ReVitalize Mama

As a society, we often focus on the joy and excitement that comes with having a new baby. However, we must also acknowledge the reality of postpartum birth trauma. This is a real and complex issue that affects many new mothers.

Postpartum birth trauma can come in the form of physical injuries, emotional distress, or medical complications. It can be caused by a difficult labor and delivery, unexpected pregnancy outcomes, or even inadequate postpartum care.

Unfortunately, many women suffer in silence due to the stigma surrounding mental health issues and the pressure to present a perfect image of motherhood. It’s time to break the silence and start talking about postpartum birth trauma.

If you or someone you know is struggling with postpartum birth trauma, it’s important to seek help. There are many resources available, including therapy, support groups, and trauma informed support & care.

Let’s work together to raise awareness and support those who are dealing with this difficult issue. Remember, it’s okay to not be okay, and seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Every physical being on this planet is your partner in co-creation, and if you could accept that and appreciate the diversity of desires and beliefs, all of you would have a more expansive, satisfying, fulfilling experience. ~Abraham-Hicks

✨🚽 BLADDER CONTROL BASICS | PART 2 🚽✨

In a study conducted by the department of Urology at San Diego Medical Center, 100 women were screened for bladder related symptoms. The study found that 81% of the women who were positive for bladder related issues, started developing their symptoms by the age of 30.

Most women in the study began having early signs of bladder related issues when their urination became more frequent (> 8 times/day) and they had aggravation of their frequency following sexual in*******se. Eventually, the frequency of urination turned into symptoms of urgency (urge incontinence) and anterior pelvic pain. They found that if the symptoms were not addressed in the early stages, that the bladder related symptoms continually worsened throughout the lifespan.

It is clear that when is comes to addressing bladder concerns, the earlier the better!

Today I am going to discuss the causes of incontinence related symptoms and how we can address these in terms of dietary changes, functional nutrition supplementation, and physical therapy intervention.

URGE INCONTINENCE: CAUSES & TREATMENT

Urge incontinence, or the feeling of an intense urge to run to the bathroom with a lack of control over the bladder, is typically caused by bladder spasticity or irritation. What causes bladder spasticity? When the balance of toxic or acidic forming foods is too high in the body, the lining of the walls of the bladder become irritated. This irritation of the lining of the bladder causes the muscles in the walls of the bladder to begin to spasm uncontrollably. As a result, you will get a random urge to urinate that feels uncontrollable. This is because the bladder is spasming involuntarily! This build up of acid forming or toxic foods in the system can also result in systemic inflammation, not just inflammation in the bladder, and may lead to pelvic pain or pain with in*******se. When the bladder becomes spastic, this can also cause the pelvic floor to tighten up. A tight pelvic floor cannot properly hold back urine because the muscle is not functioning properly. Therefore, this results in the bladder spasming and the pelvic floor being unable to hold back the flow of urine. Uh oh! Accident! Addressing urge incontinence involves dietary changes to decrease bladder irritating foods, training to improve conscious control over the bladder, and gentle stretching and movement of the pelvic floor muscles in order decrease tightness of the pelvic floor and improve control over the bladder.

STRESS INCONTINENCE: CAUSES & TREATMENT

Stress incontinence, or leakage when performing an activity such as coughing, sneezing, jumping, running, or lifting, is typically caused by poor control over the bladder and the muscles of the pelvic floor. This poor control can be due to a number or factors, including increased downward pressure on the bladder due to pregnancy or recent weight gain, weakness or tightness of the pelvic floor muscles that help to control the flow of urine, or bladder spasticity or dysfunction causing leakage. Therefore, with stress incontinence, we must determine which factor is contributing the most to the symptoms. If the leakage is happening due to pregnancy or increased weight gain putting pressure on the bladder, then the patient must begin by working on pelvic floor control in order to be able to tighten and lift the pelvic floor muscles during activities that cause stress or excess weight on the bladder. This technique is called bladder training. In addition, if the diet is high in toxins or acid forming foods, then addressing the diet is essential to helping calm the bladder and reducing bladder spasticity and leakage.

FREQUENT URINATION OR LEAKAGE: CAUSES & TREATMENT

Frequency of urination is defined as using the restroom greater than 8 times per day. Frequency of urination in patients who develop weakness of the pelvic floor muscles can begin to result in more frequent accidents and leakage. More frequent urination can be an early sign that the bladder is becoming irritated by the foods you are consuming, it can also indicate that the pelvic floor muscles have become weak and unable to hold back the flow of urine from the bladder. In postnatal women or women who have had pelvic surgery or trauma, the pelvic organs can begin to sink down into the pelvic cavity and compress the bladder. This is called pelvic organ prolapse, and may result in more frequent accidents due to increased pressure on the pelvic organs and bladder, as well as increased pressure on the pelvic floor muscles, resulting in weakness. Therefore, with frequency of urination or pelvic organ prolapse, we must also address dietary changes, pelvic floor re-training, and bladder control. With these adjustments, we can lift the pelvic organs and strengthen the pelvic floor in order to maintain a healthy position and normal control over the bladder.

As you can see, each type of incontinence is slightly different. However, if we were to address each one using dietary changes, bladder training, and pelvic floor re-education, then we will be successful.

So, how does each of these treatment strategies work? What foods do you need to eliminate in order to calm the bladder? How do you train your bladder? What the heck is pelvic floor re-education?

I will go into more detail about each strategy in the next few installments of BLADDER CONTROL BASICS! Stay tuned!