Urinary Incontinence: Another Kind of Leak

Have the words “I peed a little” ever come out of your mouth? Good! Well, not good exactly, but we are happy to be here to help a sister out. Because today, we’re talking about everyone’s favorite topic: Urinary incontinence!

Hide the pepper. Pass the cough drops. Forget the spin class. Hell, cancel the drinks date with your funniest friend. Because urinary incontinence is a beast—and not the sexy kind. More than half of menopausal women experience bladder leaks, often onset by sneezing, coughing, exercise, or laughter. It all makes us want to scream! Except we won’t actually indulge in a proper howl because that too could open the flood gates. Shame upon shame.

So why this, why us, why now? Let’s get into the biology. Our bladders, vaginas, and urethras work in tandem; they’re all rich in estrogen receptors, which keep them in sublime coordination like a high-level Fosse dance number (also not something to try at home right now, friends). When estrogen levels drop, as they do during menopause, all three organs are weakened. The vagina is no longer strong enough to support the bladder—et voilà—it leaks. 

But take heart, Leaky Ladies. A) The media and health brands alike are finally talking about this stuff and meeting us where we are, with a wealth of new products including many choices in underweardesigned for taking on leaks. B) You do have options to try to curb the leaks themselves: For many women, a robust routine of kegels, kegels, and more kegels—which, lest you’ve forgotten, can be performed out at dinner, in meetings, and just about anywhere else—will do the trick. But physical therapy and—here’s where Alloy comes in—hormone therapy can help out, too. Topical estrogen, for example, has been proven to help some women with urinary incontinence.

Regardless of your leak levels, if you’re perimenopausal, menopausal, or think you might be, take Alloy’s easy-peasy assessment as a first step toward relief. It’ll only take a few minutes. Or you could decide to stay the course on your own, but if you go that route we just ask that you think of us whenever your bladder misbehaves and we’ll blow you a kiss from the land of relief.