pissing and proud
This is not good news for me personally. Or for any other woman who has to change underwear after a good sneeze. Stress Urinary Incontinence (peeing in your pants) is no joke. I mean it's no joke to feel a little involuntary squirt every time you laugh, or jog, or cough. But it's also no joke as in 'it's real' and boring and common for a majority of women ... eventually. Though it's not talked about much. Apparently there's a stigma to pissing your pants and other related, common issues like uterine prolapse (this is when your uterus slips down into your vagina or even out of it). An ob/gyn friend and mother of four once told me casually, "oh yeah, I piss when I jog all the time, and I have to pop my cervix back up every now and then, too." Her candor may sound shocking. But it's a lot better than some other coping mechanisms (like never leaving the house, which is apparently common among those with severe SUI). Most women keep it a secret from everyone (62% waited a year or longer before even discussing their condition with a doctor.)
So, I'm trying to come out about my--granted, still delicate--postpartum SUI situation in an attempt to pave the way for a out-and-proud future generation of pants pissers. Maybe when I'm 60, Jennifer Anniston will play a geezer with diapers and we'll all think it's cool. (Depends, take note). Kegels do help.
in baby
