically. With physical factors including weight gain, potential hairloss, dry skin and light bladder leakage it can be a confusing time for women. The emotional aspects of menopause are also tough, dealing with stereotypes of what reaching the menopause means, the changes in your body and how you can best control them and the hormonal changes are all big factors in loss of confidence.
If left untreated, it’s common for light bladder leakage or menopause incontinence to interfere with all aspects of your lifestyle and ultimately your confidence - whether that be work, social activities and sexual and personal relationships. Many women however do not reach out for help, as there’s wrongfully a cloud of shame that’s associated with the condition. The good news though is light bladder leakage or menopause incontinence can be managed and treated.
Sometimes, the best way to cope with menopause incontinence is knowing that you’re not alone. We, as women, should be in this together, especially as 40% of menopausal women are estimated to suffer from this condition.
Some of these changes can have more of an impact than others and things such as light bladder leakage can be a very confronting thing to deal with and isn’t something to be embarrassed about, instead there are a number of things that can be done to help boost confidence and tackle some of those symptoms.
Exercise – not only will gentle exercise such as Pilates help offset the weight gain it can also help with other symptoms too, such as LBL and can help boost confidence and mental wellbeing. Pilates is a great way to help strengthen your pelvic floor, why not visit our pelvic floor exercises section for some gentle exercise videos.
Maintain a healthy diet – Eating the right foods to combat factors such as weight gain, mood swings and insomnia as well as light bladder leakage. Acidic foods such as tomatoes and grapefruit juice, oranges, limes and lemons can irritate the bladder which can worsen bladder control.
Be positive – menopause is just another challenge in life that you can beat. Staying positive and empowering yourself is essential. There are going to be many benefits once menopause is over so focus on the positives such as increased freedom, embrace new life challenges, if you can beat menopause you can do anything and don’t forget to talk to other women – there’s an age old saying a problem shared is a problem halved and so you may realize that you’re not alone in some of the daily challenges you’re experiencing.
Poise® have a wide product offering of Liners, Ultrathins and Pads that are all specially designed to help you manage light bladder leakage as and when it happens, but all in a discreet manner any by keeping you comfortable. For further information on the Poise® range or to request a free sample please visit this page.
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek advice from a qualified health care professional with any questions regarding your concerns.
