The Princess and the Pee:

Understanding Urinary Incontinence in Women

Have you ever found yourself timidly looking around because you leaked when you laughed and just weren’t quite sure if anyone could have noticed?  Or maybe you find yourself doing an on-the-spot jig every time you put your key in the door and wonder when door locks became so complicated?  Or for some reason whenever you’re leaving the house you simply have to go to the bathroom three times in 15 minutes?  Or perhaps you’ve noticed that the bathroom seems to be twice as far from the bedroom when it’s 3am and you’ve been rudely awakened by a demanding urge to pee?  

Unfortunately, it’s a topic many women avoid talking about, and definitely avoid actually addressing.  But let’s be honest: you’re not the only one taking ‘just in case’ toilet trips; or locating the closest bathroom and gauging how long it would take to skip there; or shortening the dog walk; or abandoning an exercise class; or timing your next cuppa so that you can make it through your drive home; or worse still- not even going anywhere if you’re not exactly sure of the bathroom availability.  There’s no denying it- having a bossy bladder is at the very least- ruining the best jokes, and at worst- ruining your best life. 

In fact, estimates suggest around 1 in 3 women in the UK will experience some form of urinary incontinence. That’s not a small, awkward minority. That’s millions of women! That’s your colleagues, your friend, your sister, and very possibly- you.  And here’s the thing- just because it’s common, that doesn’t mean it’s normal.

So here’s a question:  At what point did you decide to let your bladder call the shots?  When you took up running in high school? During pregnancy or after becoming a mum?  When you started that Hiit class?  Menopause?  The flu when you coughed for days? Those really stressful weeks when you just couldn’t relax? 

And here’s another question:  Why?  Why do any of these reasons (or any other), make it acceptably inevitable to suffer a bumptious bladder?  

It’s high time we lighten the bladder burden and take some action; because if you don’t- like a leaky ship- it’s going to keep getting worse until you take up the repairs.  

First of all, you need to recognise it.  So here’s a brief breakdown:  

Stress Incontinence is when increased pressure on the bladder with coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercises causes your bladder to leak.  It’s often linked to weakened pelvic floor muscles.

Urge Incontinence is when you feel a sudden, overwhelming need to dash to the toilet — and sometimes don’t make it in time. It’s sometimes triggered by things like running water or putting the key in the door, but other times it’s just random.  It happens because of overactivity of the bladder muscle.  

How Can Physiotherapy Help?

Physiotherapy is often the first line of treatment for urinary incontinence — and with good reason:

Pelvic floor muscle training: yes, there’s more to it than “just do your squeezes”.

Bladder retraining: helping you regain control over urge signals.

Advice: either lifestyle related, hydration, avoiding bladder irritants, managing constipation, or recommending further/different medical assessment/treatment where needed. 

Education: to empower you to keep helping yourself in future.

Many women notice significant improvements — and even resolution of symptoms — with physiotherapy alone.

Why We Need to Talk About It

Sadly, the overriding mindset is that leaking is “just part of being a woman”.  They buy pads, keep quiet, and hope no one notices.  Next time you leak, pee on that thought because it’s really just a sociomedical mishap that’s become hard to shake because of a lingering taboo.    

Your future self will thank you for taking action today, because the longer you leave it, the further away the bathroom is going to be.  It’s time to stop being bullied by your bladder and veto the unwanted voids.

If this article has resonated with you, you’re not alone.  We’d love to hear from you. Getting in touch for a conversation or assessment can be a gentle first step towards helping your body feel more settled, supported, and back in balance.